Associated Student Body President Gregory Alston and ASB cabinet member Jessica Brouckaert will present a resolution to the Faculty Senate next Tuesday that would prohibit professors from giving assignments the week before finals.
The “Reading Days” resolution was written as part of Alston’s platform and would require no assignment counting ten percent or more of a student’s grade to be assigned the week before finals. The ASB Senate unanimously passed the resolution Oct. 29.
“The problem is that students do not have enough time to prepare for finals because they are busy working on other assignments during the week leading up to final exams,” Alston said.
In order for the resolution to be implemented, it has to pass in Faculty Senate and go before the Undergraduate Council. It will then go to the Council of Academic Administrators. If passed by the Council of Academic Administrators, the resolution will become a university policy.
Alston said he believes the resolution represents a part of the University Creed and will benefit both students and faculty members.
“I believe in academic freedom, and it is a very important component of the Creed,” Alston said.
“We are not trying to tell the faculty how they should structure their class or the syllabus. But we think this is something that will benefit the students and the faculty. Students will have more time to prepare for finals, and the faculty will not have to worry about grading as many assignments at the very end of the semester.”
Brouckaert was also instrumental in writing the resolution. She said she hopes presenting Reading Days to the Faculty Senate will increase support for the resolution.
“We decided to write the joint resolution and bring it before the ASB Senate and the Faculty Senate in order to show widespread support for Reading Days to the Undergraduate Council and Council on Academic Administrators,” Brouckaert said.
“We are hoping that the Faculty Senate will pass the resolution and look forward to the meeting.”
— Allison Slusher
ajslushe@go.olemiss.edu
