UB's new winter session to begin in January

For some students, winter break is a time for family vacations, sleeping in, ski trips and ... class?

UB is offering a new winter session for students this academic year. The three-week session, which starts Jan. 6 and ends Jan. 24, will give students the chance to take up to five credits over the holiday break or take a class in a different country as part of the study abroad program.

A. Scott Weber, the senior vice provost of academic affairs, sees the new program as highly beneficial for both students and professors.

"Many of our faculty have engaged energetically around the concept of a three week intensive study opportunity," Weber said in an email. "The result, on campus, is extended sessions in rapid succession. This structure gives them, and the students who enroll, a different way to experience teaching and learning."

University Registrar Kara Saunders said UB has talked to other SUNY schools like Stony Brook, Albany and Binghamton about the winter session programs they have. UB used these conversations to shape the current winter class offerings.

Saunders thinks the plethora of classes available will give students an opportunity to catch up if they are behind in their major requirements. She said it could also help student stay on track to finish their education in four years.

Michael Tonn, a senior economics and international trade major, saw this opportunity to finish his degree early. He only needs one more economics course to graduate and is taking Application of Economic Analysis (ECO 403) during the winter session to avoid taking classes in the spring.

"[The winter session] gives students an opportunity to get ahead or possibly catch up," Tonn said. "The winter [break] is so long now, I really wouldn't have anything else to do, so it worked out."

He said the accelerated style of a three-week course could be beneficial to him because he has done well in the courses he has taken over summer breaks.

A course costs $245 per credit hour for New York State residents and $742 for out-of-state residents. There is an additional $67.39 charge per credit hour for a "Comprehensive Fee" and $9.38 for an "Academic Excellence Fee." Every student enrolled must also pay a one-time $7.89 "Student Activity Fee."

Of the 123 courses available to students, six are currently full. As of last Friday, 1,040 students total have enrolled, with about 550 of them taking an online course, which makes up about a quarter of all classes offered.

The other 92 'in-person' courses have roughly 500 students enrolled - that averages to fewer than six people per class. Twenty classes are empty.

Saunders said UB is still trying to figure out what is going to happen to the classes that are under-enrolled or have no enrollment. In the meantime, she said UB is trying to increase the number of students taking advantage of the winter opportunity.

She hopes the university will not have to close or cancel some of the courses. If that is the case, however, Saunders said UB will give students enough notice to figure out alternate plans.

Saunders encourages students to take advantage of the session. UB plans to send out emails and postcards to undergraduate students to boost attendance.

Weber thinks having a winter session study abroad program will give students "global competence so important to development of a well-informed world view and makes those students more valuable candidates for employment or advanced study."

Fiona Wong, a senior business major, agrees. She said the new program gave her an opportunity she would have never been able to take advantage of before.

"I wanted to do it because it would add more diversity to myr?(c)sum?(c)," Wong said. "One of the things that always held me back was the cost of study abroad. But because it is a shorter session, it is cheap. I can get the same experience at the fraction of the cost."

UB has eight study abroad programs for the winter session and 70 students are currently enrolled in them.

Wong, whose family is from Hong Kong, is studying in that city during the three-week break. She said the program gives her the chance to connect with her roots.

Weber said UB will be surveying the students who participate in the various winter session programs. He said it is a way to better future winter sessions.

"I hope we are laying a good foundation this year so we can just keep building on it - celebrating what buffalo has to offer in the winter, instead of just complaining about the snow," Saunders said.

email: news@ubspectrum.com