Following the Student Assembly's successful resolution calling for two consecutive days of reading period in Spring term, the registrar has scheduled a special day of classes for May 19, the Saturday of Green Key weekend.
In past years, the first day of reading period fell on Memorial Day, with the second day occurring later in the week once classes had finished. According to the Registrar, Polly Griffin, the change, which was initially sponsored by the Assembly, was made so as to allow students to have two consecutive days of reading period as well as have the holiday free.
Many students who spoke with The Dartmouth said they disapproved of having classes on May 19, the Saturday of Green Key weekend.
"Having classes on the Saturday of Green Key is a lot worse than not having two consecutive days of reading period," Anne Cloudman '02 said. "The Student Assembly may have solved one problem but created another that is much worse."
Erik Andreasen '01 said he "would be rather disgruntled" about having to attend classes on Green Key Saturday.
Griffin said she does not see an alternative to rescheduling the special day of classes so that it does not fall on the traditionally big weekend for the College.
According to Griffin, the schedule for Commencement does not allow her to insert an extra day at the end of the term, nor, by College policy, can she drop a day of classes from the schedule.
Griffin said that special classes could not be held the weekend preceding Green Key weekend because of the Pow Wow.
Nor could the additional day of classes be scheduled for a Saturday earlier in the term, since College policy states that special class days should be held as close as possible to the days they replace, Griffin explained.
According to Griffin, Green Key and Pow Wow could not be moved to different weekends.
Student Assembly Academic Affairs Committee chair Michael Perry '03 and Assembly President Jorge Miranda '01 both said they are looking for ways not to have to hold special classes on May 19.
Miranda said that he and Perry have contacted the registrar and relevant faculty committees about moving the special classes to an earlier Saturday. However, in light of Griffin's comments, the success of such a move seems unlikely.
If it would be impossible to change the calendar, Miranda said he and Perry plan to send out a letter to the faculty, encouraging them to use x-hours in place of Saturday classes.
With classes on the Saturday of Green Key weekend seeming a real possibility, the majority of students interviewed by The Dartmouth disapproved of the schedule change and felt that attendance would be low.
Sara Lischterman '02 said she thinks that many students will not show up for Saturday classes.
Catherine Curran '01 questioned the point of holding this special day of classes.
"People don't take Saturday classes seriously," she said. "I seriously doubt many professors would hold any."
