Early morning finals have caused some concern among students and faculty.
During Tuesday’s Faculty Senate meeting, University of Idaho Registrar Heather Chermak presented this year’s final exam schedule and addressed concerns from UI employees and students about 7:30 a.m. exam times. Some issues expressed included lesser brain function in the early morning, road clearance in the winter season and childcare, which many students and faculty use.
Chermak said the final exam schedule is based on schedules of peer institutions. She presented two alternatives to the current schedule hoping to obtain feedback from the senate. The first of the alternatives included a change of the 7:30 a.m. exams to 8 a.m. and would subsequently cut the 30-minute break time in half.
The other alternative would remove Friday from the exam schedule. If the second alternative was implemented, exams would go until 11 p.m. Several faculty senate members expressed discontent with the second alternative due to issues with the possible 11 p.m. end time.
The senate also discussed the possibility of adding Saturday into the exam final schedule. Chermak said this could cause a conflict with spring commencement if the university experienced any snow days this winter.
Chermak concluded her presentation and said the Registrar’s Office will continue to look into proposals and consider any further suggestions from the senate.
UI Executive Director of Public Safety and Security Matt Dorschel presented resources for employees regarding concern about concealed carry weapons. He gave a concise description of UI’s department of Public Safety and Security and policy regarding the intake of reports.
Dorschel said the department takes reports on concerning behavior and threats — the threat assessment team investigates complaints and reports no matter the severity of the alleged complaints made by students or employees of the university. Reports are taken over email, phone and can be made anonymously. As a result, Dorschel said the threat assessment team meets about 15 to 20 times a year.
“The team doesn’t predict the future. That’s not something we are able to do,” Dorschel said. “What we try to do is identify someone who feels that there’s a concern and then we identify the resources we have available to us.”
When asked about complaints made around campus, Dorschel said UI is often forced to trespass many people who have no reason to be on campus. Dorschel said students have been expelled for behaving in a threatening as recently as this semester.
When asked about incidents regarding fire arms, he said concealed carry on campus has not affected crime on campus in the past years it has been legal.
Steven Daley-Larsen spoke to the faculty senate and gave a brief description of some of the similar interests and mandates which draw the Borah Foundation and the Martin Institute together — war and peace. The Borah Symposium Committee includes faculty, staff and students. Daley-Larson said students are highly encouraged to participate and other committee members try hard to facilitate an environment for that. Daley-Larson also spoke briefly about his hopes to make the Borah committee as interdisciplinary as possible.
Bill Smith, director of the Martin Institute, outlined this year’s Borah Symposium, which will take place Oct. 16 and 17. He said this year’s symposium was designed and planned with a special focus on technology, diplomacy, education and the general sociological aspects of humans.
Elizabeth Marshall can be reached at [email protected].