A draft of some startling changes to Winter Term that has surfaced seems to be missing the opinion and needs of a certain group on campus: the students.
The proposal focuses mostly on how faculty will be rewarded for Winter Term work and the "banking" incentives for sabbaticals.
It is disheartening that the financial benefits of leading Winter Terms overshadow the chance to instead reap the benefits of providing students, whether it be through a course, a trip or an internship opportunity, with life lessons a regular semester course load cannot provide.
Perhaps Winter Term needs some revamping on a financial side we do not see as students, but this option strips Winter Term of the richness it brings to campus. This initial proposal swirling around does not at all emphasize the way this will affect students. The passion we have for this inspiring month needs to be considered before changes, if any, are made to the way we spend our January.
For instance, many trips abroad would not be plausible in a matter of 10-14 days. The cultural immersion process would change to the equivalent of a vacation with peers and faculty. The same goes for service-based trips. The reality of the work students do on these trips does not settle in until many days into the trip, and shortening that experience detracts from the change we can make in over three weeks of time. Trips will become a sampling of a place rather than a life-changing period of college that we happen to receive school credit for. DePauw students crave to be enlightened, and Winter Term fills that void.
Internships would function similarly under this new proposal. A two-week internship over what would now be one very long winter break, would simply provide training for the position at hand. The three to five weeks students spend in Winter Term internships is limited enough, but still provides a fulfilling sampling of a job that may serve as a stepping stone for future, more long-term positions. The newly proposed time frame seems to nearly eliminate the internship option for Winter Term.
We distinguish our university from similar schools by Winter Term; some students choose to come to DePauw solely based on the option. We have ultimate bragging rights to inspiring courses, trips and overall experiences. This proposal underestimates the value students put on Winter Term. It is embedded in us long after graduation. Future students may not be so lucky.
DePauw is rich in tradition. Winter Term is certainly one of the highlights. It would be a shame to see this DePauw staple of alternative education fall by the wayside at a school steeped in tradition.
The generalization that professors don't have a desire or motivation to lead a winter term class or trip is disheartening. We know there are professors and students alike that value the educational and experiential aspect of Winter Term. Unfortunately, the voices of the people concerned abut the money side may be louder in the upcoming discussions.
We recognize that there are faculty members who are passionate about Winter Term opportunities. Students want to be heard for our passion too, and we hope you'll listen.
-- Dana Ferguson did not contribute to this editorial