Word: years
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...major changes shaped the University this year, one planned and one unplanned. The first was the shift in the College’s academic calendar, which most notably put fall-term exams in December and lengthened the winter break to almost five weeks. One noticeable effect was a compressed academic schedule in the fall, which made Thanksgiving break as well as the shorter reading period more stressful for students. While we originally supported the calendar change on the grounds that it could reduce stress, that was evidently not its effect this year. The administration and faculty should work to adjust...
...vacation. Unfortunately, the administration’s original plan to offer optional programming during this period was eliminated for budgetary reasons. This time period is a valuable opportunity for Harvard to offer supplementary courses for students. The school’s new proposal for a week of programming next year at the end of winter break is simply insufficient compared to, for example, the extensive four-week program MIT offers. Harvard should continue to expand its offerings during January until we have a program that is long enough to provide students with a more comprehensive and deep academic experience. Until...
...other major pressure that Harvard faced was the continuation of the budget crisis that struck the University last year. Harvard’s endowment plummeted nearly 30 percent, and Faculty of Arts and Sciences budget deficits led to many cuts in services. The most visible sign of this may have been the absence of hot breakfasts in the Houses, but other cuts include shrinking library and Bureau of Study Counsel hours. While none of the actions that the University has been forced to take have been unreasonable, administrators should be sure to continue with trepidation...
...pleased that the University is making an effort to uphold certain commitments even in spite of budget cuts. Development of the University’s Allston project has somewhat stalled this year due to cuts, but some encouraging progress has been made in certain areas, including a land concession that allows residential development, helping dull the negative effect that halting construction could have on Allston development. We are also glad that the University plans to continue its long-needed project of renewing undergraduate housing despite the budgetary pressure and believe that increasing living space, social space, and privacy...
...been a difficult year for the University; Ultimately, however, it is not the short-term but rather the long-term consequences of budgetary pressure that should be most feared. As long as Harvard does not lose sight of its ultimate objectives during this period and continues to invest in its future and its community, the budgetary crisis will be remembered as only a temporary burden...