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Fall reading week

Instead of a fall reading week, Ryerson students could get an extra long weekend. If passed, a new, student-led Senate motion would give students a few days off in the fall semester. “The long-weekend [idea] looks like it has the most chance of passing [in Senate],” said David Checkland, vice-chair of Ryerson Senate. But the change might not come in time for next fall, he said. Ryerson Senate will meet in early April to discuss the motion. The Ryerson Students’ Union (RSU) has historically pushed for the full week, but the idea has been shut down because of scheduling and logistics issues. Liana Salvador, vice-president education for the RSU and one of the students who brought the motion forward, said the break would ideally take place before the deadline to drop classes in November. “The purpose is to allow students time to reflect, make good academic decisions, and seek the advising they need,” she said. Kieran Meschino, a second-year interior design student, said an extra break would give her a “little more time to spend on projects.” “There’s a lot of no sleeping happening [in my program],”she said. Even professors have said that the benefits of a short vacation would outweigh the problems. “We’re neurotic about the amount we teach anyways,” said James Cunningham, who teaches philosophy. “Is it better to give students time off or expose them to more material?” Salvador said she’s surprised and impressed with the Ryerson community’s response. “Instead of resistance, we’re being met with different stakeholders in the community trying to make this work.”


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