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
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
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Engineering junior Michael Nwansi and LSA sophomore John Skidmore at Frat Fight Night at the IM Building Saturday. 

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ON THE DAILY: MICHIGAN TIME ALMOST UP

