Students struggling to wake up for early classes this quarter might need an extra shot of espresso in their coffee when Ohio University’s first semester kicks off this fall.
With the quarters-to-semesters switch, OU will be changing to a 15-block schedule and the earliest classes will be at 7:30 a.m., rather than the current 8:10 a.m. start.
The new block schedule will feature nine 55-minute block classes Monday, Wednesday and Friday, as well as six 80-minute block classes Tuesday and Thursday, said Jeff Giesey, co-director of the Q2S transition.
Four courses total will be held during the early slot.
“I actually think some people like 7:30 a.m. classes,” said Executive Vice President and Provost Pam Benoit. “Obviously, some don’t, but some people enjoy getting started early in the day.”
After an initial scheduling analysis, Giesey said there were just enough classrooms available to accommodate the university’s need for the semester switch.
“The most important thing is that we have adequate space (for classes),” he said. “This enables us to do that.”
Other options were looked into, but starting classes earlier was the most feasible, Benoit said.
“In order to most effectively use the classrooms and make sure all the classes that need to be offered are offered, this option worked,” she said.
OU officials understand the 7:30 a.m. block might not be fully utilized, Giesey said, but starting earlier allows the entire schedule to be more efficient.
“It probably won’t be the norm and may be less popular, but it allows 14 other blocks to be fully utilized,” Giesey said.
The current 8:10 a.m. system would decrease efficiency, as it is built around the quarter system, he said.
“When you think about other alternatives in order to make the schedule work and give enough time slots … to get all the classes in that need to be offered, the 7:30 option does not seem unreasonable,” Benoit said.
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