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§ Questions and answers about the new time-blocks on Tuesday/Thursday (TR)
What were the old scheduling conventions?
MWF classes were scheduled for three 55-minute periods.
TR classes were scheduled for two 120-minute blocks.
Classes that met four or five times a week used the same 55-minute blocks as MWF classes.
All class periods had a ten-minute passing time between classes that was introduced shortly after the opening of Wilson Hall.
Course times were abbreviated with letters: A, B, C, CD, EF, etc.
What are the new scheduling conventions?
MWF classes remain unchanged.
Some TR classes will continue to use two-hour (or 120-minute) blocks.
Many TR classes will use new 85-minute periods that run from 8:35 to 4:25.
Four and five day a week classes continue to use the MWF periods.
Passing times are unchanged.
Course times are no longer abbreviated; actual start and end times are used.
Why did we make these changes?
The principle concern behind a change to TR class periods was a shortage of classrooms at peak hours in the middle of the day and an acknowledgement that many classes did not need the two-hour blocks assigned.
With Newcomb Hall closed for renovation (and a series of renovations along the Colonnade to follow) maximizing the efficient use of the remaining classroom space was extremely important.
Using five class periods on TR, instead of four, in many classrooms would greatly increase the efficient use of classroom space and would be roughly equivalent to building ten new classrooms for use on TR.
If we had not adopted this change, Colonnade renovation would have forced more classes into the old A hour (8:00 a.m.) or into late afternoon periods that are understandably unpopular with both faculty and students.
Why are the changes so complicated?
Tuesday and Thursdays used to involve only two scheduling conventions (55-minute periods for classes that met four and five days a week; and 120-minute periods for classes that met two days a week). Now there are three conventions on TR.
Ever since we adopted ten-minute passing times between classes, very few of our class periods begin or end on the hour or the half hour.
The new TR 85-minute class periods have an odd 15-minute passing time in the middle of the day that helps to line up the start and stop times of these periods with the MWF conventions.
What do we get in exchange for all of these new complications?
Fewer classes that begin at the 8 am hour.
Honest listings of start and stop times for classes.
More efficient use of scarce classroom space.