A mandatory survey for all who use campus labs and increasing passing time between classes and were discussed at the Faculty Senate meeting Tuesday.
Tonya Stappert, of Information Technology Services, brought forth a lab survey which students could be required to fill out before logging onto the computer in each of the University of Wsiconsin-Platteville’s 93 labs on campus.
“We are creating a criteria matrix,” Stappert said. “A cross-section of faculty, staff and students.”
The survey would be used to look into which labs are used, how often they are utilized and why people use the different labs throughout campus. The survey would be available to faculty, staff and students during the last week of April.
“We are looking at having that available probably the last week of April and having that open for a week,” Stappert said. “It’s just a few questions long.”
After Stappert discussed the lab survey, Mittie Den Herder, Provost and Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs, opened discussion to potential class interval changes.
“We are required to go by [calendar guidelines] each year when setting up the academic calendar,” Den Herder said.
During a humanities department meeting, Den Herder listened to the discussion about the time interval changes.
“Many of the faculty had students who had class in various parts of campus,” Den Herder said.
There was further discussion from Den Herder regarding time interval increases Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
“From my perspective, I believe it’s important to raise the time frame to ten minutes Monday, Wednesday, Friday,” Den Herder said.
A comparative handout presented at the meeting illustrated differences in the semesters of 13 UW System schools. The handout stated UW-Platteville is the only campus to have the Monday following Easter off and one of three campuses to have the Friday before Easter off.
The handout showed UW-River Falls having 50 minute class periods on Monday, Wednesday and Friday with 75 minute classes Tuesday and Thursday. The length of classes at UW-Platteville are 52 and 78 minutes, respectively.
“I think the River Falls model is a good idea,” Teresa Burns, humanities and English professor, said.
UW-River Falls gives students ten minutes Monday, Wednesday and Friday between classes and 15 minutes Tuesday and Thursday compared to UW-Platteville having eight and 12 minutes.
“I would like this body [Faculty Senate] to charge the calendar committee to push for this,” Den Herder said.