Because of the beginning and ending dates of this quarter, some Ohio University students will have to take exams on Saturday of finals week, said Jack Jeffery, media specialist.
When Fall Quarter begins the Tuesday immediately after Labor Day, final exams must include the Saturday in order to fit a 50-day quarter and a 6-day exam week, Jeffery said. Exams will begin Thursday, Nov. 18 and end Tuesday, Nov. 23. Saturday testing also helps avoid traveling on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.
OU has not seen Saturday exams since 1998. For the past five academic years, the first day of classes has been scheduled for Monday of the week after Labor Day. The earlier holiday allowed the quarter to begin on a complete Monday through Friday week.
However, this quarter may be the start a four-year stretch of Fall Quarter Saturday exams.
The tentative calendars for the academic years up to 2008 read that classes will begin the Tuesday after Labor Day. Combined with the fact that the university observes Veteran's Day and leaves students a reading day before exams, without a Saturday exam, students would not meet the 50-day quarter and 6-day exam week requirement.
Students might notice that the Buckeyes/Wolverines football game is also scheduled on this date. For some Ohio State University and University of Michigan fans, this poses a problem, others not.
What
we have Saturday exams? said Britany Bostic, an OU sophomore.
I think it's an inconvenience for students and professors. The business week is five days how can we make it six? I have friends who have had a tradition for as long as I can remember for the OSU/Michigan game.
OU sophomore Greg Stepp said it doesn't bother him that he has an exam on Saturday.
Exams are bad no matter what day of the week it is he said. It is disappointing about the game
though.
But students are not the only ones wondering about the Saturday exams.
Human Anatomy Professor John Zook has taught at OU for 21 years and hasn't ever had to test his students on a Saturday.
I don't think anybody will like this
but I've never had to give Saturday exams before
so ask me after the fact
he said. I do understand why the university scheduled finals week that way
though. It doesn't seem like there is any other way.
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