It's Homecoming weekend. That means three days of fun, partying and most importantly, no class, right? Wrong.
Though many professors have chosen to cancel class for previous Homecomings, most professors are choosing to utilize their Friday time-slots this year, pushing the start of Homecoming off until tonight.
"Of course I am planning to hold class on Friday," mathematics professor Dana Williams said. "We need every class day to complete our syllabi. Furthermore, our students, or at least their parents, pay a fortune to attend classes here. It would grossly irresponsible of me to cancel a class just so that my students could get an early start on the weekend."
And most other professors seem to agree. In fact, some are even scheduling tests today.
Art History 1, taught by professors Ada Cohen and Kathleen Corrigan, has a midterm scheduled.
"The exam for Art History 1 is being given at the point we felt was most appropriate in terms of the course material," Corrigan said. "I assume the students would rather have it on Friday as opposed to Monday so that they can relax over the weekend. Frankly, I've never heard of people canceling class on the Friday of Homecoming. I've never done it."
And while many students would contend that they remember previous Homecomings as free from Friday classes, the official school policy has always been that classes are scheduled and students are expected to be in attendance on the Friday before the big weekend.
Regardless of student expectations, the majority of professors contacted said that most students do show up to scheduled classes.
"I believe the attendance rate is usually above 90 percent," psychology professor Howard Hughes said. "Students know it is difficult to learn the material they are required to learn if they don't come to class. There may be a small reduction, but I don't expect it to be dramatic."
However, there are a few professors choosing to cancel classes. Education professor Andrew Garrod chose to cancel his Education 20 class because of poor attendance in previous years, but also to give his students a break.
"I have no guilt about canceling it since I use every x-hour this term in my course except one," Garrod said. "Students spend quite long enough in the classroom in my presence. They deserve a break from me on Homecoming weekend, and perhaps I deserve a break from them."
Government professor Deborah Brooks, teaching Government 3 this term in the 2A timeslot, even chose to cancel her regularly scheduled Thursday class.
But even those professors who do not give students a break today still enjoy participating in the Homecoming experience later that night.
"I have attended the bonfires pretty regularly for over 20 years now," Hughes said. "When my kids were little we used to go as a family."
And most professors are happy for students to enjoy the mid-term break afforded by Homecoming -- even if it is only officially two days.
"I hope my students can unwind a bit and have a fun Homecoming weekend -- on the weekend," Williams said.
