Studentstuff.com

Canceling Winter Session for 2010

At this time of year, most students are looking forward to having roughly a month off of school. Working hard for several months during the fall, the majority of students feel they have earned a long winter break. But what about the hardworking students who plan on taking classes during the winter? And what about the students who depend on taking classes during intersession, as a chance to get ahead of schedule with their degree dates?

For the students of Evergreen Valley College, there will be no winter session for 2010. No homework. No books. No teachers with dirty looks.

That may seem fine for some students who have plans to just sit back and relax for their extended holiday, but for those who planned on taking extra classes in January, theirs is a winter break that will be far too long.

It is not the school’s fault for canceling classes. State budget cuts are taking its toll on many different levels, and canceling the winter session just happens to be one of them. So far, the summer session will still be offered, though there was some talk that too was going to be canceled.

From a school member’s perspective, canceling one intersession is better than laying off a bunch of employees. It is the lesser of two evils in my opinion, though this is just speculation. There are cutbacks being made everywhere, including with school employees’ jobs, though I am uncertain whether there was a choice between keeping winter session or keeping a handful of hardworking faculty members.

Fortunately, San Jose City College – Evergreen’s sister college – seems to still be offering classes this winter, which can be taken for equal credit. In some cases, San Jose State has been known to offer classes to students from Evergreen for equal credit as well. Be sure to talk with your counselor about going to one of these other schools for any classes you were hoping to take this winter session. Hopefully, both San Jose City and San Jose State are still offering classes for the winter.

It is understandable for students to get frustrated with the canceling of intersession. I can remember going into a panic when my last core class for English seemed nearly impossible to take because of the lack of schedule flexibility. I almost had to postpone my graduation because of just one class! Luckily, I had a counselor who was able to pull some strings for me to take another class that would sufficiently substitute my required class. Be sure to see your own counselor if you need to substitute some classes that aren’t being offered at your own school.

It may not be much consolation, but hopefully students can relax and enjoy having a longer break than they originally planned. Those words may be easier said than done for those students who were depending on taking an extra class or two to graduate in the spring. For those who have their graduation plans ruined, I completely understand your frustration and sympathize.

I cannot help wondering how many other colleges are canceling winter or possibly summer sessions. Does anyone know of any other colleges cancelling their shorter semesters?