A proposed series of changes to Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC)’s class schedules would get rid of Thursday’s three-hour club activity block and allow entry-level language courses to meet every weekday, among other changes. If approved, the schedule could potentially take effect in the 2014-2015 school year, but FCLC’s United Student Government (USG) has expressed serious opposition to the proposals.

Doron Ben-Atar, professor of history and associate chair of undergraduate studies at FCLC, said he created the proposed changes to increase opportunities for professors to hold seminar classes, utilize space availability on Fridays and allow more professors to attend departmental meetings on Wednesdays at Rose Hill.

The proposed changes would align FCLC’s block schedule with that of Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH). Currently, FCLC has a block reserved for club activities on Thursdays from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Ben-Atar’s proposal would split that time into two periods on Mondays and Thursdays from 1 – 2:15 p.m.

This would allow FCLC to offer courses on Monday and Thursday from 11:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m., instead of the current Monday/Wednesday block at that time. This would supposedly leave Wednesdays free after 12:45 p.m., allowing professors time to commute up to Rose Hill for departmental meetings.

Many representatives of FCLC students, however, have voiced strong concerns about the importance of the current Thursday club block. Alexa Rodriguez, USG president, summarized their opposition.

“I think FCLC would lose the feel of the tight-knit community that it advertises,” Rodriguez said. “The beauty of the Thursday block is that it is three hours long, perfect for programming, and is in the middle of the day so it encourages students to stay on campus and get involved.”

Rodriguez also explained that splitting up the block assumes most FCLC students will attend night events and that we have adequate meeting space. “What we must not forget is that the FCLC community is made up of 50 percent commuter students, so any decision on student activities should strive to be convenient for both residents and commuters,” she said.

To assess student opinion on the proposal, USG sent out a survey on Facebook and through student emails. According to Rodriguez, of the 178 students surveyed, 85 percent replied that student life had contributed significantly to their college experience, 71 percent said they would not have stayed at Fordham without flexibility for club activities and internships and 91 percent said they were opposed to the proposed language schedule.

Ben-Atar said he sees no issue with splitting the club block, considering the free time on Wednesday it would also create. “You’re not losing any club time,” he said. “All you do is you’re increasing your club flexibility, because you’re increasing your club meetings to two per week.”

Rev. Robert Grimes, S.J., dean of FCLC, said that he pushed for the current club block when it was first created several years ago, citing a number of events that require a three-hour block. Some examples he cited were the Sophomore and Senior convocations, the research fair and this year’s FCLC career fair, all of which require more than one hour and 15 minutes.

Dorothy Wenzel, director of student leadership and community development at FCLC, said that one hour and 15 minutes is not enough time to set up, execute and take down any event, in her experience.

Ben-Atar also said that his changes would allow students to free their Wednesday schedules for internships, jobs or more club activities. Wednesday afternoons, however, are not entirely free for students, as adjunct professors can still hold courses during that time, according to Mark Mattson, associate dean of FCLC.

Wenzel also said that past and current club leaders have used Thursdays for club activities rather than Wednesdays for the very reason that students often do have internships and jobs on Wednesdays.

“Part of the reason why, for the last several years that I’ve been tracking it, more commuters than residents are in leadership roles,” Wenzel added, “is because clubs don’t just meet in the evenings. You can have a full campus experience as if you were a resident under the current system.”

The proposed schedule would also create two periods for introductory language courses, from 8 – 8:45 a.m. and 9 – 9:45 a.m. every weekday.

Andrew Clark, associate professor of modern languages at FCLC, voiced his support for the language proposal. “I have long been an advocate of a five day a week beginning language class,” Clark said in an email. “This schedule is common at most quality universities and is effective because it gives students daily contact with the language.”

Clark did note that Fordham’s commuter population, limited classroom space and high teaching loads make that proposal problematic.

A committee of FCLC’s College Council is currently discussing the proposal to be presented at the April 18 college council meeting. Mattson, a member of the committee, said that he sees how certain parts of the proposal could increase schedule efficiency, such as optimizing classroom usage on Fridays. He said, however, that he did not anticipate any voting on the whole proposal, as there are varying levels of support for each portion of the proposal.

Ben-Atar said he does not expect his proposal to be approved. “My gut says ultimately people will be reluctant to change because they’re used to something, but I think the current has some problems that need to be addressed,” Ben-Atar said.

Although Ben-Atar said he expects little success for his proposals, the real amount of faculty support will not be properly gauged until this week’s College Council meeting.

According to Grimes, because the scheduling in the Lowenstein building affects all the colleges that hold class here, any changes to the block schedule would require approval from a higher committee, most likely installed by the provost, Stephen Freedman.

“People come here because they have opportunities to do internships and jobs,” Wenzel said. “Part of the reason they stay is because they find a home here. Clubs aren’t the only way to find a home, but I think they are a sizable way for students to do so.”