It is a term synonymous with the winding down of each semester: Dead Week.

For some ISU students, the term does not bear any significance the first time they hear a fellow student utter the words. Its weight does not really begin to sink in until their workload becomes unbearable.

According to the ISU catalog, Dead Week is designated as the final week of undergraduate classes of both the fall and spring semesters. Declared by the Government of the Student Body and the university, the goal of Dead Week is to allow students the time to review and fully prepare for the coming final exams. Clubs and organizations are not allowed to hold meetings during this time without the permission of the program coordinator in the Student Activities Center.

On the academic side, “mandatory final exams may not be given during Dead Week except for laboratory courses and for those classes meeting once a week and for which there is no contact during the normal final exam week.”

Major course assignments, like research papers and projects, should be assigned well before Dead Week begins, with the due date for these assignments no later than the Friday of Dead Week.

Recently, Dead Week practices have come under fire by students, culminating in a resolution put forth by the GSB and subsequent proposal presented to the Faculty Senate at its April meeting. Under this policy, said Zachary Boss, GSB director of student affairs, the faculty would be more accountable and give students more rights.

“We heard a lot of complaints from students saying that 70 percent of their grade was being decided in three days,” said GSB president Jared Knight. “Also, many students did not know, and still do not know, the policy exists.”

At April’s Faculty Senate meeting, senators spent much of the time going over the proposal and debating possible amendments. There was specific wording issues faculty had with the original proposal. After being debated and amended multiple times, the proposal as a whole was passed.

“The current proposal contains better language from 2001,” Boss said.

He went on to say that one of the major changes involves the establishment of the email address [email protected]. This address, Boss said, is maintained by Associate Provost David Holger’s office and a place where students can address their concerns if they feel their rights have been violated.

While this proposal accomplishes a lot, members of GSB still feel there is work to be done.

“We will continue working with the Faculty Senate on a number of issues,” Knight said. “We’ll look at the fall semester and see the effects, and fix things from there.”