In a unanimous vote Friday, the Ohio State Board of Trustees approved a resolution to adopt a semester calendar to take effect no earlier than Autumn 2012.
"This is a very transformative moment for the university," said President E. Gordon Gee. "We are able to recalibrate the nature of our academic work."
Since 1922, when it converted from semesters to quarters, OSU has run on a quarter-based calendar.
OSU will now join Ohio University, University of Cincinnati and Wright State University with its recent decision to convert to a "common calendar" recommended in the Strategic Plan for Higher Education.
"I think this is an important step forward," said G. Gilbert Cloyd, chair of the Board of Trustees.
The Council of Enrollment and Student Progress will create a precise 2012 academic calendar to be reviewed and approved by the senate.
Although Cloyd said he believes that the approval of the switch was far easier than the failed attempts in 1991 and 2001, he said that the subsequent implementation process will prove to be difficult.
"It is going to create a level of challenge among the university, the faculty, and some students," Cloyd said. "Change is difficult. We will get through this."
Both Cloyd and Gee acknowledged Undergraduate Student Government President Peter Koltak for his efforts to unite the student population.
"I do appreciate the leadership," Gee said. "There are some students who will get used to it."
Cloyd said the debate over the calendar switch was far more than one-sided.
"Everyone's had an opportunity to have their points heard in the process," Cloyd said.
Some students, however, said that they were unaware of opportunities to have their voices heard and were unaware of the USG sponsored semesters forum Feb. 23.
"The meeting was not known to the students, according to a comment posted by Robert M. Barga on The Lantern Web site. "I am a member of USG and I never even found out 'til after it happened."
Amber Phelps can be reached at phelps.84@osu.edu.
Be the first to comment on this article!