I DECIDED to make my New Year's Resolution simple this year. And for once, I fulfilled it. I made a resolution that required only two weeks of focused determination. Instead of chastising myself for breaking my resolution by the middle of January, I was congratulating myself for completing it. On January 2, I began to fulfill my New Year's Resolution by starting a January Term class.
According to Dudley Doane, director of summer and special academic programs, nearly 600 students chose from 34 J-term classes in 2008. This participation rate -- less than five percent -- is unacceptably low. The University must advertise J-term more widely and earlier in the fall. More students must also be willing to take advantage of this opportunity.
J-termoffers a range of courses, both on Grounds and around the world, during the last two weeks of Winter Break. This year, courses based in Charlottesville ranging from "Nation-Building in Iraq" to "The Lives of Wives" covered a semester's worth of material by meeting for five hours each day for eight weekdays. Off Grounds, classes were held on three continents and investigated topics like sustainable development and art history.
J-term offers definite academic benefits, as students are able to fully concentrate on one subject. Topics that we normally wouldn't have space for in our schedules can be explored through J-term. Or we can fulfill major and area requirements. People who like learning for the sake of learning will enjoy the structure and intensity of J-term. With dozens of relevant and stimulating courses available, J-term is an unparalleled enrichment experience.
Because J-term appears on transcripts as a spring semester course, students are able to reduce the number of credits they take during the actual spring semester and still have a full load on paper. While J-term credits cannot be used to meet basic enrollment requirements, they are helpful to students with busy spring schedules. Students planning to rush fraternities or sororities can use J-term credit to lighten their spring load. Likewise, students on tight budgets benefit from J-term; those working part-time jobs can free up more spring semester hours by completing one course over break. To make it even easier, financial aid is available for those who qualify.
As with all good programs, J-term comes at a cost. For in-state students, each credit hour costs $218, while out-of-state students pay $800 per course credit. These costs may seem particularly high to students when they realize that many University services are not available during the first two weeks of January. Meal plans don't work during J-term, although some on-Grounds establishments are open for limited hours. Additionally, the bus system runs on holiday special routes and Student Health has fewer hours. For all those who want to keep their fitness-related resolutions, the Aquatics and Fitness Center remains open.
Currently, J-term is an under-appreciated opportunity for all undergraduate students. While their intensity and brevity may seem intimidating, these classes are actually stimulating and invigorating ways to learn material we may never explore otherwise. Classes are particularly rewarding because they attract dedicated, serious students who are willing to spend half their vacation studying and discussing an academic subject.Likewise, J-term attracts particularly passionate professors. Doane says that, "Each year several faculty tell us that, while exhausting, the J-term teaching experience was one of if not the most satisfying teaching experience in their career."
Doane further observes that while many universities have winter sessions, J-term's focus is unique. According to him, student leaders from Harvard and Brown have inquired about the program in the hope of establishing similar opportunities at their home schools. Ironically, and unfortunately, students from other schools are more interested in this unique University opportunity than many of the students it is meant to serve.
J-term is an exceptional academic opportunity that all students should experience. Doane notes that January Term enrollment increased by eight percent from 2007 to 2008. While this increase is encouraging, it is not enough. Forgoing such an opportunity is a disservice to ourselves and to the University.J-term is well worth the sacrifice. If nothing else, I feel satisfied knowing that I fulfilled my New Year's Resolution -- and it's not even February yet.
James Rogers's column appears Fridays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at jrogers@cavalierdaily.com.
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