The one-week break has been extended to two weeks, with the expectation students will spend the first week ‘‘reading’’ and go some way to completing assignments in the second week.
Acting deputy vice-chancellor academic, Emeritus Prof James Maclaurin, said the decision to move from 13-week semesters to 12-week semesters would bring it in line with all other New Zealand universities.
‘‘This decision was endorsed by the university senate last year.
‘‘This is also in response to long-standing requests from students for a dedicated reading week to consolidate learning and catch up on assessments within the mid-semester break.
‘‘Our expectation of students is that they spend this time on independent study, as happens in other New Zealand universities. There will be more details about this in the future.’’
Students living in halls will be allowed to stay there during the extended break.
Prof Maclaurin said it was not a ‘‘cost-savings exercise’’.
‘‘The university has not made this change with cost savings in mind.
‘‘We expect that any savings would be very modest, as staff will primarily use this week on teaching administration, research and service tasks.’’
Otago University Students’ Association (OUSA) president Daniel Leamy said his organisation supported the moves, with caveats.
‘‘From a student perspective, the primary advantage of introducing a reading week is that it better reflects the reality of assessment loads.
‘‘Many assignments fall due immediately after the mid-semester break, and a dedicated non-teaching week gives students genuine time to
complete work while also
resting, rather than forcing them to choose between the two.’’
However, the ‘‘geographical uniqueness’’ of the university had to be taken into account.
‘‘Many students from the North Island or from distant parts of the South Island face significant costs when travelling home during breaks.
‘‘International students may likewise wish to return overseas to visit family.
‘‘Reducing the need for short, costly trips would ease this financial burden and discourage students from extending their breaks simply to make travel worthwhile.’’
This would, in turn, reduce missed lectures and support stronger attendance in the first week back following mid semester break.
Some of the drawbacks of the revised schedule would be compressing teaching into fewer weeks might place additional pressure on staff and reduce time for revision, exam-focused teaching, or extended Q&A opportunities towards the end of the semester.
‘‘These impacts will need careful monitoring to ensure teaching quality is maintained. Overall, OUSA views the change as a positive step towards a more sustainable academic calendar, provided student and staff workload concerns remain central to its implementation.’’
