University Council will decide Wednesday if class will be held on Reading Day.

On March 5, Faculty Senate discussed how to fairly accommodate students academically after the Feb. 14 shootings, including the possibility of holding classes on Reading Day.

If the motion passes, teachers will have the option to hold class on Reading Day with classes that are normally held on Fridays, Faculty Senate President Paul Stoddard said. Teachers will then be allowed to hold a regular class day to make up for classes canceled on Feb. 15 if they believe students would be better served, he said.

FS took a show-of-hands vote at the meeting, in which about half voted to keep Reading Day as is and about half voted to have Reading Day as a class day.

The motion is aimed at offsetting lost class time for classes held on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, Stoddard said.

The decision will be made by UC instead of the senate because students are represented by the council, Stoddard said.

Reading Day is held in the spring semester and not in the fall semester because it serves as a buffer between the last day of class and finals, said Donna Mathesius, UC administrative assistant. In the fall semester, finals start Monday and end Saturday, whereas in the spring semester, finals start Saturday and end Friday, she said.

If classes are held on Reading Day, the day won’t be able to be used as a catch-up day or a day to accommodate the needs of students.

“If the regular class session is in session, that messes up the flexibility of the Friday,” said Diana Swanson, associate professor of women’s studies and English.

More issues with finals week

Also at the meeting, faculty members discussed how to accommodate students while retaining academic integrity. Many faculty members expressed concerns over difficulty accommodating students who have complications rising from the additional week of school.

Faculty should offer students options, such as allowing students to take the exam earlier or later, but shouldn’t “bend over backward” to accommodate students, Stoddard said. An exam can be scheduled earlier than finals week, as the only rule is the class must meet during finals week, he said.

Provost Ray Alden asked teachers to be more flexible with grading incompletes, Stoddard said.

Faculty needs to be fair across the board and offer students the same options, communications assistant professor Gretchen Bisplinghoff said.

The academic integrity of the institution must remain in place while accommodating students, mathematical sciences professor Linda Sons said. The faculty has always been willing to help with students experiencing emotional and physical trauma in the past, she said.

Also, Sons said she was concerned that students believe that faculty will not hold them to the same academic standards after the tragedy. Faculty will not do students favors by grading them at a lower standard, she said.