Community Chimes in About the Shorter Fall Break

Sadaf Sharifi

Mount St. Mary’s University administrators decided to reduce the fall break from a full week to three days. This decision has left many students and faculty concerned whether they will have enough time to rest, recharge, travel and manage their academic workload. “The Mountain Echo” spoke with the students, faculty and Student Government Association about this decision. 

According to the Mount’s official website, under the new academic year calendar, fall break is between Friday, Oct. 2 to Tuesday, Oct. 6. Instead of a whole week, plus the weekend before and after, this year’s break is only half as long.

Dr. Ben Firgens, Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication, said that the university leadership made this change for student retention purposes and an early semester melt, referring to those students leaving the university before becoming fully engaged with the Mount community. 

Firgens added that shorter breaks do not necessarily affect academic performance of the students negatively, although the impact could depend heavily on how instructors will handle workload, assignments and course materials around the coming break. 

Additionally, he stated that students’ academic performance is not possible to drop if the faculty avoid adding more work on students during the short break. “In courses such as lab sciences, instructors may have limited flexibility to adjust their course plan because they are already following a tight schedule,” Firgens said.

According to Adjunct Professor of Philosophy & Theology, Patrick A. Gill, the shift to a shorter fall break was made with academic continuity in mind, since even well-intentioned breaks can disrupt the rhythm of a semester. 

"It is easier to plan to have continuity without substantial gaps of a week or more," he said. Longer breaks, while appealing on the surface, often come with a hidden cost once classes resume. 

The change is not about cutting back on students' well-being, but about finding a better balance, he commented. "A shorter break provides a much-needed period of rest without compromising academic continuity." The main concern would be that some instructors might add more material or assignments for students into the days around the break, which potentially could add more work for students. 

Rather than focusing on the length of the break, Gill concluded that the university weighed where it falls in the semester. "Placement of the break matters more than overall length. The administration has fully in view the fundamental aim of the university: to provide an academically excellent environment in which to challenge young men and women to grow intellectually, spiritually and personally,” and the shortened break, in that light, is "a distinct benefit to the Mount community," he noted.

Most upper-class students said that the shortened fall break will not give them enough time to rest, travel or come back ready for the next half of the semester. 

Olivia Adams (C’29) said that the breaks are a much-needed time for students’ bodies and minds to recover from the burnout of the semester. “I am very upset,” she said frustratedly. 

Adams also added that a shorter break will make it much more difficult to catch up with schoolwork during one of the busiest times of the semester. She believes that the breaks are important to keep and maintain motivation but also prevent burnout later in the semester.

Similarly, Firgens also expressed his concern that the change could lead to more absenteeism later on. This means students would burn out and be exhausted, especially student athletes who could take a longer break to rest and return ready. 

Eylin Monroy (C’28) stated that the change has affected her travel plans to spend time with family and take a break from school demands. “When I found out that the fall break was very short, I was surprised, since a lot of us get the break to recover, travel and rest from midterms,” remarked Monroy.  

In the past few years, Monroy had the privilege to travel out of state during fall break, return home and rest before moving back to school. She cannot travel this year and described the upcoming break feels rushed. 

“Traveling takes time and energy, and with a short break this time, students will only get one actual day to rest, which is not enough," Nabil Alimi (C’27) added. He asserted that student opinion should have been included in the decision. 

Kaysi Moreno-Vigil (C’28), SGA President said there has been mixed reaction to this decision. Some students are disappointed at the shortening of the break because it is a special aspect of their university experience. On the other hand, some students want the school to start later in August, like other institutions.

“Students have not shown major concern about traveling, family time or academic workload they might have yet,” added the SGA President. He expects these concerns could surface later in the semester. 

Both faculty and the students want the administrators of Mount St. Mary’s University to consult the faculty, students and SGA when making decisions about the academic calendar.