Course Work May Slow School-Year Slide
BOSTON—In hopes of slowing what is commonly referred to as the school-year slide, Boston College faculty are going to start assigning course work to undergraduate students.
"In past school years," said Boston College President, William P. Leahy, "Students lost many of the academic skills they acquired during the summer. We feel that by requiring students to enroll in classes and learn new material, we will prevent the loss of such information."
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Above: Books sit unused as a result of the school-year slide. |
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Re-teaching academic skills such as reading and arithmetic can be a huge headache for summer employers of college students, with students many times not getting back to the level that they were at before school break until almost the Fourth of July.
"I've always said that the school year is too long," said John Gleeson, head of the summer internship program at GlaxoSmithKline. I know there are always going to be liberal whinos who say that fewer than eight months a year of leisure time is harmful to young students' minds, but we've got to put things in perspective here. A couple years down the road, what's a big-time employer going to care about, a successful summer internship, or a few years relaxing at some college?"
Critics claim that while Leahy and other Boston College faculty members may have good intentions trying to develop a structured academic plan for students during the school year, a large number of students will not want to have any part of it.
"College shouldn't have to be about work," said Boston college graduate Steven Marinakos ('72.) "When I was in school, college was simpler—just lazy days in the swimming pool and great friendships that felt as though they would last forever. These kids are going to be all grown up soon, and college is the only time they've got left to have fun. Academics should be the last thing on their minds."
Boston College plans to start the program by offering classes in mathematics and literature. Biology and sociology courses will be added the following semester if these courses are successful.
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