T.G.I.F. may not be the mindset of Georgia Southern’s students if the recently proposed schedule change is put into place.

One suggestion to accommodate the growing population of GSU is offering additional class times. With this solution comes one scheduling aspect of which students may not be fond. The proposed class schedule suggests converting Monday/Wednesday classes to Monday/Wednesday/Friday.

Instead of having the option to take a 75-minute class only MW, students will only be given the option of 50-minute sessions on MWF. These shorter sessions will provide a substantial increase in the amount of class sections offered in each subject, according to officials proposing the schedule change.

“The division of Academic Affairs works diligently to make sure that adequate course offerings are available each term based on anticipated enrollment changes,” said Registrar Mike Deal. According to Deal, one resolution to the issue is spreading the course offerings throughout the day and over the entire week.

The proposed schedule change would not only potentially spread out student’s school week but could also keep students on campus later into the evening. The current proposed schedule shows class times beginning at 8 a.m. and lasting until 8:45 p.m.

Kristin McCann, a senior early childhood education major, said, “I don’t like the idea of only having the option of MWF classes instead of just MW classes. Because of the time I am required to spend away from campus for my major, I would have no option but to take late classes on Fridays.”

With later class times comes the concern, will students actually attend class late in the afternoon on Fridays?

“Attendance will drastically drop, in my opinion, and people will try to jam-pack their Tuesdays and Thursdays. Four years might be turning into six if students have to be at school until 8 p.m. They may only take the bare minimum to avoid Friday classes or late hours,” said McCann.

Provost Gary Means, is just one of the people working on this scheduling issue. One of the biggest challenges GSU faces as it grows is the facilities available to accommodate more students, said Means.

Changing courses to MWF opens up approximately three hours of extra time a day that could be used for extra sections of classes. Means said that providing flexibility for students is a goal of GSU and that this proposed schedule could be one way that GSU accomplishes that goal.

Other possible solutions have been suggested to handle the growing numbers here at GSU. A short Maymester session is being considered, according to Means, as well as the possibility of more online courses being offered to students.

These scheduling proposals are only suggestions in the early stages however, said Means. Nothing will officially be decided upon until spring semester.

The decided changes will then be implemented, at the earliest, for the 2011 school year.