| OPINION
| NOVEMBER 29, 2005
Editorial/Our View
Too Busy for Dead Week
Students are missing out on study
time to finish assignments
The week before finals is recognized by
the university community as dead week, in which students aren’t
expected to do or turn in any work in class. Yet some professors
are still giving tests, quizzes and assignments. In doing so they
are going against university policy.
Professors need to stop giving work during dead week or the term
“dead week” needs to be dropped since it has become
more of a guideline than a policy.
Some students may have up to five final exams during finals week
and need time to study. This is what dead week is intended for.
Without having to worry about work due in their classes, students
have plenty of time to begin reviewing the course material for finals
week.
According to Appendix II of the UTA International Student and Scholar
Handbook, dead week is defined as the week near the end of the semester
when exams or papers aren’t scheduled to give students time
to prepare for finals.
A fall 2005 Math Department newsletter states that during dead week
classes meet as scheduled but that it is against university policy
to administer any exams or give the final exam during this week.
If assigning work during dead week is against university policy,
then why are professors continuing to do it? University officials
should be aware that professors are violating this policy.
University Provost Dana Dunn said it is generally a policy that
work not be administered during dead week but that there are some
exceptions granted by Associate Provost Michael Moore depending
on the course work and schedule.
When students have to work in three out of five classes and there
are 25,000 students on campus, it is doubtful that all of these
classes were granted permission. These professors should better
plan their curriculum so that students will have dead week free
to study.
The term “dead week” makes it sound like students aren’t
expected to do any work. If professors are going to decide that
this term is more of a guideline and administer some work, then
drop the term. How about “not-so-much-work week” or
“undead week?”
CORRECTION
This editorial should have stated that the week
before finals is Final Review Week, as specified in the University
Undergraduate Catalog. During this week, instructors can’t
assign anything but can have assignments due and administer any
examinations as long as they don’t count as 10 percent or
more of the final grade, except makeup tests or laboratory examinations.
No instructor can give any portion of the final examination during
Final Review Week.
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Editorial
round-up
The issue:
Dead week should be reserved for studying, but class
assignments are getting in the way.
We suggest:
Either professors shouldn’t assign work during
this time, or the term should be dropped.
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