McMaster University’s undergraduate students are getting a trial two-day long break during the fall 2013 and 2014 semesters.
This year, the break will run from Thursday, Oct. 31, to Friday, Nov. 1, followed by a test and assignment ban on Saturday, Nov. 2, according to Siobhan Stewart, the president of McMaster Students Union (MSU).
“The process started as an election promise I made during my campaign in the winter of 2012. I said I would start the conversation about creating a fall break,” Stewart said via email.
Stewart said that through discussions and extensive survey of students, the MSU found that students “overwhelmingly favoured the addition of any time off in the fall, applied equally for all students, with the least amount of impact to the various aforementioned facets of university life.”
The MSU didn’t specifically ask for a two-day break from the university, but said that a two-day break allowed for the most time off with little impact to the undergraduate calendar.
“I got a sense of the sacrifices, [compromises] and issues that would need to be addressed if the university created a fall reading week versus a one or two day break,” Stewart said, mentioning issues like exams, scheduling, and scholastic accreditation.
After much negotiation with students, university administrators and the undergraduate council, the senate of McMaster University approved the break, according to Stewart.
“There will be virtually no negative impact to the undergraduate calendar and there will be no issues with academic accreditation timelines,” Stewart said.
She said that a longer break may be passed in the future.
Alena Tran, a first-year life sciences student, said she is “very happy” about the break, regardless of how short it is compared to other schools.
“I feel that the first term always seems longer than the second term. Having this short break will definitely benefit me in many ways such as catching up on any missed readings, or just give myself a mini break from all the stress,” Tran said.
Aaron Boall, a first-year social science student at McMaster, said that two days at the end of the week “serves no purpose” to students.
“Two days are barely enough to get any work done. Once someone is done catching up on sleep . . . two days doesn’t cut it,” Boall said.
“I think that maybe the two days that we are being given as a trial is just something to quiet the students. Rather than true concern, they’re offering something just to keep the student body quiet,” Boall said.
Stewart said a break will become a permanent part of the undergraduate timetable if it is approved after the university and the MSU evaluate and discusse the break’s effectiveness.
“Both students and the University will have a role in determining the future of the fall break at McMaster,” Stewart said.
Carleton University has also implemented a fall break starting in the 2013 fall semester. It will run for a week in October.
