During the University Senate's next meeting, the need for Saturday finals will once again be challenged.
Last Thursday, the Senate's Academic Policies Council approved a recommendation to start fall semester finals on Monday. If passed, senators would basically replicate the spring semester schedule this fall - except students won't get an additional spring break.
To make up for the "lost Monday," an extra 20 minutes would be added to Monday night classes throughout the semester, dismissing them at 9:30.
Critics were concerned the 9:30 dismissal would be too late for some students. Twenty minutes may not seem like a lot, but try sitting through three hours of class instead of two hours and 40 minutes - you'll feel a difference every week.
Eliminating Saturday finals doesn't make much sense.
Ball State is widely reputed as a suitcase college, meaning many students go home on weekends. What's one day at the end of finals week?
The finals week schedule is plainly printed in each semester's schedule book of classes. This makes it easy for students to find out ahead of time which classes and which sections have Saturday finals.
For those students who can't avoid a Saturday final, what difference does it make?
This is a case of the consumer controlling the market. If a class has a Saturday final you don't want, don't register for it. When too few students register for a section, the class does not "make" and is cancelled. In some cases, students can register for other sections.
Sure, there are cases when students can't afford for a class to be cancelled. Some students have one semester remaining or have scholarships and financial aid which are contingent on class enrollment.
Those students will do anything to get out of here, and that includes sucking it up and taking two hours on a Saturday to finish college.
Students have choices, and it's up to them to make the ones that are best for their needs.
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