We have written for weeks now on problems of space and facility development here at USC. And now, our campus may finally see its first real policy change aimed at responding to our school’s growth in a sustainable and responsible way.
The Faculty Senate voted Wednesday to adopt a new class schedule that would set USC’s earliest class at 8:30 a.m. instead of 8 a.m., as well as extending the length of time between classes from 15 to 20 minutes. These changes will go into effect Fall 2013.
Although the student input for this proposal was no longer timely — dating back nearly a year and a half ago, when the change was first proposed — we approve of the initiative. The building of the new business school on Assembly Street will lead to an extreme shift in how campus traffic works, disrupting the delicate patterns of between-class travel. The current schedule cannot accommodate both the new business school and the overall growth our campus has been, and will be, experiencing. Faculty members struggle just as much as students to make it to classes on time, leading to continual disruptions that have negative effects on the progression of many courses.
Unfortunately, this change will also lead to evening classes being pushed later into the night, a consequence that could prove problematic for many students who work. However, the early nature of this proposal leaves time to prepare for the difficulties that may come. This timeliness is the real virtue of this change, as it proves that USC can plan for its growing campus here and now. The powers that be cannot continue to act only in ways that solve this year’s problems. We should be following through on initiatives that solve next year’s problems, and USC’s future in general.
