Below is a summary of comments submitted in our survey of UC faculty regarding the Academic Planning Council (APC)’s convening of a joint Senate-Administration workgroup focused on the possibility of a common systemwide calendar. The full collection of comments (as of February 12th) is available here.
Overall Sentiment:
A significant portion of the faculty expresses strong opposition to the proposed change.
Concerns revolve around increased workload, negative impacts on research productivity, potential harm to students, and disruption to established curricula.
Some faculty express cautious support, acknowledging potential benefits like better alignment with other universities and deeper learning, but still anticipate a difficult transition.
Key Arguments Against the Semester System:
Increased Workload: Faculty anticipate a massive amount of work redesigning courses and curricula. This is seen as especially burdensome given existing challenges like post-pandemic adjustments, increasing class sizes, shrinking faculty, and the integration of AI technology.
Negative Impact on Research: The quarter system allows for flexibility in teaching schedules, enabling faculty to concentrate research efforts in specific quarters. The semester system is perceived as less conducive to this. Research leaves may also be more difficult to obtain.
Harm to Students: Some argue that scientific studies show quarter systems are better for students, leading to higher grades and faster graduation times. Concerns are raised that a semester system will limit the number of courses students can take, especially in the Humanities and Social Sciences. A switch may also confuse students who have already experienced many disruptions (e.g., the pandemic).
Disruption to Curriculum: The interconnectedness of courses within the university is described as “organic.” Changing to semesters would require revising every syllabus and resubmitting all courses and majors for approval, a process that could take years.
Lack of Clear Benefits: Some faculty question the rationale behind the change, suggesting it may be financially motivated by the UCOP (University of California Office of the President) without clear benefits for students or faculty.
Ignoring Campus-Specific Needs: The unified switch ignores the unique environments of each UC campus.
Morale: The change is expected to negatively affect faculty morale.
Arguments in Favor of the Semester System:
Alignment with Other Universities: A semester system would better align the UCs with California Community Colleges, the Cal State system, and other R1 universities, making collaboration easier.
Deeper Learning: Semesters may allow for a more in-depth exploration of topics, more opportunities for student engagement, and a more relaxed learning environment. This is seen as particularly beneficial in the post-pandemic era, where students may have shorter attention spans.
Improved Summer Research Opportunities: Semester calendars would allow for better alignment with summer research programs for potential graduate students.
Seamless Course Cross-listing: Semester programs would allow more seamless cross-listing of courses within the campus
Other Concerns & Suggestions:
Transfer Students: Some question whether the quarter system is truly a major barrier for transfer students and propose a better mapping of course credits between systems instead.
Compensation for Transition: Some faculty suggest that if the switch is mandated, they should receive time or compensation for the effort required to redesign the curriculum.
Alternative Solutions: One suggestion is to have Berkeley and Merced (the two UC campuses currently on semesters) switch to the quarter system instead of changing all other campuses.
Accrued Leave: One faculty member suggests exchanging accrued leave (sabbaticals) at a rate of 1 semester gained for every 1 quarter earned to date to support the transition.
In essence, the comments reflect a faculty body with significant concerns about the practical implications and potential negative consequences of switching to a semester system.