2008 Woodie Awards
Block schedule a trade-off for club events
Social life on the decline since switch in class times
Ariel Messman-Rucker and Kim Reisman
Issue date: 12/4/08 Section: News
The verdict is still out on DVC's new block scheduling format.
While the administration and faculty say it increases students' success and provides flexibility, student leaders blame it for poor attendance at school and club events.
Bundit Kertbundit, president of the Associated Students of DVC, said student government and club events will continue to struggle if block scheduling remains in place at DVC.
But DVC president Judy Walters said the college has no plans at this time to make changes to the schedule, although plans are underway for a survey of student opinion.
DVC joined the ranks of many California community colleges this semester, doing away with 50-minute Monday, Wednesday and Friday classes and replacing them with 75-minute classes on Monday and Wednesday.
The Tuesday, Thursday schedule remained the same, leaving Fridays and Saturdays open for classes taught in three-hour blocks.
The decision to switch was made after a district-wide marketing study found that students preferred spending fewer days on campus, said Susan Lamb, vice president of academic affairs.
Also, Lamb said student success rises with longer class periods.
"It gives students a more concentrated time to really study," she said, "and it does improve student learning."
Under the new schedule, students can take a full load of back-to-back classes four days a week and finish by 12;15 p.m., providing them greater freedom with outside commitments.
But the crammed mornings and "day off" on Friday is causing the social community on campus to decline, said Francisco Hinojosa, president of the Inter Club Council.
Block scheduling complicates the already difficult task of creating a sense of community at DVC, similar to what can be found on a university campus, Hinojosa said.
Club Day, International Education Week and Indonesian Day drew smaller turnouts because "we're now a commuter college, you go to your classes and then you go home or you go to work," Hinojosa said.
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