Spring Break
Summer session idea doesn't pay
by Joel Herzfeld
Op-Ed | 1/27/09
Posted online at 11:39 PM EST on 1/26/09
/ Last updated at 3:03 AM EST on 1/26/09
Right now, our administration and faculty are appraising plans that would have Brandeisians swap a fall or spring semester for a summer semester. The reason they're doing this is that we're strapped for money-so far, we've lost more than a quarter of our $700 million endowment-and this plan could make us some money. But I don't think it's worth it.
The proposal would let us have more paying students enrolled at Brandeis during the same amount of time by replacing a semester of fall or spring studies with a summer semester. Instead of spreading out our 3,200 undergrads over eight semesters in four years, we'd use nine semesters. Of these 3,200 undergrads, 800 would be here over summer for any given summer in a four-year span if this plan goes through. That means that on average, the University could enroll 400 more students per semester.
It's a neat idea. There's even a precedent-other schools do this, too. For example, Dartmouth College's "D-Plan" divides the year into four quarters and requires students to take at least 12 sessions, including at least one summer session.
And the best part is that, according to research published in Innovative Higher Education and Teaching of Psychology periodicals, abbreviated summer courses don't deserve their reputation as less desirable than regular-term classes. The learning outcomes are similar, and students perform just as well.
So why don't I think this proposed program is a good idea? Let's weigh the costs against the benefits.
This program, if it were mandatory, would cost us enrollment. Most of the people I spoke to said they would not have chosen Brandeis if it had this summer program. This makes that 800-extra-students-per-year figure seem awfully optimistic.
We'd have to compensate by accepting students of lesser qualifications, which would lower our academic rating and make us a less desirable school for the next year's students. Now is not the time to be making Brandeis a less desirable place for prospective students to go to school.
The proposal would let us have more paying students enrolled at Brandeis during the same amount of time by replacing a semester of fall or spring studies with a summer semester. Instead of spreading out our 3,200 undergrads over eight semesters in four years, we'd use nine semesters. Of these 3,200 undergrads, 800 would be here over summer for any given summer in a four-year span if this plan goes through. That means that on average, the University could enroll 400 more students per semester.
It's a neat idea. There's even a precedent-other schools do this, too. For example, Dartmouth College's "D-Plan" divides the year into four quarters and requires students to take at least 12 sessions, including at least one summer session.
And the best part is that, according to research published in Innovative Higher Education and Teaching of Psychology periodicals, abbreviated summer courses don't deserve their reputation as less desirable than regular-term classes. The learning outcomes are similar, and students perform just as well.
So why don't I think this proposed program is a good idea? Let's weigh the costs against the benefits.
This program, if it were mandatory, would cost us enrollment. Most of the people I spoke to said they would not have chosen Brandeis if it had this summer program. This makes that 800-extra-students-per-year figure seem awfully optimistic.
We'd have to compensate by accepting students of lesser qualifications, which would lower our academic rating and make us a less desirable school for the next year's students. Now is not the time to be making Brandeis a less desirable place for prospective students to go to school.
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