Wednesday, November 21, 2001

No Thanks
Students also deserve more time

Thanksgiving break is traditionally marked by a mass exodus of faculty, students and staff from campus. The countdown begins on Monday, when the hours until Wednesday afternoon creep by at a snail’s pace.

This year, faculty and staff will find that wait shorter than students with Wednesday afternoon and evening classes.

Chancellor Michael Ferrari sent an e-mail Tuesday to all faculty and staff announcing that university offices will close at 3 p.m. today, “ ... to allow a little extra time for travel and other preparations for the Thanksgiving holidays.”

How nice of him to think of the students who must wait around until 5 p.m.
The last few months have been unlike any other for many people in the United States. Time spent with family or loved ones is even more valuable this time of year, and holiday travelers are sure to experience delays, both weather- and traffic-related.

And so the option to leave early should be extended to everyone — not just faculty and staff. Many students must drive several hours from Fort Worth, or even travel to other states, before reaching family and friends for Thanksgiving.

This decision does not consider students who are traveling and those who are staying on campus for the holidays.

Are office staff workers entitled more holiday travel time than students and faculty who are required to attend afternoon classes?

Granted, many professors opt not to hold class and many students simply cut class, but neither would be an issue if late classes were officially canceled.

Students may need last-minute access to certain offices before they leave for the Thanksgiving, but closed offices will also affect students staying on campus for the holiday. Students needing to cash checks at Financial Services or fill prescriptions at the Health Center may be hard-pressed to complete their errands before the university is shut down for the long weekend.

The driving force behind the chancellor’s e-mail is positive: More time for the holidays is always a positive thing. Yet what does it say about a university, that exists for its students, excludes them from such benefits.

A longer Thanksgiving would be wonderful. Too bad students must make up for lost time in other ways.