MUN looks to extend winter midterm break to a full week
Officials at Memorial University are looking into extending the winter midterm break to a full week, but the change won't be happening right away.
Even though a longer break may be some time in the future, students say they're excited about the possibility.
By the time midterms roll around, some students say they're overwhelmed by the workload and stress — and a week long break could help them deal with that.
"As far as I know, we're the only university that just has three days off, and during midterms everyone is so stressed out," she said.
"We don't have time to go socialize, spend time with family, and three days is not enough."
Student stress is something mental health advocacy groups on campus are taking seriously.
In 2011, the Teaching and Learning Framework suggested the idea of a week-long reading break for students to help improve quality of life at the university.
Chelsea Squires, with MUN Minds, said there was good reason for an extended break this time of year.
"It's been shown that in a lot of areas, the reading week time was chosen because it was a period of time where a lot of students were taking their own lives," said Squires.
Still work to be done
Students get a winter break now, but it's only three days. With the exception of Good Friday, classes continue through the Easter weekend.
People who want a longer break say it would be good for students, as well as faculty.
"It won't impact staff at the university, but it will impact faculty because there will be a week where they won't have classes. That will give them a lot of flexibility."
Singleton said the university will begin consultations next week, but it will be up to the university senate to officially sign off on the extended break.
"I wouldn't encourage students to get excited right away," said Singleton.
She added there are still a lot of details to work out, including where the time would come from and be made up, and it could mean that the student calendar would be extended by a week.
The earliest the week-long break could be implemented would be 2016.
If I only had a break …
Even though a full week break is pretty far away on the horizon, some students are already pretty pleased with the idea.
CBC's Krissy Holmes was at the St. John's campus today to talk to students about the prospect.
Check out what they had to say in the media player.
