Time is almost out to save
“Michigan time,” the tradition
of starting classes ten minutes
after the scheduled hour at the
University of Michigan. However,
state Rep. Yousef Rabhi, D-Ann
Arbor, among other concerned
alumni and students, are fighting
to preserve this custom.
Students
and
alumni
have
spoken
out
against
the University’s decision in
February to end Michigan time.
U-M students started a Facebook
event — “Boycott the End of
Michigan Time” — with more
than 1,200 people interested
in and 300 going to a boycott
of the first day of spring term
classes May 1. Representatives
of
the
University’s
Central
Student Government also raised
questions about the decision to
Dean of Students Laura Blake
Jones at a meeting shortly after
the announcement was made.
Rabhi, a University alum,
has taken the issue of Michigan
time to the Michigan House
of
Representatives.
Rabhi
proposed an amendment to the
state higher education budget
during a Thursday meeting
for the House Appropriations
Subcommittee
on
Higher
Education.
Though
Rabhi’s
amendment was not adopted,
he maintains his commitment
to helping students at his alma
mater.
“I am committed to doing
all I can to help students at our
universities have the support
and tools they need to be
successful,” Rabhi said in a
statement to MLive. “Michigan
time has been a treasured
tradition at the University for
more than 80 years, providing
students
and
faculty
the
flexibility they need to navigate
campus and arrive at class with
enough time. This tradition
is one of many that gives the
University
of
Michigan
its
unique character, and I would
be sad to see it abandoned.”
Michigan time is currently
scheduled to end May 1, after
which classes will start at the
hour and instead end 10 minutes
early. University officials cited
a need for consistency among
campuses and schools as a
reason for the change.
University
spokesman
Rick
Fitzgerald explained in February
the University’s decision was
motivated by requests for a more
uniform schedule to facilitate
collaboration
among
schools
on campus that currently use
Michigan time and those that do
not, such as the School of Nursing.
“I’d say one of the hallmarks
of our campus is cross-University
collaboration,” Fitzgerald said.
“From school and colleges and
departments
and
different
units who are constantly cross-
pollinating all of our efforts, and
this really facilitates that … We’re
just eliminating one of those
stumbling blocks.”
Instead
of
starting
early,
classes after May 1 will now end
10 minutes before the scheduled
hour to allow students to continue
scheduling classes back-to-back
with adequate travel time.
LSA sophomore Lexi Michaels
predicts
ending
Michigan
time will cause confusion for
professors instead of making
scheduling easier.
“I really like Michigan time.
I think it makes so much sense,
especially when you have back-to-
back classes,” Michaels said. “It
gets your day rolling. I think that
(this new system) is just a cause
for disaster. I think that professors
are way more aware of starting 10
minutes late because they haven’t
started yet, but if they have to end
10 minutes early, they’re not going
to know to stop.”
Despite the protests of current
students and alumni like Rabhi,
University
Provost
Martin
Philbert claims to have received
positive
feedback
about
the
change.
“Especially
through
Vice
President Royster’s office, we
have worked with many student
organizations,” Philbert said. “In
my experience, there’s been an
enormous sigh of relief that we’re
all going to be operating on the
same expectations of starting and
finishing.”
FR AT FIGHT NIGHT
2A — Monday, April 16, 2018
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ON THE DAILY: MICHIGAN TIME ALMOST UP