YOUNGSTOWN – The administration, faculty and students at Youngstown State University have mixed emotions on its switch from quarters to semesters this year. In fact, opinions are split right down the middle.Many administrators said they feel the quarter to semester (Q2S) switch went smoothly and everyone was pleased with the results of the first semester last fall. According to YSU President David Sweet, the switch went very well.”I have the benefit of previously experiencing the switch at Cleveland State University and the good planning done prior to my arrival (at YSU). I greatly appreciate it,” he said. Sweet gauges the success by three specific observations: He has not received a single letter or call from students or faculty disliking it, whereas he has heard about other issues upsetting those on campus. YSU anticipated a loss in enrollment of 7 to 10 percent but only showed a student loss of 3.5 to 4 percent, and YSU took two full years of planning to ease the transition.Nancy White, professor of psychology and Q2S coordinator, led the conversion and sees some minor problems that still need addressed. “Some faculty members are having problems (with the switch),” she said. “Either they have too much for 15 weeks of instruction or not enough. We have to reach a balance that will take some experience. It will probably settle up next semester.”Christina Palm, a senior in journalism, agrees. “Some of my professors piled too much work on us and others left us bored at the end of the 15 weeks,” she said. Palm thinks the conversion was a bad idea. “I don`t see any of the benefits. In fact, I think that it hurts many students in the end,” she added. Most students agree. Jeremy Brandon, a junior in computer science, also thinks the semester conversion was a bad choice. He cites the problem of missing a semester and being set back for graduation. He added that most classes are not offered every semester or are offered only in sequence. “This means that if for some reason you have to drop a class or miss a semester, you might as well take the whole year off,” he said. White disagrees. “(Semesters are) more of a problem for faculty than for students,” she said. Cynthia Anderson, vice president for student affairs at YSU, has heard more positive than negative thoughts on the conversion. “The class I teach really enjoys it. It gives them a longer period of time in a course,” she said. “I have only heard a couple of students say it might take one semester longer to graduate on the semester system. From my standpoint and the student standpoint, you`d never know there was a change.”According to Anderson, a benefit of the new semester system is the summer session. Students can take classes for half the summer, during a six-week term in between the two half-summer sessions, or take a class all summer. Some students are not impressed. John Raghanti, a senior in computer science, thinks the conversion was a complete waste of time. “The classes have covered nothing more in depth than they had previously,” he said. “There isn’t more lecture time really, especially since professors seemed to cancel more classes than usual. I think the switch was useless. It serves no purpose since we aren`t learning anything else.”John Angelis, a junior in industrial and systems engineering, said the longer period would be beneficial if it wasn`t for the lack of schedule flexibility and the extra exams at the end of each semester. He believes, like Raghanti, the material covered was no more in-depth than it was before. However, some students see the benefits and have experienced them firsthand. Maggie Corfield, a senior in music education, said she thinks the conversion was highly beneficial. “(It) has been really great for me as a music major. We now have two juried exams per year instead of three, which allows us to know our pieces on a higher level,” she said. “I also feel that it has enabled me to cover material much more in depth in my education classes.”According to William Countryman, university registrar at YSU, the change is going well. “I think the most important aspect of this is good communication as to what the plans are and the time schedule to be followed,” he said. “Students need to be kept informed and encouraged to contact their advisers and plan ahead.”Janice Elias, assistant provost at YSU, said she believes the switch went more smoothly than anticipated. She attributes this to the widespread agreement on the decision to make the change.