Betsy Darken wrote:

> I suggest gathering opinions from your colleagues and to your Senate
> representatives on the subject of when the calendar should jump.  At
> some point, of course, the calendar has to jump or eventually we'd be
> starting in July.  The question is when?  In past years we have started
> as late as August 27, but last year we started on August 18 instead of
> August 25.

I have noticed that we seem to be starting and finishing both semesters earlier
than usual the past several years.  I attended three other universities and am
now in my 12th year of teaching at UTC, and I can't recall any other place where
I was done with all my exams and grades were turned in and it was still April.
That's not necessarily a complaint ... I like being done early ... it's just
really odd, in my experience.

The only really beneficial thing I can see with the earlier than usual semester
starts, and therefore finishes, is that for the last several years we have
avoided our former problem of Spring commencement always falling on Mother's
Day.  That kept me away from more than one graduation ceremony ... sorry, family
comes first, even before honoring my students.

I note that the proposed calendar has commencement exercises continuing to fall
on Sundays ... something that has not been the case at any other institution
with which I have been associated.  I have three university diplomas from three
different institutions, and all three of them were awarded on Saturdays.  Is
there anyone else out there who would welcome commencement being moved to
Saturday afternoons ... or maybe even Friday or Monday nights?

Just a thought, since the calendar is up for discussion.