South faculty members and administration are working to successfully implement the Sophomore Lecture Hall Release Act, which would release sophomores with parental permission from attending Lecture Hall when their classes are canceled. Under the current policy, sophomores whose classes are canceled are required to report to room 6167.
The initial 2009 Sophomore Lecture Hall Release Act, presented by the South Senate to the Committee on Program, a group of faculty members and administrators, was revoked for 2010 at the beginning of second semester. The revocation resulted from concern about the wording of the bill, which stated that all sophomores would be released from lecture hall obligations for canceled classes during second semester. This year, sophomores are sent to room 6167 instead of the lecture hall for canceled classes.
“[The Committee on Program and I] are not comfortable with all sophomores being released from canceled classes. There’s a reason why we shouldn’t release all sophomores from lecture hall just as there’s a reason we don’t release all sophomores from directed studies; some sophomores are simply not ready for that yet,” Principal Joel Stembridge said.
Initial concern over the wording of the bill rose last year when housemasters and parents felt that certain students who weren’t prepared for free blocks were still released from canceled classes.
“After the policy had been put into practice, some kids were acting up, and some things went on that should not have gone on,” Goldrick Housemaster Henry Turner said.
The Committee on Program is meeting with Stembridge and the Faculty Council, which consists of faculty and staff members, in order to reach a final decision on how to implement the new policy under which only approved sophomores would be granted free blocks for canceled classes.
“The challenge now is to figure out how to implement a policy where only sophomores with permission will be [let out of 6167 for a canceled class],” Director of Guidance Robert Pomer said. “We think that our new student information system will allow us to do that, but we’re making sure that it is a possibility.”
SMS, the student information system Pomer referenced, would “make it possible to flag students for a number of reasons … including to include them on a roster of sophomores not excused [from a canceled class].”
“As soon as we figure out a safe way to implement a policy so that only sophomores with permission will be released from 6167, we will notify sophomores and their parents of our decision,” Stembridge said.0
Many sophomores who have already earned the privilege for free directed studies have become impatient with the length of time the decision-making process is taking.
“It’s already been almost half a term and [sophomores] still haven’t heard any final decisions yet. I think having [sophomores] go to 6167 is a little bit unnecessary. As far as I know, last year, letting sophomores have free blocks instead of lecture hall didn’t cause any problems,” sophomore Hannah Weller said.
Faculty Council facilitator Robert Parlin, however, assured that neither the Faculty Council nor the Committee on Program have any problems with the idea of letting sophomores out of 6167.
“Most of us are fine with sophomores being let out of canceled classes as long as they have been approved for regular free blocks. The issue is that there are certain sophomores the administrators feel haven’t earned the privilege for free blocks. These may be students who are struggling academically or who have misbehaved and lost their privileges,” Parlin said.
Some sophomores are questioning the effectiveness of current policy, as they are sometimes still given free blocks for canceled classes.
“Room 6167 only holds three classes. If three freshman teachers who teach the same block are out in one day, sophomores with canceled classes don’t even have to go,” Pomer explained.
Freshman canceled classes have first priority for the room, so if three freshman classes are canceled in one day, any canceled sophomore classes will be given a free block instead.
Many sophomores also argue that they should not be made to report to Room 6167 during second semester because the vast majority of them have already been approved for free study blocks.
“What I don’t understand is why [sophomores] who have already been given the privilege to get out of directed studies still need to go to 6167 for canceled classes. Why would my parents give me permission not to have directed study, but not approve of my having a free block when my class is canceled?” sophomore Allie Haber said.
Stembridge said he understands the sophomores’ opinions and hopes that a decision will be made within the next month.
“It is likely sophomores will still have to attend 6167 until at least the beginning of April, maybe later,” he said. “It’s taking a little bit longer than sophomores would probably like, but we’re setting precedents for the future, and we want to make sure that we get it right.”
