At a Busy Community College, a Short, Intense Semester Joins the Normal One

From Chronuicle's Curriculum
November 7, 2010
At a Busy Community College, a Short, Intense Semester Joins the Normal One

By Paige Chapman
Approximately 1,600 Salt Lake Community College students headed back to the classroom for the first day of classes on October 19. That's when the 34,000-student college, Utah's largest public institution, started its new academic calendar: a condensed eight-week semester, with classes twice as long, running along with the normal 16-week semester already in session.
Utah public colleges and universities saw a 6.2-percent increase in enrollment this year, and the college is testing the extra term as a measure to accommodate the influx. Christopher L. Picard, who took over as the provost of academic affairs this year, oversees the effort.
Q. Why two semesters with different lengths at the same time?
A. At the opening of the semester, we were at 20 students per classroom, which if you know how it works at community colleges, is a pretty high ratio of students to instructor. Having said that, we didn't want to cut off students who were seeking late admission, so we created a second semester overlaid on top of a first semester, with an eight-week delay in the start. It will give students access without waiting until January to begin their courses.
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