The days of getting ready for classes with a last, Labor Day outing may be gone forever
Although no official announcement was given to faculty, staff or students, the fall 1998 semester will begin one week earlier than previous years.
Dr. Rhoades, professor of finance and real estate law, handed out an informal petition to the 100 students in his four classes May 6 to confirm his suspicions that the change conflicts with students' summer plans.
The petition read, "It is the preference of the undersigned CSULB students that instruction for each academic year begin no sooner than the Monday immediately preceding Labor Day."
Of the 100, 89 signed the petition requesting the semester not to be moved forward in future years.
Rhoades does not plan to turn in the petition. He has informally asked "quite a few people about the change, but I still don't have a decent reason why. It was in the calendar, but there wasn't substantial due process because no one had heard about it," he said.
Rhoades said students came up to him after class with a number of reasons why it is a problem for them, including academic conflicts, no break from summer school and not being able to attend community college classes, which generally are much cheaper.
"If there was a reason that was compelling enough to offset these, then [the administration] would tell us," Rhoades said.
Terrence Witkowski, professor of marketing, said the change is a problem for reasons like cutting into travel time, moving classes to "the hottest time of the year," and conflicts with child care.
Witkowski sent an e-mail to Marilyn Jensen, vice president of Academic Affairs, asking for a reason explaining the change. She replied with an e-mail noting when the semester will begin, but did not give an explanation.
"It really seemed like a patronizing response," he said. Despite repeated attempts to contact her, Jensen could not be reached for comment.
Witkowski said faculty and students are owed an explanation.
Rhoades said an explanation is expected from Jensen May 21 at the faculty council meeting.
"The only thing is that everyone will be gone by then so the heat,
so to speak, will be gone," he said.