Fall break approved for next two years

Undergraduate students will be getting a three-day break next year from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2. The fall break will run from a Thursday to a Saturday, allowing two weekdays off and a test ban on Saturday, Nov. 2.

The University Senate unanimously passed the motion for a break Wednesday afternoon.

Due to restrictions on the number of instructional days for certain faculties, the number of class days (62) will remain the same. The exam period has been pushed forward two days and shortened by one day, and will run Dec. 6 to 20.

MSU president Siobhan Stewart was tearful as she addressed the room before the vote. A fall break was part of her platform when she ran for president early in 2012.

“It has been my dream for over a year to have this passed,” said Stewart.

“Several times when I’ve talked to students, [I’ve found] they think things can’t change at the University, but this is an opportunity to show that it can.”

The pilot will run two academic years in a row beginning in 2013. After the trial, the University will decide whether or not to make the break permanent.

By implementing a break in the fall term, McMaster follows practices of other universities in Ontario, including U of T and Queen’s. Other universities, like Ryerson, Trent and the University of Ottawa, have fall reading weeks.

The University of Windsor had a trial reading week in 2009 and decided not to reinstate it the following year.