How is Carleton University different from all but two other Ontario universities? The answer is that Carleton, along with McMaster and Ryerson, are the only Ontario universities with classes that start before Labour Day, which really doesn’t make any sense.
Classes at Carleton start for the fall semester on Sept. 2, 2015. According to an email from the university, this in an effort to “ensure the Senate guidelines are adhered to allowing at least 62 teaching days; incorporating fall break the last week in October and scheduling 13 days of final examinations ending by Dec. 22.”
Why is it then, that Wilfred Laurier University, which also has a fall reading week, starts class on September 10?
Why does Brock University, which also has a fall reading week, start class on Sept. 9? Is it because Brock and Laurier are giving their students an extra week of summer holidays but jamming exams together in a much shorter period of time? Not really, since Laurier has exams in 12 days instead of Carleton’s 13 and finishes exams by Dec. 23 rather than 21.
Carleton butchering the schedule is nothing new. The last two years I have attended the school there have been exams as late as Dec. 22, a date when repeated to friends at other Ontario universities is met with incredulous looks.
The last day of first semester exams at Laurier in 2014 was Dec. 19. The last day of exams at Brock for the same semester was Dec. 16. This might not have raised eyebrows at Carleton had Brock and Laurier not enjoyed fall reading weeks. However, both schools gave their students a reading week coinciding with Thanksgiving in 2014.
Even when it comes to reading week, Carleton blunders the schedule. Instead of conveniently locating reading week the same week as Thanksgiving, the university puts it a week after, meaning students have to travel home twice if they wish to spend both reading week and Thanksgiving with their families.
Even our cross-town rival, the University of Ottawa, has it figured out. Ottawa U starts classes for the fall semester on Sept. 8 and finishes exams Dec. 22. And yes, you guessed it: they still have a fall reading week from Oct. 25-31, the same days as Carleton.
One way Carleton could gain a day of class to meet the Senate guidelines of 62 teaching days is by moving reading week to the same week as Thanksgiving, so that we would only lose five days of class between the two holidays rather than six. Or, like Laurier, we could schedule a 12 day exam period rather than 13.
The silver lining this year, at least, is that Carleton finishes exams a day or two earlier than most Ontario universities on Dec. 21, so you’ll have time to make it home before Santa does.
