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Faculty prevent real break

Campus Minister Cats for Christ

Published: Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Updated: Tuesday, March 9, 2010 07:03

Dear Editor,

It is unfortunate that what is labeled a "student holiday" by the university is not respected as such by many professors and instructors.

Many students consider this annual week-long break, "Spring Break," from school an opportunity to engage in positive activities, like service projects that serve the poor and underprivileged in inner cities.

Many organizations mobilize students months in advance to take advantage of this short time away from studies. They form teams that train and commit leaders for service and experiences that have life-long impact.

However, some professors do not respect spring break as a student holiday. Rather, they schedule massive papers, assignments and projects to be completed over the week, along with mid-term exams to be taken at the beginning of the next week.

This commits many students to an entire week's worth of work during their holiday, forcing them to drop previous commitments during that time, even leadership in service projects around the country.

In essence, spring break only becomes a paid vacation for faculty. If K-State wants to be known as a higher education institution that values the whole person, it will enforce the so-called spring break as an actual student holiday in which professors cannot assign extra work to keep students busy.

To the professors and instructors: not every student wastes the week away in idleness or irresponsible behavior. But even if they did, it is beyond your authority to claim that time away from your students with extra work.

If spring break is only going to let faculty off the hook, then let's eliminate it entirely.

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9 comments

Anonymous
Fri Mar 12 2010 12:21
Obviously, not all faculty engage in this practice. So if this does not apply to you, rest easy. If you allow students their break, bless you. This letter obviously did not apply to all faculty.

Calling faculty out for unfair practices is not throwing stones. It's addressing a problem that is throwing wrenches into the lives of many students who have made important plans months in advance, just to find out the week before Spring Break that they now have surprise projects or shifted due dates that effectively eliminate their Spring Breaks. It amounts to a lack of respect for the students.

And of course, many faculty end up working during the break. It is a paid work week, no?

Most faculty do a wonderful job and respect their students. We need to work together to address those that don't.

Anonymous
Thu Mar 11 2010 09:07
As faculty, my main issue with this broad negative characterization is that not all of us participate in the "tradition" of giving students papers, exams, or homework over spring break. I have an exam just before spring break so that students can spend time having fun, causing mayhem, seeing family, or participating in social justice projects. However, I am offended that you are so willing to cast judgment and blame on faculty, especially as a campus minister - this seems, at best, similar to throwing stones. The majority of faculty, both professors and instructors (many of whom are also graduate students that also have papers to write over the break) actually do work most of the break - we must use to time to grade your papers, homeworks, exams, etc. Or, as is often the case, we are busy participating, if not organizing, in the very same social justice projects that you are defending in your letter.
Please, consider all angles before you cast stones.
Anonymous
Wed Mar 10 2010 13:01
Students who have planned for months to do week-long service projects (such as the inner-city service mission of Cats for Christ) suddenly find themselves loaded with extra work that was not originally planned for the week. They must then decide between this and completing said said work so that their grades can stay afloat. Spring Break then only becomes a week in which professors do not have to work.

Some students waste the week by "getting drunk and getting naked," others use it to do incredibly selfless and life-changing activities. Either way, it is still a break.

Anonymous
Tue Mar 9 2010 22:07
Wow...I did not know students in spring break do the following,

'Many students consider this annual week-long break, “Spring Break,” from school an opportunity to engage in positive activities, like service projects that serve the poor and underprivileged in inner cities."

Is the above synonym of "getting drunk and getting naked in spring break""??

Anonymous
Tue Mar 9 2010 20:53
Here's what you do...plan ahead. Speak to your professors in advance in order to get your work done sooner rather than later in order free up time over Spring Break. This may require that you work extra hours in the time leading up to Spring Break. Don't professors give out syllabus (sp) at the beginning of the semester? Doesn't this give you some advance notice of what's coming?
Anonymous
Tue Mar 9 2010 12:59
FYI:Spring Break is a student holiday-- not a faculty holiday.A lot of faculty still come to their office, do their job! Even graduate students are not supposed to take a break...and if they do so, they are condemned!
Anonymous
Tue Mar 9 2010 10:19
Amen!!! This is definitely something the Faculty should reconsider in doing. It is bull that we have to do homework, etc, when we are supposed to be enjoying our break! Students do homework and the teachers do what??? Enjoy their break. Very unfair! Kudos for Cary McCall.
Anonymous
Tue Mar 9 2010 09:18
What a joke! I think someone needs to find a different job.
Anonymous
Tue Mar 9 2010 09:05
Hmmm. Angry much?






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