This is a proposal to reconceptualize Short Term by cutting it down to four weeks, rescheduling it at the beginning of the year rather than at the end, and using it to serve a multiplicity of purposes rather than just one. In order to signal this redefinition we propose that this new short term be called "September Term." This September Term would be followed by two 14 week semesters (13 weeks of class + exam week). The net effect of this would be to add one extra week of teaching/studying to the school year (although, for those who currently make use of the "extra" 8:00 a.m. sessions, which would be eliminated, the net effect would actually be a slight reduction of the overall workload). Calendar wise, because of the reduction in the length of the Christmas break (see below), the school year would still begin and end on the same dates that it does now (i.e., Wednesday after Labor Day and Memorial Day). September Term could and should be used in different ways by different faculty and by different students: For first year students, it would be required and would be a time of academic beginning. (We deliberately do not use the word "orientation" here, because a first year orientation would still precede the September Term; it is important for beginning students to think of their September Term as something that marks the start of their college career, and not something that prepares them for it). During September Term, all first-year students would be registered in seminars of 15-20 students each, to be run by their faculty advisers. The focus of the individual seminars could vary, but our expectation is that they would meet daily and would be run in connection with a number of other things: hands-on training exercises in research techniques, computer usage, library usage, etc., field trips, service learning, programs organized by individual seminars, or in conjunction with other seminars. In addition, first year students would be required to attend more general symposia aimed at providing "core" or at least "common" educational experiences. Here again the topics would vary depending on the faculty involved. The overall intent of September Term for First Years would be to expand students' minds, fully involve them in a variety of pursuits, affirm or firm up needed skills, and hopefully inculcate in them attitudes and habits that will last throughout their years at Bates. Students would receive a letter grade but not have it count towards their GPA. The 40 or so faculty participating could either be in charge of one of the seminars, or of symposia, or propose some other specific activities they would carry out. For sophomores, juniors, and possibly seniors, September Term could still be a time for off-campus units, internships, or intensive "total immersion" on-campus units (e.g. "cell hell"). That is to say, we would still continue to offer, in September, those Short Term Units that currently "work well." Faculty not participating in the programs for first year students could opt for this tack. Grades for these units would count towards the GPA. Off campus travel September Terms that required or desired a bit more time abroad might well want to start a week earlier, at the end of August. For some seniors, September Term might be a time to start intensive work on their Honors Theses projects. Alternatively or additionally, some departments could choose to use it to offer their majors a capstone seminar or experience in their discipline. Students would still be required to register for at least two and no more than three September terms (out of four), and faculty would continue to be expected to participate in September Term two out of every three years. Students participating in sports could still stay on campus regardless of registration or not, as they presently do in the Spring. September Term would enable us to retain those current STUs that "work well" (including study-abroad and other off-campus units) and jettison those that are less than satisfactory. September Term would allow for a serious and full introduction of first year students to academic skills, techniques, and attitudes in a way that is not presently possible. September Term would relieve some of the pressure and time constraints on Honors candidates writing theses. September Term would make possible a longer, more leisurely first semester, one that would otherwise be difficult to fit into the period before Christmas. Overlapping over Christmas would allow for more "absorption time" of course material, something that is often as important as class time. Students would NOT be returning in January to face exams; indeed they would be returning to another full month of classes, and then have exams in the beginning of February (see calendar). September Term would eliminate the "lameduckness" of the present period after Thanksgiving break (which would still be a week-long) and cause that Thanksgiving break to occur at a logical point, half way through the first semester. September Term would free up time during the semester that departments now commit to First-Year Seminars, by allowing for the reduction or elimination of First Year Seminars as we now know them. September Term would still make Bates "calendrically distinctive." Students who have gotten summer jobs would be able to extend their employment into September if they so wished. "January admits" would not be able to participate in September Term as First-year students. Students seeking summertime employment would not be able to get the "jump" on the job-market that the present Spring Short Term affords them. The shorter 4-week length of September Term would necessitate the reconception of certain Short Term Units that currently "work well" in five weeks. Students going home for Christmas Vacation would be doing so without having finished their First Semester or having taken their exams, as the term would now not end until the beginning of February. Christmas vacation itself would be reduced from three weeks to two weeks (this is necessary in order to be able to begin and end the school year at the same time and thus not reduce the length of the summer). (The present length of the Christmas holiday is in part due to faculty need for time to correct exams and term papers from the first semester and time to prepare new courses for the second semester. Under the new September Term calendar, they would need to do neither of these things.) September Term would mean the elimination of what is perceived as an important "bonding time" for Seniors at the end of their college careers (i.e., Spring Short Term). Students currently staying on campus solely to participate in sports during Short Term are expected to leave at the end of their seasons (approximately after three weeks time.) With a September Term, such students would have to stay on campus for the full four weeks. Moreover, there are more students participating in Fall sports than in Spring ones. (compare to current 1996-97 calendar from the College Catalog.) August 31, Sat., New Student Orientation begins September 4, Wed., September Term begins October 1, Tues., September Term ends October 2-6, Wed.-Sun., October Break October 7, Mon., First Semester begins November 23-December 1, Sat.-Sun., Thanksgiving vacation December 20-January 6: 2 week holiday vacation January 20-24, Optional Reading Period January 28-February 1, Tues.-Sat., Final Exam Period February 1, Sat., First Semester ends February 1-9: Sat.-Sun., Winter recess February 10, Mon., Second Semester begins March 22-30, Sat.-Sun., Spring break May 12-16, Optional Reading Period May 20-24, Tues.-Sat., Final Exam Period May 24, Sat., Second Semester ends May 26, Mon., Commencement