As the quarter winds to a close, that can only mean one thing: finals. Between the last week of classes and finals week, the University institutes a three-day “College Reading and Review Period.” Here’s the Maroon‘s guide on what exactly reading period entails, what it requires of instructors, and what you can do if your instructors don’t follow those requirements.
What is reading period?
Reading period is intended for students to be able to review the material in the courses they are currently taking ahead of their finals. During reading period, instructors and teaching assistants may hold review sessions for students to go over class material, but the choice to do so is at their discretion. No new material can be introduced during classes, assignments may not be due, and, of course, final examinations will have to wait until reading period is over.
When does reading period start and end?
The fall 2024 reading period begins on Saturday, December 7 and ends on Monday, December 9. Until the 2021–22 academic year, reading period was four days long, covering the Thursday to Sunday before finals week. The change was made as part of a series of major calendar reforms that included moving to a nine-week quarter.
If my class decides that we don’t need a reading period, can we vote not to have it?
That is expressly forbidden by University policy. Reading period is mandatory for all classes.
What can students do if an instructor has violated reading period rules?
To redress the issue, students should first contact their instructor to inform them of reading period’s rules. Students can also use this form from the Student Advocate’s Office (SAO) to report violations. Students can also contact jessie@uchicagosao.org with any questions.
“If a professor is in violation of this policy, students can file a report with the Student Advocate’s Office (SAO), which will then be anonymized and passed on to the Dean of Student’s [sic] office,” SAO Lead Caseworker Jessie Wang said in a statement to the Maroon. “With that being said, however, students are highly encouraged to reach out on their own to request a schedule change first before contacting the SAO. In our experience, most professors are simply unaware of these policies and would be happy to accommodate a change once they’ve been informed.”
What else happens during reading period?
On Monday, the last day of reading period, the Reynolds Club hosts its traditional late-night breakfast from 10 p.m. to midnight to kick off finals week. Also on Monday, students can attend Primal Scream at the “Nuclear Energy” sculpture at 9:59 p.m., where students can collectively let out their emotions by yelling.
zman / Dec 9, 2024 at 4:57 pm
Don’t scream at the mushroom. Turn around and scream at Regenstein Library instead. I don’t remember if it was at the Reg or Harper, but I would peruse old issues of Time magazine from the 1930s and 1940s. It was fascinating reading contemporary articles about WWII when knowing the final outcome. However, the ads were not PC.