University cites success with its four-day week
By Marcus Clem
Amid proposals to reduce the St. Joseph School District weekly class calendar to four days, Missouri Western State University finds that its own reduced weekly schedule has worked well, its leader said Friday.
University President Elizabeth Kennedy offered her thoughts on the concept at the same time as the district conducted the Engage in Your Own Learning event for more than 1,200 staff on the Western campus; schools were closed to that end on Friday. The university has implemented “Gold Fridays” with no scheduling of regular class sessions each Friday since 2021.
Although the higher education environment always differs considerably from K-12 schools, Kennedy said, the reduced-schedule concept aims to provide stress relief, promote self-preparation and set aside time for specialized training.
“It’s not meant to be viewed as a ‘day off’ for our students, or necessarily for our faculty, but it’s a day that gives them time to prepare, to learn, to explore and to engage in applied learning opportunities, which is what Missouri Western State University is all about,” Kennedy said.
The district cites similar goals in proposing the elimination of Monday classwork, as observed by Lynnea Wootten, one of the district staffers attending the Engage in Your Own Learning event on Friday. In addition to service as Central High School director of bands, Wootten serves as president of the St. Joseph National Education Association.
“Extra rest could lead to a reenergizing sensation for our passion in teaching,” Wootten said. “And, maybe that could result in teachers seeking out extra opportunities for professional development … And so, I think that having the choice of getting to spend that day is really important for us.”
The university has not yet decided if it will maintain Golden Griffon Fridays for the indefinite future and is currently running surveys among its core stakeholders, including professors, staff and students, to try to learn how people feel about it. For herself, Kennedy said, she views the outcome of the four-day calendar favorably, although it may be too soon to know for sure. The university considers data from 2021 to be less useful because of ongoing COVID-19 effects. Looking only at 2022 and 2023 might not be enough.
“We are just finishing up our second assessment,” Kennedy said. “We wanted to see, you know, how is this initiative rolling out for us?”
It is anticipated that Missouri Western and its higher education partner, North Central Missouri College, could enroll more high schoolers who hypothetically don’t attend class on Monday into dual-credit programs. Kennedy said the utility of this will depend on each student’s needs, the nature of the studies they pursue and where they want to attend class. The university has not yet held talks with the district about the prospect of promoting this opportunity or facilitating dual-credit enrollment beyond what is already done.
