Column: See you in class, (on Friday!)

It appears that the Task Force commissioned by the provost to reexamine Duke's scheduling model will soon announce a mixed bag of changes to the current system, the mainstays of which include fewer classes in the busy 10:30a.m.-2:30p.m. time-slot, and the addition of more classes that meet twice a week. The Task Force has correctly identified several weaknesses in the existing overarching class schedule, but seems to have unfortunately succumbed to the national trend of scheduling more courses on Fridays.

  The current University class schedule has several deficiencies that create problems for students and professors alike. First, many courses are offered solely between the hours of 10:30a.m. and 2:30p.m., meaning that students must often choose between two classes that are essential to their majors, or are taught by excellent professors.

  Further, the logjam between the hours of 10:30-2:30 means that students must often wait several minutes for buses, and are late to their second and third classes of the day. The new model will mandate the number of courses that can be offered in this period, relieving much of the tension in transit between courses, and will hopefully make it easier for students to select classes.

  In addition, the new model will offer more courses that meet twice a week, with the day beginning at 8:45a.m. rather than at 8a.m., as happens currently. This will give students and professors more time in-between class sessions to read, do homework, prepare lectures and grade papers, and increases the likelihood that students in the engineering school will be able to find Trinity courses that do not interfere with their rigid Pratt lab schedules.

  While these changes are much needed and commendable, the recommendation that the number of Friday classes be increased is problematic. The theory behind adding Friday courses is that more two-day-a- week classes can be offered, meeting on Tuesdays and Fridays or Mondays and Fridays. This would alleviate pressure on the rest of the week in terms of scheduling. Also, many people believe that the "real-world" works 9a.m.-5p.m., and that we are being done a disservice by the University should we not incorporate this into our lives now. While these are legitimate points, many students, and professors for that matter, put Fridays to very efficient use. Many students do internships, take jobs, perform community service, run errands, and do homework on Fridays, when classes are light. Professors commonly leave for conferences on Fridays, and use that time outside of class to work with graduate students,or devote time to research. As alternatives to Friday classes, more one-day-a-week evening courses could be offered.

  The Task Force's new model will affect several important alterations to the scheduling process. In the long run, it will save students and professors time, and allow more students to select the courses they really want, without having to make trade-offs. However, we strongly encourage the University to re-think the addition of Friday courses.