Written by Shane Thomas & Jamal Tull

The VSU Faculty Senate will meet today at the UC Magnolia Room to discuss policies as the semester winds down. Among the issues to be discussed, the Faculty Senate will propose the elimination of “dead day,” the Tuesday of finals week when no classes are scheduled, from the University calendar.

Also part of the proposal is moving the last teaching day of the semester, the Monday of finals week, to another day in the semester.

Under the current scheduling, students have been able to enjoy the non-class day during finals week. Many use the extra day to study or to recover from weekend festivities. If put into effect, finals week will truly be a week dedicated to nothing but finals.

The Faculty Senate feels it would be more beneficial for the faculty in terms of grading. The removal of “dead day” would give faculty additional time to grade exams, papers and other projects.

The removal of “dead day” would go into effect in the Fall Semester of 2014. Students are not as supportive.

“That’s stupid,” Arrin White, a freshman undecided major, said. “Why put even more un-needed pressure on students?”

Jamal Peterson, a junior art major, also feels strongly about the pending decision.

“Teachers already cram a lot of work on students at the end of the year,” he said. “The day is almost a necessity.”

The proposed schedule change would also affect the due date for student grades. Currently, the due date for grades to be turned in to the registrar’s office is 9 a.m. on the Monday following finals week.

The Faculty Senate will recommend that the deadline for grades be moved to 3 p.m. on the Monday after finals week.

This change in the scheduling would provide an additional opportunity for faculty members to take time to attend graduation, rather than spend their weekends grading.

The Faculty Senate also plans to discuss various issues including a tobacco-free campus summit.