As long as the whistle still blows…

Officials at the University of Kansas are proposing new class schedules that would shorten Tuesday-Thursday lecture classes by five minutes and shift Monday-Wednesday-Friday classes.

If approved, the plan would be implemented in spring 2006. Reaction to the proposals was measured by a mid-September survey of 1,564 faculty members on the Lawrence campus, with 526 responding.

The first proposal would shorten Tuesday-Thursday classes by five minutes a meeting. Currently classes that meet twice a week are in session 10 minutes longer than their three-day-a-week counterparts. The second proposal would eliminate those Monday-Wednesday-Friday classes that start at 7:30 a.m. and shift start times for all other classes forward by 30 minutes.

The second proposal also offers a plan for additional three-hour classes that would meet twice a week, on Mondays and Wednesdays.

KU’s Student Senate passed a resolution in October in support of the changes. A final decision is expected from the provost’s office by early next year.