It’s been three years since the university first instituted a fall term break as a pilot program, and now the Queen’s Senate Committee on Academic Development and Academic Procedures (SCADP) has created a task force to make a comprehensive recommendation regarding its future. To consult the Queen’s community as it develops its recommendation, the Fall Term Break Task Force has launched a survey to gather feedback from Queen’s students, faculty, staff, and community members.

“Since Queen’s began offering a fall term break as a pilot, it has taken several different forms in terms of length and when it occurs,” says William Nelson, Associate Dean (Teaching and Learning), Faculty of Arts and Science and Co-Chair of the Fall Term Break Task Force. “By undertaking this broad consultation, we hope to learn about the diverse perspectives of the Queen’s community and use that to inform how best to schedule the fall term break, if desired, so that we are supporting our community with time for rest and regeneration as effectively as we can.”

The survey opened Oct. 1 and is available until Oct. 22.  It asks participants about their preferences for when fall term break should occur and how to divide the six weekdays without classes each fall that are currently split between orientation, fall term break, and pre-exam study days. Participants in the survey can also indicate if they would prefer not to have a fall term break.

The Fall Term Break Task Force includes representation from across Queen’s, including faculty, staff, and students.

“I encourage fellow students and other members of the Queen’s community to complete the survey and share their thoughts on fall term break. Broad participation in the survey will help the task force properly understand the value of the break to the community and make its recommendation accordingly,” says Ryan Sieg, Vice President (University Affairs), Queen’s Alma Mater Society and member of the Fall Term Break Task Force.

After the consultation period closes, the Fall Term Break Task Force will report back to the Queen’s Senate with a comprehensive recommendation for the break that can be used in the 2022-23 academic year and beyond.

Learn more about the Fall Term Break Task Force on the Queen’s Secretariat website and take the survey anonymously through Qualtrics.