Recent Changes to Semester Schedule Spark Differing Perspectives

Reported by: Natascha Lambing

Illustrated by: Carla Cieza

NEWBERG Ore. – On Oct. 12, George Fox University (GFU) students received word that the Spring semester schedule had been significantly altered to mitigate COVID-19 risk. This included the extension of Christmas Break and elimination of Spring Break, which was replaced with multiple long weekends and a midweek day of rest.

To some, this change to the schedule may seem unwarranted, but as Andrea Scott, GFU’s provost stated in an earlier interview with The Crescent, “We are taking the steps we feel necessary to help us stay open and help keep people safe.”

Bill Buhrow, current Dean of Student Services and Director of Health and Counseling Services, shed more light on the specifics of the choices made.

With regard to the initial delay of Spring semester, he said “we wanted to get at least 14 [days] between New Year's Day and the first week of classes” to allow for students to be better aware if they had been exposed during holiday festivities.

This effort to moderate potential cases brought back to campus was paired with the decision to remove Spring Break. “To put the smaller breaks in, the idea is this: if you have a longer break students are more prone to travel,” Buhrow said, “the idea was to have shorter breaks so they get the rest but they’re not going to be as prone to travel as far away. Sort of encourage them to stay close.”

One student, who wished to remain anonymous, agreed with this perspective. The student agreed that there is significantly higher potential for students to be at large social gatherings over spring break, saying “it would be a huge ask from the administration to have every student practice COVID guidelines while at home or traveling, and really it’s completely unrealistic.”

However, Allyssa K Derania, a junior undergraduate, felt the opposite might prove true.

“Having one break would decrease the amount of time needed to be extra cautious about self-isolating,” Derania said. “Students can just as easily go home and contract the virus during a four-day weekend as a seven-day weekend.”

With a semester that has been difficult in its continual changes and hyper-awareness of COVID risk, it’s important to consider possible side effects of the changes. For example, the impact on mental health.

Buhrow mentioned that “From a mental health perspective … when I first heard that they were contemplating dropping Spring Break, I immediately started advocating hard and strong that they had to build breaks into the semester … that they could not go all the way through, and there were others that did that [advocating] as well.

Undergraduate Kathryn McMullen suggested that the short breaks will not have the same effect as a full week break.

“While I understand the reasons for eliminating Spring Break this year, I’m very disappointed to know we won’t have that time to recharge,” McMullen said. “This fall semester has been emotionally and academically challenging, and I know many people, including myself, who are struggling because of the heavy workload and few breaks. I’m worried spring semester will look similar now.”

With the end of the semester in sight, and the lives of students and faculty continue on hindered by safety regulations, Burhow wants to remind people that “COVID is not the most important thing but we have to respect it and be mindful of it.”