What question are we answering? Will a quarter calendar or a semester calendar be better for Eastern’s students? OR Is changing from quarters to semesters the best way to invest our time and energy to make the situation better for Eastern’s students?

The answer to both questions is the same: Sticking with the current calendar and using the time and money to improve student success is the best thing to do.

Comparing quarters and semesters Mostly 5 credit classes 50 contact hours 10 weeks + finals Students take 3 classes So they have fewer weeks But are managing fewer classes at a time Faculty teach 2-3 classes (10-15 credits) Mostly 3 credit classes 45 contact hours 15 weeks + finals Students take 5 classes So they have more weeks But are managing more classes at a time Faculty teach 3-4 classes (9-15 credits) QuartersSemesters

The most striking thing is the lack of data: There are lots of anecdotes about quarters and semesters And gut feelings about which is better But data don’t bear most of them out

An example of the data problem So what percent of schools are actually on quarters? No one can tell. Sources: Mayberry, Kit, Quarter to Semester Calendar Conversion, unpublished document, Rochester Institute of Technology, 2009 ( Inside Higher Ed, “Strength in Numbers,” 2012 ( switching-quarters-semesters) Cal Poly, Presidential Semester Review Task Force Final Report, unpublished document, 2012 ( Source% of schools on quarters % of schools on semesters Their data came from: Mayberry ReportLess than 10%Over 90%?? Inside Higher Ed14.7%71.2%Bookstores Cal Poly Report17%68%IPEDS (4 year only)

Calendar shift won’t improve graduation rates Cal Poly used IPEDS data to compare graduation rates for 2680 BA granting institutions After controlling for selectivity, type of school, etc., quarters had higher graduation rates: –Quarters had 0.46% higher 4 year graduation rates –Quarters had 1.94% higher 6-year graduation rates The difference isn’t statistically significant (p=.22), but it’s sure hard to argue semesters are better Cal Poly, Presidential Semester Review Task Force Final Report, unpublished document, 2012 (

Calendar shift won’t improve graduation rates Source: “UCLA Section 6,” unpublished document of unclear date, Library/1/Other Colleges and Universities Efforts/UCLA section6.pdf

Calendar shift won’t improve learning Reviews of studies found evidence that 8-10 week courses (and even shorter) get better learning than semesters For example, Davies et al reviewed existing studies: –9 found 10 week or shorter courses had better learning outcomes –Only 1 found semester courses had better learning outcomes –13 found no difference; 1 was unclear in reporting Source: W. Martin Davies, Intensive teaching formats: A review, Issues in Educational Research, Vol. 16, 2006 (

And schools know this Source: Chronicle of Higher Ed, “Academic Calendars Enter a Season of Change” ( Calendars-Enter-a/141895/) /

Things we’d like to believe about semesters (but can’t prove) Musical consorts and other group work would benefit from more time to gel Student teaching placements would be easier on semesters Semesters get students out on the job market a few weeks early Semesters would make it possible to have a highly compressed January or May term

Things we’d like to believe about quarters (but can’t prove) Field-based lab courses benefit from the fair weather during all of spring term Having three terms in the year makes it easier to create certificates and minors that can be completed in a single year Quarters attract more part-time students and people with complex lives, because the commitment for each course is shorter

Investing time and money for the change The administration report estimated $8.7 million, but salaries have gone up Faculty will need to revise: –over 180 majors, minors, and certificates –nearly 5000 courses All will have to be approved by CPAC and administrators Changes will have to be made in many other areas as well to make this work Sources: Voves, et al., Eastern Washington University: Quarter to Semester Conversion Analysis: Costs and Savings, 2012, Library/1/Quarter to Semester Cost Committee Final Report.pdf EWU, “Student Facts at a Glance,” Personal communication, Linda Kiefer

What we’ll give up Instructional hours per class would decrease by 10% The number of courses students take at a time would increase by 60% on average Instructors would teach % more students at a time That’s not a formula for a student-centered education

What we should do instead Invest our time and money in student success initiatives backed by data – so that we can be sure they’ll be successful

What we should do instead General education review and reform A robust First Year Experience Better mentoring of students by faculty and peers Solving problems with student routes through the curriculum Early warning system Improved advising

What we should do instead And faculty will have more time in the next 3-5 years to: Mentor students Help students with undergraduate research And help them find internships, jobs, and graduate programs