In an effort to streamline the academic calendar, the Cal State University is considering converting six of its campuses from a quarter system to a semester system, according to Erik Fallis, a CSU spokesman.
The switch, if implemented, would be phased in throughout the next few years, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo President Jeffrey D. Armstrong said in an email to the entire campus last week.
“Following discussion, there was a clear understanding by Chancellor [Timothy P.] White and all presidents that the benefits of a common calendar outweigh individual campus preferences,” Armstrong said in the email.
The CSU campuses currently on the quarter system include Cal State Los Angeles, Cal State San Bernardino, Cal State Bakersfield, Cal State East Bay, Cal Poly Pomona and Cal Poly SLO.
According to Fallis, the switch would ultimately be in the best interest of all students in the CSU system.
“Having all the universities under one academic calendar provides certain advantages, one of them being the ability to transfer between [CSU] campuses more easily,” he said. “Change is often met with trepidation, as is the case with some of the campuses.”
Justin Velasco, a university spokesman at Cal Poly Pomona, said the decision to move from a quarter system to a semester system is out of the university’s hands.
“Ultimately, this is a decision that will be made by the [CSU] Chancellor’s Office, and we will go along with whatever they decide,” Velasco said.
Although the switch is being seriously considered, Fallis said that nothing is imminent.
“While we are moving in the direction of converting campuses from quarter to semester systems, there is no timeline, and no final decision has been made,” Fallis said.
CSU students currently on the quarter system said they felt anxious about the proposed change.
“I wouldn’t want to see the quarter system replaced because I’ve gotten used to the pace, and I think I can complete my degree in less time,” Melina Islas, a junior criminal justice major at CSULA, said.
Jonathan Soto, a junior Spanish major at the Pomona campus, said that the quarter system helps him stay focused.
“The quarter system keeps me on task,” Soto said. “It’s challenging, but it forces me to be engaged both in class and outside.”
A task force enlisted by Armstrong at Cal Poly SLO concluded in December that making the quarter-to-semester switch would not be in the best interest of the campus.
“While there is a strong commitment among all our constituents to improve Cal Poly [SLO] continuously, to enhance student success, the SRTF [Semester Review Task Force] did not see significant evidence that a calendar conversion from quarters to semesters would result in improved student outcomes,” the task force wrote in its report.
