ADVISORY: Guidelines on Scheduling Activities in 5-Day Weeks

 GUIDELINES ON SCHEDULING LEARNING ACTIVITIES ACROSS REGULAR 5-DAY WEEKS

Introduction

Silliman has 5 school days in every regular school week.  “Regular school week” means a week in a school year without typhoons, calamities, or holidays that disrupt the school calendar.

Silliman will maintain its traditional offerings of 7 types of LEARNING ACTIVITIES, which, for the purpose of these Guidelines, are defined and differentiated as follows:

1. Class Activities (regularly scheduled lecture and group sessions of teachers and students intended to deliver curricular contents in a classroom or field like NSTP, CMT or PE)

 2. Laboratory Exercises (done as part of a course or as part of a school-approved or permitted research)

 3. Related Learning Activities (these include “Related Learning Experience” as defined by law & regulations, and/or tutorials and augmentation or academic enhancement learning sessions; also include recognized student activities like student government, debates, clubs  and other related extra-curricular activities

4. Sports & Athletics (organized by or with approval of the school; e.g., intramurals & other organized in-campus & off-campus games, varsity practices)

5. Cultural Activities (organized by or with approval of the school; e.g., rehearsals & practices, performances, socials)

6. Spiritual Nurture (organized by or consistent with existing school programs and policies; e.g., convocations, Galilean Fellowships, special worships, and chapel hours, prayer groups, Bible studies, retreats)

7. Community Learning (i.e., Service-Learning, field education, extension learning, off-campus learning exercises)

These Guidelines are about how different Learning Activities are to be SCHEDULED into clusters across the 5 school days in a regular school week.

Purposes

There are 3 purposes hoped and intended to be achieved by scheduling the 7 types of Learning Activities in Silliman into clusters of related types.

1. To achieve the most continuity of learning by types of learning with the least interruption for shifting into other types;

2. To put together types of learning that do not always happen in a regular week;

3. To the extent possible, to lessen the costs to students, faculty and staff, and to the University in energy, learning preparations, travel to the campus, time spent on campus, and extra calendar days for classes and other learning events lost due to typhoons, other calamities, unscheduled events, or holidays.

General Guidelines

1. Scheduling of activities shall be for the principal purpose of maximizing learning opportunities at the least costs to: 

• Students & Parents
• Faculty & Staff
• University

These costs include:

•  Financial (e.g., commuting costs; energy fees)
• Time (e.g., days needed to be in school; needing to have extra school days to meet required total course hours in the event of typhoons & other natural or political disruptions of classes like declared special holidays);
• Well-Being (e.g., preparing for many different activities within a day, like from sweating in PE then go to classes).

2. The secondary purposes are:

•  To concentrate time slots for different learning activities according to types of activities across 5 calendar days, so that there will be least disruption, distraction or interruption of any learning activity;
• To provide for at least one day a week in every 5-day week, to serve as catchment for accommodating — 
  • (In SBE), new curricular add-ons in K+12, which are anticipated to be rolled out gradually (a year at a time) in the next 3 years
  • (In SBE & College), tutorials & augmentation classes (or additional classes that may need to be done to supplement regular classes); special seminars & lectures of visiting scholars; or previously unscheduled classes occasioned by the unanticipated availability of resource persons
  • (In SBE & College), special school & public events (like convocations, Galilean Fellowships, intramurals, civic parades, or integrative lectures)
  • (In SBE & College), at least a day in every 5-day week that can be used to meet total hours of regular classes in the event of disruptions of class days because of calamities & unanticipated special holidays.

3. Scheduling of learning activities shall ensure that:

•  In an academic term (semester, summer, year) there will be no reduction in total hours (as required in a curriculum) for courses, classes, laboratory, RLE, field work and other required learning activities; neither shall there be a reduction of time for all other learning activities usually done as part of the extra-curricular education opportunities traditionally available in Silliman;
• No learning activity  in SBE will be scheduled before 7:30 a.m. and beyond 6 p.m., unless specially approved otherwise;[1]
• No class activity in college will be scheduled before 7 a.m. and beyond 7 p.m., unless specially approved otherwise;
• There will be no increase in the workload of a faculty (i.e., contact time, time for preparations, & office hours) or of a staff (i.e., prescribed total hours in a regular 5-day week), over what are specified in the CBA and as consistent with law;
• If there’ll be an increase in the workload of a faculty or staff, including overloads and overtime, appropriate CBA and/or legal provisions apply.

 

Specific Guidelines

1. Clustering & Continuity of Learning Activities by Types of Learning Activities in Colleges, Schools & Institutes

Deans and Directors of academic units (colleges, schools & institutes) are to schedule classes and laboratory activities in clusters across four (4) days.

To the extent possible, related learning, community learning, sports & athletics, cultural, and spiritual activities are to be clustered in the 5^th day.

If deemed necessary and only if specially approved otherwise, 5^th day activities may be spilled over across the other 4 days provided the same activities will not disturb clustered classes in those 4 days. Likewise, if needed, and only if specially approved, class and laboratory activities maybe scheduled in the 5^th day.

2. Clustering & Continuity of Learning Activities by Types of Learning Activities in SBE

The Dean and Associate Dean of the College of Education, with the Principals of High School, Elementary and Early Childhood, shall cluster class learning activities across four (4) days, and other learning activities in the 5^th day. Likewise, if needed and only if specially approved, some class hours may be scheduled in the 5^th day.

If deemed necessary and only if specially approved otherwise, 5^th day activities may be spilled over across the other 4 days provided the same activities will not disturb clustered classes in those 4 days.

3. Scheduling Certificate Courses & Short-Term Training Programs and Extension Classes

The Dean of SAITE and all other Deans and Directors of academic units offering certificate and short-term training & extension courses shall schedule these activities across 5 days in a regular week, provided the same courses will not disturb clustered class schedules of any of the students taking the course.

4. Scheduling Post-Baccalaureate Degree Programs (Law, Medicine, Vertically-Articulated Graduate Courses, Graduate Program)

The Deans of Law, Medicine and Graduate Program, and of units offering Graduate courses under vertical articulation shall schedule classes, laboratories and other degree-related activities from any of 1 to 5 days in a regular 5-day week, provided the same will not disturb clustered class schedules of any student.

Execution, Variations and Exemptions

1. Consistent with existing policies on administering schedules of classes and other learning activities in a college, school or an institute, all Deans and Directors of academic units shall be principally responsible for executing these guidelines, subject to pertinent actions of the Deans Conference and approval by the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

2. Deans and Directors of academic units may apply variations in the execution of these Guidelines within their college, school or institute, provided these are consistent with resolutions and decisions adopted by the Deans Conference and are approved by the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

3. Exemptions in a college, school or institute shall need to be recommended by a Dean or Director of the unit, recommended for approval by the Deans Conference and the Vice Presidents for Academic Affairs, Finance & Administration, and of Development, and approved by the President.

THIS SYSTEM OF SCHEDULING CLASSES AND OTHER LEARNING ACTIVITIES INTO CLUSTERS BY LEARNING ACTIVITY TYPES WAS APPROVED BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES ON JUNE 1, 2013.