College considers 8am start

In a move sure to raise eyebrows among those who prefer an extra hour (or three) in bed, it has been revealed that a College committee is considering lengthening the academic day in order to ensure that Imperial is able to “accommodate the growing number of master’s courses and extracurricular programmes [that it] offers.” The proposals being discussed include allowing teaching during the current lunch break by reducing it to one hour.

Pro-Rector (Education and Academic Affairs) Professor Julia Buckingham confirmed the plans to Felix, explaining that, “there is a committee looking at the ways that we can use our teaching space most effectively”.

The committee charged with investigating the possible courses of action, known as a “working group on the extension of the College Day”, was established by Imperial’s Strategic Education Committee, which exists without student representation.

At the first meeting on Monday 17th January, chaired by the Deputy Principal of Imperial College Business School, Professor Dorothy Griffiths, various proposals will be presented but no firm decisions will be made towards future plans.

As well as the idea of reducing the lunch break, other proposals due to be discussed at the meeting include extending postgraduate hours to 8pm on Mondays and Thursdays, extending undergraduate hours to 8am-7pm on Mondays and Thursdays and offering humanities options from 6pm-8pm on a voluntary basis.

The proposals are aimed at departments suffering from timetabling issues and are designed to provide greater flexibility in terms of teaching.

When asked about the potential ramifications of the committee’s conclusions, Professor Buckingham provided her opinion on who would be affected should any changes come to pass: “I wouldn’t want to predict the final outcome but I would expect any changes to be aimed mainly at Master’s students. One important steer the group have been given is that the length of the teaching day for individual students should not be increased.”

Deputy President (Education) Alex Dahinten recognised the “historical” problem that departments have had with timetable clashes, but he highlighted the effects that extending the day could have on college life: “Potentially extending the College Day comes with serious side effects such as Club & Society or Sports events having to be put on later in the evening, putting off students from taking humanities as well as generally exhausting students by putting them through a very long day of studies.”

He reassured Felix that students would be involved and would be able to put forward their views: “Student reps have been consulted, and students can be assured that every issue will be presented at the meeting by the [Deputy President (Clubs & Societies) Heather Jones] and myself. I have been guaranteed that the student experience is at the forefront of this discussion, and the Union will make sure that this is the case.”