Reading Week?

by Ronnie Neiman

… and so ends our reading week… Though it was not truly a reading week because it was not a full week. It was only Wednesday and Thursday, with Friday being Remembrance Day. We still had to attend our classes on Monday and Tuesday last week. So it was more of a few days instead of the week we usually have. Not a lot of time to really take a breather and catch up on anything we are behind on.

Earlier in the semester, the university did send out an email explaining their reasons behind this decision.

“We were required to truncate the Fall break due to the implementation last year of another observed holiday in the Fall term (September 30: National Day for Truth & Reconciliation). With this additional holiday, we were no longer able to schedule the minimum number of contact hours for many courses within the confines of the term (between Labour Day and the beginning of the winter break). University policy indicates that, normally, a 3 credit-hour course must have a minimum of 36 contact hours. Prior to the implementation of the Sept. 30 holiday, many courses were scheduled right at the minimum 36 contact hour threshold, so there was no “wiggle room” to reduce more.”

There are reasons behind the university’s decision to reduce the normal reading week, legitimate reasons, however it highlights part of the decision to treat Truth and Reconciliation as a stat holiday. That is still something I do not agree with, as I believe that specific date should not be treated as a holiday, but rather a day of learning and sharing knowledge.

So the reading week was not actually a full week, but the university explained why. Hopefully everyone was able to get done what they needed to get done, that the break time was a productive break. Hopefully the reading break will be back to its usual time next semester and into the next school year.