Discussion on the academic calendar proposals was the major focus of the Faculty Senate meeting Tuesday night.

Arne Hallam, professor and chair of economics, presented the two calendar proposals to the members.

Hallam and members of the Academic Calendar Task Force have been conducting research throughout the country on the two proposed calendars since last spring when the proposed calendars were narrowed down from four possibilities to two.

The major concern with Calendar B is the shortening of the semester. The major criticism comes from departments that offer lab classes, because under Calendar B, one to two weeks of lab classes would be lost.

“The Chemistry Department strongly favors Calendar A; students want more time now between classes to study and the only way to give them that [under Calendar B] is to cut something else out,” said Walter Trahanovsky, professor of chemistry.

Shortening the semester puts more pressure on students because less time is offered for classes and studying. “It’s clearly more intense, but the issue is whether our students would be more intense about it,” Hallam said.

Johnson and Hallam both said the general concern from students about Calendar B is the additional week of winter break.

“One of the reasons students don’t like Calendar B is the longer winter break. They’re home too long and they get extremely bored,” Johnson said.

The January Term, or J-Term, which would allow students to take classes in early January after winter break, was another major issue with the proposed Calendar B.

“We went back and looked at the literature and there are pluses and minuses to having a J-term,” Hallam said.

One disadvantage of the J-term to students would be most classes offered would only be one or two credits. “You’re not going to get in your typical, long three credit classes, and I don’t see many three credit courses being offered,” Hallam said.

Miriam Engler, associate professor of landscape architecture, said she strongly favors the option of having a J-Term.

“We’re looking at offering more study abroad opportunities and internships, which is very constructive to students,” Engler said.