Beginning Fall 2019, UTRGV students will have more time between classes due to a change in the university’s scheduled meeting times.
Luzelma Canales, senior associate vice president for Student Success, said the new schedule will increase the break between classes from 10 to 15 minutes.
There will also be a 15-minute break between labs.
The university will have a designated meeting time for student organizations from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
“The faculty and the students had talked about needing more time between classes,” Canales said. “For the students, it was just to get from one end of campus to another. Also, for faculty, as they were transitioning … the new faculty coming in to the classroom were being rushed to kind of set up and stuff.”
As reported by The Rider on Jan. 25, Canales informed the Student Government Association that new class meeting times would be implemented.
Canales said one of her first assignments as the university’s senior associate vice president of Student Success was to develop a communication plan that includes input from students.
“When I started, I was provided with the charge to set up a communication plan and so, I worked with the SGA officers,” she said. “So, when we look at the plan that was developed to communicate this to students, I am very pleased that the SGA had a huge role in helping us in developing that.”
Alejandro Saldivar, an accounting senior and SGA president, said the association suggested that the new schedule be coordinated with the services the university provides.
“I think that, at first, it might inconvenience students a little bit, but I think as we start to get used to, kinda, the changes around us, it’ll be a lot less burdensome,” Saldivar said. “I think it’s just going to take time to get used to the changes.”
Students, such as psychology junior Joel Rojas, said the change in times will facilitate travel time from one class to another.
“Those five minutes kind of give you, like, a little more time, so, you’re walking there, you’re not sprinting,” Rojas said. “There’s new buildings coming and it’s further away, so I think it’s a great idea because the campus is getting bigger.”
For the new class meeting times, visit utrgv.edu/studentlife/_files/documents/pdf/standardclasstime-fall2019.pdf.
