FALL BREAK FOR STUDENTS, FACULTY TO BEGIN IN 2002

Two years from now, faculty and students will be getting a break -- a fall break, that is.

Following recommendations from the Student Senate and Faculty Senate, President James V. Koch has agreed to have a four-day weekend added to the general academic calendar in 2002. The purpose of having two school days off, according to the Student Senate, is to allow students extra time to study for midterms.

To create the break, the university will be open on Labor Day 2002 (Sept. 2). Classes will be canceled for fall break on Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 14 and 15.

Staff members and administrators also will be required to work on Labor Day but will get an extra day off during the December break to make up for working on this holiday. Staff and administrators will not be off during the two days of the fall break for faculty and students.

According to the Office of Academic Affairs, accreditation guidelines and university policy require that the university hold classes 15 days for each weekday during the fall and spring semesters, Monday through Friday. Currently, the general academic calendar includes 16 Tuesdays in the fall term, and it is this extra Tuesday that will allow for the second day of
the fall break.

Virginia schools that currently have fall breaks include James Madison University, Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia.