WWC Considers New Academic Calendar
Iris Seaton | February 24, 2022
Special to The Echo
An example schedule of the three week term with a 120-hour work contract.
Recently Warren Wilson College (WWC) administration began discussions on whether a less traditional schedule would suit the student body. WWC, as a work college, is known for elements not commonly found in a traditional college education, including the work program and an emphasis on community service. However, WWC currently operates on a traditional semester schedule with 15-week semesters evenly split into two terms.
The potential new schedule would involve what Jay Roberts, WWC provost, refers to as a “3-12, 12-3 calendar.” This means that rather than two terms of equal length per semester, each semester would instead contain one term three weeks in length and one term 12 weeks in length.
“We know that Warren Wilson is known for experiential learning in lots of different aspects, and that includes the work program,” said Roberts. “It includes things like our community engagement and a variety of experimental and innovative things that faculty do with students in and out of the classroom.”
Roberts commented on the difficulties that combining a traditionally structured academic calendar with experiential learning can cause. A main benefit of the proposed new schedule would be the three week immersion term.
“The idea being it opens up more opportunities for team-taught classes for faculty, more opportunities for off campus study — that could be both international study, but it could also be regional study of varying shapes and sizes, more opportunities potentially for community engagement, project based work, etc.,” Roberts said.
There has been some confusion on campus since news of the potential changes in schedule. Many students have expressed concern that the cabinet has not been transparent about the process.
“The reason there are no specifics is because we are drafting a proposal — or not even a proposal — we are considering a range of options around what's called the academic calendar,” Roberts said.
Roberts explained that students will likely know what, if any, changes will be made to the academic calendar by the end of the 2022 school year. However, if changes to the schedule are planned, they would be put in place for the 2023-2024 academic year at the earliest.
“The important thing is to understand why we are looking at it in the first place,” Roberts said about the potential new calendar. “And one of the big reasons why was from feedback from students. I think it's important that students keep lifting their voice up about how they're experiencing the Warren Wilson learning environment, and some ideas or suggestions or ways they could envision it being working for them better.”
Roberts also added that he teaches a class, the future of college, every fall that can help students better understand decision making processes such as these, and have their voices heard in which issues are addressed by the college.
“It's with the provost and the intent behind it is for students to come in and we do kind of a quick survey of big issues in higher education as a whole,” Roberts said. “And then it's really an opportunity for students to dig in with me about areas of student interest.”
Tara Carroll is a recent transfer student at WWC. She spent the first two years of her college career studying at Green Mountain College in Vermont, where she participated in a 3-12, 12-3 program similar to the proposed WWC schedule. She explained that many students at Green Mountain College disliked the idea of a different calendar, believing it would be disruptive.
“Everybody ended up absolutely loving it because the courses that were offered during the three week period were specifically ones that were meant to be intensive,” Carroll said. “So I got my wilderness first responder certification, which wouldn't have otherwise been an option during a 15 week semester.”
Carroll noted that some students in a Google Meet she had attended regarding the calendar changes were concerned about how off-campus students would handle the intensive three week courses.
“Based on doing it before, I feel like I would like even better as an off-campus student,” Carroll said. “Because then instead of having to come to school, and then go home, and then come back to school, or chill in the library while I'm waiting for class to start, I'll just go to school, have my class, and then be done with it for the day.”
Carroll’s one complaint about WWC compared to her previous school was closely related to the scheduling system. She noted enjoying her experience at WWC thus far, but found the combination of required work hours, classroom hours and homework to be rigorous and sometimes difficult to keep up with. She believed that the proposed changes in calendar could help students smooth out these schedule difficulties.
“I do sort of feel like the three week block course would help that,” said Carroll. “Because then, you know, the three block week would just be fun, we’d look forward to it, and then during the 12 week semester you're taking one less class, so it's kind of a little bit less to juggle. Maybe it'd be easier to fit in work crew hours and stuff.”
Carroll’s closing thoughts were a simple suggestion for WWC students to be open to the potential change.
“I know that change can be really hard for a lot of people, myself included,” Carroll said. “But sometimes once you can get past that difficulty there can be space for really awesome things.”
Madison England is a junior in the expressive arts therapy program at WWC, and a member of the Admissions Crew. She was present for one of the work crew-specific meetings regarding the potential changes and discussed her perspective as an Admissions Crew member and student.
“A lot of our classes value community engagement,” England said. “But if you only have an hour and 15 minute class, even if you go out and get in the community, there's only so much time.”
England explained that many potential students expressed interest in the service and community engagement aspects of the WWC experience, and believed that changes to the schedule may help further the school’s ability to provide said experiences.
England also stressed the importance of the ability to engage in hands-on learning for her particular major path. As an expressive arts therapy major, she hopes to have more opportunities to engage in her intended field as a part of her education.
“I think there would be a lot more time for hands-on learning,” said England. “I’d like to go visit some movement therapy related things because I’d like to do an integrated major in expressive movement therapy, but I haven’t actually gotten to see anybody who does expressive movement therapy.”
As for the concern of students that their voices may go unheard, England had a suggestion similar to that of Roberts’ on the importance of student advocacy.
“I think it is really important for students to stay involved with administration and to have their voices heard,” England said. “I think students can speak to SGA (Student Government Association) or join SGA. They can make appointments with administrators and faculty, especially those who are involved in this change.”
For more information on the considered changes see the “Considering a Revised Calendar” slides linked here, or contact anyone on the calendar working group (David Abernathy, Paul Bobbitt, Kim Borges, James Darr, Rachel Haley Himmelheber, Lindsey Kass-Green, Ben Krakauer, Anna Welton) over WWC email.