California Baptist University has decided to make an interesting shift in the times and schedules of classes for the upcoming fall 2014 semester. Upon hearing the news, I, like most students, felt that this change would present a host of problems.
Courses extending from 50 minutes to an hour sounded like a burden, and an extra five minutes in between classes made little sense. It seemed as though the days would be unnecessarily longer and the university would be adding even more pressure to the faculty and student body. However, after interviewing Vice Provost Dr. DawnEllen Jacobs, my opinion of the class times changing was surprisingly improved.
Jacobs touched on every concern I had regarding this issue, and I left her office feeling optimistic and encouraged for the semester. Jacobs began by explaining the reason behind extending the time between classes to fifteen minutes, which is primarily for students enrolled in programs affiliated with CBU beyond campus, such as aviation and engineering.
The extra five minutes will help ensure extended safety and give students on campus the opportunity to enjoy a longer break period.
Another reason the university has decided to extend class periods will be to provide further learning activities for the Monday, Wednesday and Friday meeting times. I believe this will be an incredibly beneficial change, especially after witnessing firsthand the problems a 50-minute class can present.
When professors or students show up late to an already short class, it is hard to implement everything that needs to be taught. In many instances the class ends up going over the allotted time, however early the professor begins instruction. The extra 10 minutes can ensure efficiency and allow for an adequate amount of teacher/student interaction, creating fewer burdens on students to acquire information independently away from class.
CBU thrives on the fact that because class sizes are smaller than at most universities, professors can truly invest in the students and give them an education that is advanced, yet personal. Professors at CBU have our best interests at heart, and the longer class periods will only affirm this.
My favorite addition to these schedule changes will undoubtedly be the longer chapel times. Chapel seems to be an excellent time for the campus as a whole to pause and reflect on our Savior. It allows us to come together for an intimate time of worship and praise. To be able to do this at school is a privilege many Christians don’t have the opportunity to do. The added minutes will only enrich this time whether it be through more singing or an extended message.
While this may bring about unfamiliar change and seemingly more work, I encourage us all to welcome the new class periods as an opportunity to take further advantage of the incredible education we are blessed to receive at CBU.
