EDMONTON – Approval of a Fall Reading Week at the University of Alberta will be officially announced at a signing ceremony on Monday.
In a news release, the U of A Students’ Union said it is excited about the pending official approval which will see the university join many others – including the University of Saskatchewan, Carleton University and Wilfrid Laurier University – in adding a fall break.
“While a Fall Reading Week itself isn’t a silver-bullet solution to issues like student retention, student mental health, or student engagement, I feel it will demonstrate that the University of Alberta is a national leader in supporting student success and well-being,” said Students’ Union President Petros Kusmu.
The Students’ Union has been working on establishing a Fall Reading Week at the U of A for years, arguing that it would help reduce student stress. In 2011, a plebiscite question showed students supported the idea.
“This week will allow students to take the time they need to catch up on their studies, take part in programming, work to afford school, and visit family members and that might live outside of Alberta, much in the way that students already use Spring Reading Week,” said Kusmu.
In 2011, students requested a fall week-long break in exchange for returning to school one week earlier from summer break to maintain 13 weeks of instruction per semester.
The Students’ Union says the current proposal has been looked at a number of times, and has taken feedback from students, staff and faculty into consideration.
U of A Provost Carl Amrhein and Kusmu are expected to make the official announcement on Monday at noon on campus.
The Fall Reading Week will likely take effect next fall.
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