Dalhousie University and the University of Manitoba have introduced a fall reading week into the school year. While the University of Manitoba announced the new reading week on May 5, 2015, Dalhousie announced the addition on Nov. 10, 2015.
Both universities join the likes of institutions like Carleton, Ryerson, and the University of Ottawa, who have all already implemented a fall reading week. Effective 2016, a five-day recess will be issued from classes at both universities. Student unions have pushed for an extra few days off for students for a number of reasons, chief among which being student mental health.
The decision to implement a fall reading week at Dalhousie University was approved by the university’s senate on Nov. 9, 2015. The reasoning behind the push for another reading week was due to concerns of helping students cope with the stress and pressure that comes with university. The university also pushed for consistency between semesters, noting that having a winter reading week but not a fall reading week was not fair. Dalhousie will now start the fall semester earlier in order to make up for the academic days lost to the new break. Students at the University of Manitoba have 12 days for exams, with only 10 days being used to schedule exams. The extra two days have been used for the fall reading week, which will be used for the Thursday and Friday before Thanksgiving weekend, totalling five days for the break.
“We felt that it was an important structural academic change that would help create an environment conductive to the mental health and wellness of students,” said Jeremiah Kopp, president of the University of Manitoba Students’ Union. “We need to ensure that the full spectrum of health issues are considered in academia and this is an important first step.”
The addition of a fall reading week is a step towards understanding the sensitivity towards mental health and wellness issues. The University of Guelph hosted an array of activities for Mental Health Awareness week, including fitness classes, mindfulness walks and workshops aimed to alleviate stress. The initiative was introduced to promote mental wellness.
Last year, Guelph’s Central Student Association worked towards introducing a fall reading week at the university, which was ultimately not implemented.