New Class Time Table, Beginning Next Year
New Class Time Table, Beginning Next Year
  • Reporter Lee Sang-min
  • 승인 2010.11.03 21:49
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Based on undergraduates survey and committee decision

In the next spring semester, a partially modified class time table will be executed. The main change of the amendment is a deletion of lunchtime and a time range change of afternoon classes. Under the new slot, fourth period classes will start at 12:30 P.M, after 15 minutes of break behind third period classes, not an hour of lunchtime. Then, all afternoon classes will be conducted 45 minutes earlier.

The item was first suggested last July in the POSTECH Academic committee, which takes charge of main issues about education and its organization. To reflect opinions of undergraduates mainly dependent upon time table organization, the POSTECH Undergraduate Association 24th Executive Branch (Student Union) executed a survey of undergraduates about several possible alternations to the current time table organization from Jul. 28. to Aug 4. Because the issue was closely related to the lives of Postechians, the online survey participation population recorded the highest return (614) among all previous surveys. Based on the student survey, a change of lunchtime organization was finally decided.

The designation of lunchtime has been quite a unique feature of POSTECH, not a standard of universities. It guarantees the chance to eat lunch; however, a long line of students could be seen in front of the student cafeteria and snack corner. Moreover, the time delay of afternoon classes from the existence of lunchtime has led to the deactivation of late afternoon classes. If there are other class schedules instead of lunchtime, usages of late afternoon classes can be increased as well as a spreading of students at lunchtime. For these reasons, 430 (70%) students agreed with the alternation. However, most of them (345, 56%) suggested an extension of available hours of cafeterias as a prior consideration. One of students suggested, “Distribution of major classes should be also regarded not to block lunchtime of some students.”

However, about other alternations of class time organization, opinions of disagreement were dominant. The first suggestion was to distribute two lectures of 3-credit classes on Monday and Thursday, and Tuesday and Friday. Experiment and practice classes would then be scheduled on Wednesday. The proposed schedule would grant sufficient time to review the previous class and prepare assignments with more various chances for efficient course registration, but many students placed more importance on longer weekends from a 4-day class week, with 395 (64%) students opposing this change.

The other suggestion was to rearrange the 75-minute classes on Monday and Wednesday to 50-minute classes on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. For some classes which need continuous education rather than intensive lectures, it would be better. However, students seemed to put more stress on longer weekends, with 481 (78%) students opposed to this idea.