Quarters versus Semesters: The Pros to Each Arguement

I realize that everyone is a bit confused to the different arguments coming from each side. Therefore, I have decided to compile a list of pros to each proposal. All of this information can be found on the CSULA Home Page or you can simply click on the following link:

https://nss-nemo.calstatela.edu/semester/

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.

Semesters

Pros

• The conversion would provide the University with the opportunity to comprehensively re-examine, redefine, and remodel its curriculum as necessary to deliver breadth of information and depth of insight, as well as utility, in order to best meet the requirements of modern life and market demands.
• Conversion will ease the transfer of students into and out of Cal State L.A. programs from other institutions, most of which already follow the semester system.
• Because most CSU and community colleges already follow the semester system, conversion would improve program articulation, as well as enable cross-institution courses and materials and comprehensive student interfaces.
• A semester calendar will allow underprepared students greater time to adjust to the rigors of university academic life. Since over 70% of our first-time freshmen require remediation, this will provide adequate time for adjustment.
• The semester system provides greater opportunities for collaborative research and for in-depth teaching and classroom projects.
• Conversion will help Cal State L.A. “capture” more summer school students returning home for the summer months from other institutions, who might want to enroll in courses (and in a time frame) compatible with their academic careers.
• Conversion will provide graduating students with a “first-mover” advantage when entering the job market. Most large employers schedule recruitment of new hires according to the semester calendar. Currently, Cal State L.A. graduates enter the post-graduation job market much later than regional peers because of their late graduation date.
• A semester calendar will facilitate study-abroad options, student teaching, and other forms of experiential learning.
• A semester calendar allows students greater flexibility in regard to dropping/adding or otherwise switching classes because of the extended length of semesters versus quarters.
• The semester system improves administrative efficiency, resulting in cost savings in certain functional areas, e.g., admissions, registration, and financial aid. For instance, financial-aid fund disbursements would occur on a biannual basis in the semester system versus four times per year in the quarter system.
• Sabbaticals for a full semester would be fully funded, thus enabling a leave, including summer, of approximately 8 months with full pay. (Under quarters, still including summer, faculty members can receive 9 months off by choosing two quarters off at 75 percent pay, but can receive full pay for 6 months maximum.)
• The pace of a semester is less stressful for faculty as well as students. This reason may well be the most frequently cited in favor of semesters. In terms of student learning, this translates into more time for the material to “sink in” and to complete assignments; more opportunity to catch up if students get behind due to illness, work, or family emergencies (or even procrastination); and so on. For the student balancing work, family, and academic work, it increases by 50 percent the number of weekends to complete assignments (though, admittedly, with more assignments).
• Class periods can be somewhat shorter, accommodating the attention span of students. A shortened teaching year would free more time for research or creative activities. The exact increase in available time would depend upon the calendar chosen. The shortest academic calendars would likely be a 13-week trimester calendar or a 15-week semester with a shortened summer term (e.g., 10 weeks). On these calendars, faculty would teach for 25-26 weeks and have two exam weeks. Under the quarter system, faculty teach 30 weeks and have three exam weeks–one more week total than teaching two standard semesters (30 weeks plus exam weeks).
• The ease of creating courses of varying units enables faculty to tailor the curriculum in appropriate sizes for the content to be covered. Although flexibility is present under quarters as well, there is pressure in many departments to conform to a 4-unit course standard.
• The greater number of weeks provides more opportunity for research, rewritten papers, field work, service learning, more multi-stage assignments or lab experiments, and so on.
• Semester calendars can allow for “dead time,” enabling students to finish papers, research, or projects, and prepare for final exams, without missing classes near the end of the term.
• Planning, ordering books, and other “gearing up;” evaluating; grading; paperwork; and getting to know new groups of students all take place two rather than three times per year (or three rather than four times for those who teach all year, e.g., lecturers).
• Advisement, including applications for graduation and counseling new students, takes place one fewer time per year.
• There is a greater likelihood of teaching-load reduction from the current load for tenure-track faculty on semesters rather than quarters. This results, for example, from our ability to increase class size by teaching two sections per year of a course rather than three, the ability to create courses with varying numbers of units, and other methods.

Quarters

Pros

• The quarter system allows for more flexibility and creativity in curriculum design. Since courses are shorter by several weeks, students and programs are able to benefit from a greater variety of courses.
• Some have argued that it is easier for students and faculty to stay focused and motivated throughout the quarter term (as opposed to a semester), given the shorter period of time.
• Many faculty have claimed that the pace of teaching and learning can be more easily maintained without a lag in energy in a quarter term.
• The quarter terms are shorter, so for each term there is the potential for fewer exams and quizzes to be taken by students and graded by instructors.
• Some have argued that the quicker pace that develops on a quarter calendar creates the need for students to develop more quickly the time management skills they need.
• Again, given the faster pace, students can be said to be less likely to procrastinate on the quarter system than on the semester system.
• Students are keenly aware that a missed class in a quarter term will be very detrimental for them, so one can assume that attendance is likely to be more consistent on the quarter system.
• Student cohorts do not last as long on quarters than on semesters because students are mixed more often in the scheduling of classes. One beneficial result can be that a class with a negative flavor will end sooner, and with less likelihood that it will impact student learning and/or a faculty member’s frustration level.
• Since most textbooks cannot really be taught in their entirety in a 10-week quarter (textbooks usually are written for a semester-based system), instructors can focus on the most important sections in the book. Pedagogically, this provides a built-in advantage to students by highlighting what is meant to be retained.
• In the quarter system, tests can cover three or more chapters at a time rather than just one, thereby promoting a greater breadth of knowledge of the subject matter.
• The shorter quarter breaks in December and the spring promote a better learning mindset because students must remain focused on academics.
• Most observers will agree that students are more willing to try out an elective class on a quarter schedule, knowing that it will last only 10 weeks.
• The quarter calendar affords faculty much greater flexibility when they are considering taking a sabbatical or other kind of funded leave.
• Because of the greater variety of courses possible on a quarter calendar, this schedule is likely to facilitate better the option of double majors and/or double minors
• Students who find themselves out of sequence (due to stopping out for a term) will likely find it easier to pick up the trail of required courses because programs will find it easier to offer “trailer courses” more often when they have four terms available instead of the two semesters plus short summer on the semester calendar.
• The quarter system has worked pretty well on this campus, so if we keep things as they are we would not be the worse for it.
• In fact, it should be highlighted that there is no additional cost involved in staying with the quarter calendar.
• By staying on quarters, students can enroll in fewer courses per term (and, of course, faculty can teach fewer courses as well).