As the fall semester draws to a close, many students are probably looking forward to a nice long break. But for the students enrolled in BU’s winter session, the break will consist of three weeks of intense schoolwork.
For the second time in Binghamton’s history, the University is offering a winter session: a three week compressed term that runs from Jan. 3 to Jan. 20., between the fall and spring semesters.
“Students can use (winter session) to lighten their load and save time,” said Murnal Abate, assistant director of summer and winter sessions. “It allows you to better manage your academic career in Binghamton and it’s a good way to catch up.”
Winter session also allows students to take popular courses that fill up quickly during the fall and spring semesters.
“I generally have a lot of students who are turned away (because of the) space limit,” said Kimberly King, who will be teaching Life Skills during winter session for the first time. “So this gives me a chance to teach students that I wouldn’t normally be able to work with.”
The winter session program was introduced to Binghamton last year and was considered very successful. The pilot offered 16 courses and 300 students participated.
“We found that the demand was there for compressed courses between fall and spring semesters and the administration wanted us to continue,” Abate said.
This year Binghamton University is offering 24 undergraduate and five graduate sections, with students allowed to take one four-credit course. Registration for the courses will begin on Nov. 28 and run until Dec. 9.
“A lot of them are the exact courses that are offered during regular sessions,” Abate said. “We try to offer classes students would need or want to take.”
The School of Management, School of Human Development, Harper College and the Graduate School are all offering multiple courses. The administration worked with departments to build a schedule.
In order to receive the four credits, students must complete the same amount of work that is assigned during a regular session for that course.
“It is more challenging,” Abate said. “Every day that you attend class is like a couple of days of work.”
Classes are held five days a week and there are about two or three hours of work to be done daily.
“Things move very quickly,” said Joseph Morrissey, an assistant professor in the psychology department who will be teaching Statistical Analysis and Design. “If you don’t understand something (there is) not as much support from outside.”
While many of the courses are taught by professors at the University, over 50 percent of the classes are distant education, which are taught over the Internet.
“You don’t have to be on campus to take winter session courses,” Abate said. “As long as you have a good computer and can log on Blackboard (you can take the courses).”
Students will be able to access lectures and reading assignments on Blackboard and, depending on the instructor, will also have to submit papers and/or tests via the Internet.
Abate taught distance education economics last year and will teach Econ-Poverty and Discrimination during this session. He requires students to write blogs, weekly exams and short papers.
“I keep people busy for a three week period,” he said.
Abate added that despite the workload the program is very rewarding and last year the students enjoyed it.
“They realized there was intensity to the work that they were doing,” he said. “But they felt that they accomplished something.”
Instructors agree that winter session is worth students’ time and many of them are looking forward to teaching the courses.
“I think it’s going to be a very unique experience for me,” King said.