Students, administrators debate merits of ‘dead week’

At some universities, the week before finals is declared “dead,” meaning professors are not… At some universities, the week before finals is declared “dead,” meaning professors are not allowed to assign tests or papers in order to give students ample time to prepare for the semester’s end.

But here at Pitt, some students reported being bogged down with papers and exams this week, whereas others do have somewhat of a dead week, allowing them to begin studying for final exams.

Although Pitt will administer a final examination period, starting this Monday, many professors do not follow this policy, and some faculty are largely unsympathetic to student complaints.

Laura Dice, Arts and Sciences assistant dean and director of freshman programs, said the amount of work students have the week before finals is their own fault.

“Students leave their work to the last minute,” Dice said.

Whether the stress is the result of irresponsibility or an overload of assignments, the decisions professors make during the run-up to finals are highly calculated, administrators and instructors say.

Patrick Altdorfer, a political science adviser, said that the amount of work professors issue during the week prior to finals depends on how much of the syllabus they cover during the duration of the semester.

Altdorfer said that students might falsely think their professors are “letting up” during the week before finals when professors do not successfully get through all of the assignments on the syllabus.

The ones who don’t let up often issue tests instead.

Biological Studies adviser Christine Berliner said that some professors give out tests the week before finals to see if their students know the information from the last portion of the semester.

Many students in the Biological Studies Department, as well as in other departments, find this system unfair.

Sophomore Julia Glick said, “I have papers and exams in two classes that I will also have finals for next week. I do think that teachers who give finals during finals week should not give exams and papers during the last week of classes.”

Glick said she has four papers as well as two exams this week.  She also has four finals next week.

Students said that an authenticated dead week would give them an opportunity to perform better on their finals.

Sophomore Samantha Segraves said she would use the extra time from a dead week to study for finals.

Dice said that the University should enforce the policy that professors must give finals only during finals week.

Many students and faculty believe that an overarching dead week implemented by the University might be a bad idea.

Altdorfer said professors should be permitted to enact their own syllabi and doesn’t believe a dead week is necessary.

“Isn’t that what spring break is for?” Altdorfer asked.

Glick said if a teacher assigns a test the week before the final examination period, in lieu of a final exam, she doesn’t mind.

“I don’t mind having half of the work due this week, so I am not completely dead for finals week,” she said.

Whatever their opinion on a dead week, many Pitt students will be busy preparing for the final examination period this weekend.

Although senior Liam Sweeney said he considers his week to be somewhat dead, he has two exams and three papers, amounting to about 100 pages, due next week.

But Sweeney said the finals workload does not bother him.

“It separates the mice from the men,” Sweeney said.