As the semester nears its end, most students and faculty members said making up for the day of classes lost due to Winter Storm Nemo has not proved particularly inconvenient.
After the storm caused classes to be canceled Friday, Feb. 8, the University chose to shorten reading period by one day to make up for the loss. Faculty members were told to “use the first day of reading period, which is a Friday, to make up for the lost Friday earlier in the semester,” said Provost Mark Schlissel P’15.
Most professors have chosen to make up for the lost class time by extending class into reading period, a choice made easier by the fact that the spring semester’s reading period is longer than the fall semester’s reading period.
Some classes already do not observe reading period, like CHEM 0350: “Organic Chemistry.” Assistant Professor of Chemistry Sarah Delaney, who teaches CHEM 0350, said her Tuesday and Thursday section of CHEM 0350 was not canceled. Her section was able to catch up to the MWF section of CHEM 0350, which is taught by another professor and was ahead in the material because the other section missed a day of class.
Some professors who planned to continue into reading period before the winter storm have used other ways to make up for the lost class time. Adjunct Lecturer in Economics Amy Serrano, who teaches ECON 1110: “Intermediate Microeconomics,” canceled section and used that time to lecture.
“Whatever inconvenience this posed to students was made up by the fact that students like reading period,” Serrano said.
Friday seminars were especially affected, as the lost day meant students missed their only class period of the entire week. Professors have coped by consolidating or moving more quickly through material or setting alternate times to meet. For instance, Associate Professor of History Nancy Jacobs, who teaches HIST 0980E: “Continental Histories,” attempted to hold an extra class the Sunday after Nemo hit but was unable to because the weather conditions prevented her from getting to campus.
Students and professors said students understand the need for getting classes back on track. Juan Mora ’15 said “the only adjustment that my professors made that day was to push everything back and meet two days out of reading period, which I am personally indifferent about.”
But other students said finding alternate times to meet has been a hassle. Lianne Blinn ’15 said she was unhappy that her classes would all extend into reading period and that one course scheduled additional classes.
Though many classes are still feeling the effects of this time loss, professors and students generally said they agree with the University’s decision to cancel classes on the day the storm hit and said safety is the biggest concern.
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