PAUL CASEY
Staff Writer
SGA Vice President Clint Harp announced at Wednesday’s meeting that steps have been initiated by the student government in conjunction with university administration to research and determine a plan of action in regards to establishing an official “dead day” before finals week.
According to Harp, this is the first year that a ‘dead week’ has not appeared on the official school calendar. He also noted that, while such a designated week appeared in previous years, it was never an official instituted week free of classes for students to use as a study week before finals.
Harp said the administration immediately became aware of the student outcry over this change as well as over the short period following finals in which students are expected to move out of their residences.
The administration approached SGA and asked members to look into the current finals situation to see if any beneficial changes could be made without completely restructuring the academic calendar or moving back graduation.
“The university sees great benefit in being done with school in April,” Harp said. “It allows Pepperdine students to be the first out on the market looking for internships and jobs.”
The only information SGA has actually submitted back to the administration is the foreseen need to find and designate an official “dead day” before finals week.
The whole process is very much still in the research stage with the Friday preceding finals week being looked at as the possible day to be designated for such a “dead day.” A “dead day” might entail cancelling classes the Friday before finals week so that students can have a day designated by the university for studying.
“I really want to stress that this whole thing is still very much in the research stage,” Harp said.
He also stated that SGA will be looking heavily to the greater student body for its input and ideas on a solution that would be beneficial to and satisfactory for all parties involved.
Harp, himself, has personally done a lot of research on the situation including looking into the policies of other colleges and universities when it comes to finals and “dead” or “reading” weeks for students.
Also, it was announced at the meeting that SGA will offer funding for the Senior Ball for the second year in a row.
“It is unusual because we are not a programming board,” said Andy Canales, president of SGA.
SGA will contribute $8,000, which was approved at the meeting. The Student Programming Board will contribute $2,000.
Another interesting resolution that was passed at the meeting is one having SGA look into moving the DVD collection from Payson Library to the HAWC “to provide more convenience for students,” according to Canales.
02-14-2008