For over a year, a working group of the Senate Academic Policy Committee has been established to gain feedback from faculty and students on how terms and examinations are scheduled. The aim is to respond to decades-long calls from students for a Winter Session Term 1 break.
The group is looking at possible options for scheduling the start and end dates of terms and formal examination periods, as well as mid-term breaks. While the idea of a Winter Session Term 1 break is supported, the best method of achieving this goal is less obvious.
Today, the group is launching an online survey designed to gather the opinions of UBC faculty and students, on questions that align with a number of different scenarios. The survey should take less than 10 minutes to complete and your answers are anonymous.
To complete the survey, visit: https://senate.ubc.ca/vancouver/consultations.
The deadline for responses is March 13, 2020.
It is important to note that feasible options are bound by multiple hard constraints, including the need for a minimum of 61 teaching days per Winter Term and an examination period that balances scheduling all exams with minimizing the number of examination clashes and hardships. There is also a desire to not require students to pay rent unnecessarily in August or May, or have exams past December 22, and on statutory holidays.
Your feedback will help the group advise the Academic Policy Committee as to the best path forward for the university to schedule future academic years. I hope you will take the time to share your views.
Please contact the Office of the Senate at vancouver.senate@ubc.ca with questions or comments.
Kate Ross
Associate Vice-President, Enrolment Services and Registrar
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