A year of two parts

IT HAS NOT been a good six months for those in favour of semesterising the State's universities. While UL and UCG have modularised semesters in operation, discussions in both UCD and TCD appear to have ground to a halt following opposition from staff and students, leaving only DCU to carry the torch for semesterisation.

Semesterisation, for those in the dark about such matters, is the division of the academic year into two equal units instead of the traditional three term structure still favoured by the majority of universities and referred to in TCD some might say quaintly as Michaelmas, Hilary and Trinity terms.

In what sometimes becomes a chicken and egg discussion, semesterisation is accompanied by modularisation the reduction of a subject into component units which are examined at the end of the semester. The Higher Education Authority is quite keen on modularisation, even going so far as to set its views down in a 1994 discussion paper. The HEA's view, in simple terms, is that a modularised/ semesterised system will enable greater flexibility and more efficient use of resources.

Most RTCs are semesterised, as are sections of the DIT. It is also the structure of choice in most US, British and European universities, so it would appear that the impetus to adopt such structures in this country is almost irresistible. Unfortunately, that "almost" has been the rock upon which semesterisation has perished in a number of universities (see panel).

Just as one might ask why this system has proved so unpopular in some universities, one might equally ask why it seems to have been accepted in DCU. What did DCU do right that the other universities did wrong? The answer is not simple, but can be summarised as follows it consulted, and consulted, and consulted and when it had finished consulting, it started planning.

As a result, from September 1996, DCU will operate a calendar of 12 weeks' teaching, followed by two weeks of study after Christmas and one week of exams. This will be followed by a two week break before the pattern begins again. Students will take six modules per semester some optional, some compulsory, with five credits per module. There will be an average mark taken a straight arithmetical average calculated by adding up marks and dividing by 12.

Students will also be given an ECTS grade (European Credit Transfer System), essentially an indicator for other institutions of where in the class the student's grade placed him or her.

THE NEW SYSTEM will apply to all first years entering the college, though some faculties, such as science, are set to semesterise completely. The question remains, though why did DCU feel it was necessary to change its system?

"It's a multi faceted reason," says DCU's registrar Professor John Carroll. "There are advantages with respect to modularisation and there are advantages with respect to semesterisation.

Transferability is one of the main reasons, as the ability to move between institutions and courses within Europe and further afield becomes an integral part of a third level education. "More and more students are moving out and more and more students are moving in," says Carroll. "If you have natural break points, it helps."

There is also the question of flexibility "If we want to respond to needs of industry, say at master's level, it will be much simpler for us to combine existing modules with new modules to create a new title very easily." Students can also leave a course of study for part of the year, perhaps to work, and "bank" the credits they have earned.

DCU also learned from the mistakes of its predecessors. UL struggled for years to find a repeat system for its students and last year only reluctantly agreed to accommodate the system the students themselves preferred. In contrast, the repeat system selected by DCU is almost tear jerkingly generous.

"There is automatic progression from semester one to semester two, so if you go down in one subject, rather than carry it over the whole summer, you may be able to do it at the end of semester two and you've dispensed with your academic responsibility for one year," Carroll says. Students who fail a module are allowed to repeat it up to three times, the only stipulation being that they complete their programme of study within eight years.

DCU has also attempted to solve the age old complaint of semesterised students that the threat of exams after Christmas sours the other wise wine like flavour of Christmas. "That's how you kill semesterisation, and how can students respond to that?" Carroll asks. "Their Christmas is destroyed and the more conscientious of them will literally study Christmas Day. If that's the way you plan out your academic calendar it's absolutely unfair."

Instead, it is hoped that the two week post Christmas break will allow students the time to enjoy a festive atmosphere. The students' union, which has remained in constant consultation with the registrar's office and those responsible for the change to the new system, tentatively agrees.

"People are going to study over Christmas, but you'd be surprised at the number of people who study over Christmas anyway," says DCU students' union education officer Nigel O'Flaherty. "That's probably the biggest problem see with the new system you have to study and can't work over Christmas, but overall there's ample time to study if you've, been doing the work over the year.

O'Flaherty's view is that semesterisation should be a "much better system", but he expresses reservations about the effect on clubs and societies. In general, semesterisation has had a disastrous effect on social life in colleges, creating two exam periods and introducing study periods and times off that conflict with intervarsity training and events.

"I am concerned about it," Carroll says. "What we have put together is educationally sound and the HEA is pushing us to agree common starting and finishing dates. I think the will is there among the universities to do that, but until we do there is going to be a shadow hanging over these clubs and socs."

In order to ensure that faculties do not simply "double up" on exams, another common criticism of semester exams, faculties will be required to maintain at close to present levels the number of hours spent on exams as well as to revamp their courses to suit the modularised system. "It's difficult but it has to be done," Carroll says.

"The only good thing is that they are beginning to realise that it is an important quality assurance exercise for degrees that are in existence for more than three to four years."

In the end, despite the regular newsletters on the subject, the meetings, the discussions, the consultations with experts from abroad and the considerable investment in information technology, the proof of the wisdom of DCU's decision will lie in the success of its new system over the coming years. While a structure of constant review will be in place, there are no illusions about the possible difficulties ahead.

As Carroll puts it "Only a fool would assume a paper exercise would get it right first time." But at least DCU has got far enough to put that paper exercise into practice. Their progress is likely to be the source of considerable interest in the coming years.