“NO EASY SOLUTIONS”
As classes at the College shift toward the afternoon hours, a need to address scheduling conflicts has become paramount, athletic and academic administrators said.
David R. Fish ’72, a former student-athlete at the College who has coached the men’s varsity tennis team for 38 years, said he has noticed that the academic day seems to be shifting later into the early afternoon and evening, resulting in increased conflict with athletic practices.
“We’re watching students sleep later and later, and the demands on their body are greater than they’ve ever been,” Fish said.
Fry also noted that Harvard used to offer a wider range of classes at 9 a.m. and 10 a.m.
“Now those classes have moved back to 11 a.m., 1 p.m.,” Fry said. “The day gets a little bit later and later. We’re practicing again in that 3-7 p.m. window, so you’re seeing a little bit more conflict arise with practice time and...class offerings.”
To prevent overlap between class and practice, Princeton has a unique policy that designates a certain time period for extracurricular activities.
According to Anthony J. Archbald, executive associate director of athletics at Princeton, classes cannot meet during a dedicated extracurricular activities block from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Fry said implementing a similar activities window lacks support at Harvard because three hours is an insufficient period of time for multiple athletic teams to share venues.
“There are no easy solutions to carving out enough time for students to pursue the full breadth of academic and extracurricular opportunities on any campus,” Fry wrote in an email.
Yet, a change in Harvard’s current academic and athletic structure may be on the horizon.
Last year, Harris and Deputy Provost Margaret E. Newell were asked to co-chair a committee to look at reconsidering the FAS class schedule following the University’s decision to move SEAS to Allston. According to Burke, the committee has begun to meet with different organizations on campus to get feedback about changing the current schedule.
“In the process of developing options for a new schedule, the task force has consulted with faculty, students, the Athletics Department, and others to accommodate the myriad activities competing for student and faculty time,” Burke wrote in an email. “It is impossible to meet every need, but we have been, and will continue, consulting widely.”
—Staff writer Meg P. Bernhard can be reached at meg.bernhard@thecrimson.com Follow her on Twitter @Meg_Bernhard.
—Staff writer Forrest K. Lewis can be reached at forrest.lewis@thecrimson.com.