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Fall reading week may be possible, but little demand

Hopes of a mid-semester break were dashed for students yesterday after an averted strike meant it was business as usual for campus. But the close call had some students questioning whether Western should adopt a reading week in first semester.

Only a few Canadian universities have instituted a first-semester reading week. Nippissing University and Trent University have long-established fall reading weeks.

The University of Ottawa introduced the first-semester break for the 2010/11 school year following two student referendums on the issue since 2000.

Meaghan Coker, vice-president university affairs for the University Students’ Council, said students at Western have yet to vocalize the issue to officials.

“I think it’s one of those high, blue-sky ideas that have been tossed around. Like, ‘Oh, wouldn’t that be great?’ But there’s never been any official directive that we should be pursuing this, and I don’t even think there’s been an official conversation about it,” she explained.

The USC hasn’t received any complaints from students expressing their desire for a fall break, so it hasn’t been pursued, Coker added.

“A major concern we’re seeing right now on all campuses, but especially on our Western campus, is the fact that there are rising numbers of mental illnesses and stress disorders, and the wait times we see at psychological services and also at the Student Health Services are beyond what they should be. We’re maxing out capacity and it’s only in November.” Coker explained.

Shelagh Hodson, director of Student Health Services, confirmed they experience an increase in student demand around mid-fall.

“There’s not an appointment to be had. When you come in one day you can get one the next, but I mean we are booked every day right up until seven at night,” Hodson explained.

Hodson noted an increase in students seeking help for anxiety and depression during midterm season, and students experience stress from heavy academic workloads and deadlines.

“Some [students] are procrastinators and leave it until the last minute and then it really overwhelms them so it’s all a part of learning good self care, as well.”

Student mental health seems like a valid reason for supporting a fall reading week, Coker thought.

“Having a break in the middle of each semester is useful [...] and those are some great reasons as to why students should maybe be starting to ask for this more actively.”

Hodson believed a break could be useful, depending on how students chose to use it.

“If students used it for preparation to reduce any ongoing anxiety it would be a great thing. I don’t know if that’s what they would choose to do — that’s the hard part.”

Establishing a fall reading week at Western could be difficult, and would require active student demand, Coker explained.

“I think that you would either need to start the year earlier or consider compressing exams. That’s a bit of the issue, how it would affect the front end or the bottom end of the semester.”

Still, in the wake of what could have been a much-needed break from classes, students are keen on the idea.

“I personally would love it,” Michelle Briffett, a second-year arts and humanities student, said, adding she would spend the time catching up on work and studying.

“There’s such a heavy workload. This is the biggest period of the year you go without a break.”

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