Students and faculty may see their winter vacation shortened significantly for the 2003-2004 academic school year.

According to Dean of Students Laurie Hamre, President McPherson has been talking with faculty and Macalester College Student Government (MCSG) about cutting the length of the January break and starting spring semester earlier.

Both MCSG and the administration are in the process of conducting surveys to determine staff and students opinions on the possible scheduling change. MCSG's survey reached students on Thursday.

Results from the surveys, however, can only play an advisory role. "The changes in the academic calendar are ultimately President McPherson's decision," Hamre said, adding "but the administration's main concern is the student experience."

Both Hamre and Provost Dan Hornbach said that Macalester would reap significant financial benefits if spring semester began earlier in January.

Hornbach said that Macalester has a "rather full-functioning staff for a month when less than 1/4 of the students are on campus… This seems to be an inefficient use of resources."

In addition to her financial concerns, Hamre said that she wonders whether the current five-week break detracts from the Macalester student experience. "I mostly hear from students and their parents complaining the winter vacation is too long," Hamre said. "Being out of school that long may not give students the best college experience."

Hornbach echoes these concerns, "I have a daughter at Grinnell where they return one week earlier than we do and even she's bored," she said.

Hamre said that shortening the January break would also help with the faculty hiring process in the winter. She said that the administration must delay interviewing candidates for faculty positions until after students return in late January.

Hornbach claims that this delay is a significant hurdle to employing professors. "In many disciplines a great deal of hiring takes place in January and we don't like to hire faculty unless our students are here to meet them," Hornbach said.

According to Hamre, for international students who cannot go home for the break, the early return of the campus community may be a nice change.

Hamre also mentioned that Macalester athletes whose seasons span January would appreciate a student cheering section.

kathRyn Tomko '04, who just completed her fourth season on the Macalester diving squad, said that "definitely fewer students come [over J-Term] … It may not affect our performance, but it definitely affects our morale."

Hamre and Hornbach agree, however, that many members of the Macalester community benefit from the long winter break.

Many professors, for instance, engage in research and go on vacations during winter break. Hamre claims, however, that faculty would have more time in the summer to compensate for a shortened winter break.

Similarly, Hornbach points out that many students engage in independent projects and internships during winter break. If spring semester starts earlier, he suggested that some of these activities may be curtailed.

In addition, the African Music Ensemble may not welcome the academic calendar change; the group does most of its fundraising during January. Hamre also said that academic expeditions, like those sponsored by the Geology and Spanish departments, would be affected.

Hamre said that while the groups that would be negatively affected by a shortened winter break are important, they do not represent a majority of the campus community. She said that ultimately, the Administration wants to make the best decision for the general Macalester community

The current five-week winter break is the legacy of a former mini-semester called "January term," a name that is still popularly used to refer to Macalester's winter break.

Students used to be required to take a class during "January term," or "J-Term," three of their four winters at Macalester.

"My understanding is that this term was started to give students a more diverse curriculum," said Hornbach. "At the time it was started there were many required courses, with little choice, and the [January] term was meant to provide students with variety."

According to Hornbach, the Administration eliminated J-term when the faculty believed it "no longer served a purpose." The Administration never moved the start of spring semester to reflect the elimination of J-term.