While some community colleges are cutting costs by boosting tuition rates or reducing instructor positions, other campuses have found an alternative approach. In lieu of sacrificing community college resources, some schools are implementing summer programs that are only four days long.
Leaders of these programs assert that by closing the school one day early each week, the school will be able to save on common costs, such as electricity, water, air conditioning, security, and additional day-to-day expenses.
This new approach, however, is not taking effect without ruffling a few feathers. Opponents of this plan argue that both students and faculty will be overwhelmed with longer work hours that are crammed into a shorter time period. While leaders have not yet found the perfect solution, many community college students are awaiting the reports and results of these proposed schedule changes.
This video offers some suggestions for scheduling your class schedule.
The Four Day School Week
Community colleges have been inspired by how the corporate world has minimized their expenses in the face of a recession. To strengthen their bottom lines, many companies have offered their employees the option to work from home or work four days instead of the standard five. By allowing employees to complete their work in just four days, companies have discovered that their facility costs have dropped, while employees have also benefitted from saving money on fuel.