Everybody needs a break now and then, and for many university students, it comes in the form of a reading break each semester. Some use it to get a little traveling in after a stressful exam period, others to catch up on homework or simply to get a few extra shifts in at work. 

At Mount Royal University, reading break in the fall semester typically lines up with the Thanksgiving long weekend in October. In theory, this would give students ample time to unwind, collect themselves, spend some quality time with friends and family and maybe enjoy some good food while they’re at it. 

But what good is an early break if all you’ve done in the first few weeks is play twenty questions, cover the syllabus and go through the introductory slides? For many students, that’s not enough to get a feel for their courses, and some would even argue that an early reading break does more harm than good. 

James Manning, a student in Mount Royal’s broadcasting program, recognizes that while he was able to get a lot of work done during reading week, the early placement can be a double-edged sword, especially for students just coming back from summer vacation.

“It feels like by the time everything is set up, it’s reading week,” Manning says. “You finally have your feet on the ground, and then you have a week off and it kind of resets you again.”

He finds he does not need the mental health break so early in the term, but acknowledges he cannot speak for every student. Some people find it helpful, he says, especially those navigating their first semester of university.

“Maybe it being earlier is super helpful, just because it’s their first year and it’s very overwhelming,” Manning says. 

But Manning believes that a later break gives students more time on campus to acquaint themselves with their surroundings, rounding it out with a break closer to November. 

A hotly contested issue

The Students’ Association of Mount Royal University (SAMRU) hears lots of complaints about the early reading week.

The student government recently proposed introducing two reading breaks — one in October and another in November around the Remembrance Day holiday.

Tala Abu Hayyaneh, president of SAMRU’s Representation Executive Council, understands that the transition between the summer holidays and the fall semester can be jarring for many students, especially those with jobs alongside their studies.

“We’ve looked at research that looks into fall reading break happening early in October like it does,” Abu Hayyaneh says. “The research tells us that the early break is disruptive to students because, you know, you’ve spent all summer staying up all night, doing fun things, maybe working a lot of jobs.”

Abu Hayyaneh says this change in routine can prove disruptive to students still settling into the momentum of school life. In the first few weeks, students are going through orientation, class icebreakers and a few basic assignments. For some students, the early timing of reading week can disrupt this new routine, especially for new students who continue to juggle life outside of school throughout the academic year.

“It’s kind of the student life cycle here,” Abu Hayyaneh says. “You go into your first year of university, things are not clear. You’re kind of all over the place. Your second, you start to gather momentum. Your third, fourth year, you kind of become an expert at becoming a student.” 

“We’ve also heard from students who really, really like October, and that’s about a 40 per cent split,” she adds, leaving them in a dead heat with the students who don’t like the October break, which is about a 50 per cent split. 

Tala Abu Hayyaneh is the president of SAMRU’s Representation Executive Council. She says the research they’ve done shows having reading week early in October can be disruptive for students settling into student life. PHOTO: SUPPLIED BY TALA ABU HAYYANEH

There are also a percentage of students somewhere in the middle who just want a break, who don’t care where it happens, just so long as it happens.

“There is a substantial opinion on both sides,” Abu Hayyaneh says.

For students like Manning, it’s hard to argue with a week off, but to him, even pushing the break back by another week would benefit those students still finding their footing.

“I think it’s just a bit too early… but it’s tricky, because every student is so different,” he says.

Origins of the break

The idea of reading week dates back to 2013, when Mount Royal trialled ‘Reading Days’ until moving to a full week model in 2016. Their decision, says Hayyaneh, came from research conducted by the President’s Task Force on Student Mental Health at the time to determine students’ needs and how they used the time off.

“They came with the conclusion that an early October reading break gives students a chance to actually be able to remedy their mental health, take care of themselves and be able to really set themselves up for success,” Abu Hayyaneh says. 

Some students, like Kata MacDougall, haven’t had many complaints about reading week’s placement. MacDougall, who is majoring in elementary education, has found that it works out quite well for her.

“I have a very busy home life, and we’re constantly doing things,” MacDougall says. “Having that time earlier in the year where it doesn’t line up as much with my family’s schedule is nice because it’s a time where I can sort of set aside to do stuff.” 

The earlier break also gives MacDougall more legroom to socialize with her friends attending the University of Calgary, whose reading break falls in November.

Faculty remain undecided

Even some MRU faculty members argue reading week comes too soon. Brenda Lang, a professor in the Bissett School of Business and president of the Mount Royal Faculty Association, actually voted against replacing reading days — originally closer to Remembrance Day — with a full reading week closer to Thanksgiving.

“The student association was looking to expand it to a week, and we were told that the only way it could work to be an entire week was to have it fall at Thanksgiving,” Lang says. As Thanksgiving always falls on a Monday, the registrar’s office, according to Lang, could build an appropriate schedule.

“I was always really against that, because I thought it was too early in the semester … especially for new students who would just be getting into the groove,” she says. 

Brenda Lang is the president of the Mount Royal Faculty Association. She says she originally voted against the current reading week format. PHOTO: SEAN GILLANDERS

Due to this mixed response, attempts to move reading week to November have gained little traction in the past. Hayyaneh says the decision must come from the community as a whole. Recent feedback, however, has resulted in a renewed push to re-examine the timing of reading week.

“We started getting the complaints in fall 2023 to look into reading week again,” Abu Hayyaneh says. “That feedback was so substantial that we had to sit down and start considering different options, and we are still in that consideration phase.”

Abu Hayyaneh says while research is still in the early stages, either moving reading week to November or splitting two shorter breaks between October and November are on the table. 

“We still have a group of students who favour the October break. We also have a group of students that favour the November break,” Abu Hayyaneh says, adding that when presented with the idea of a compromise — to have two breaks at different points in the semester — a lot of them seemed keen on the idea. 

MacDougall is one student open to the possibility of a second break. 

“I’d say I’d be open to trying it. I just wouldn’t want them to switch, hesitate and then suddenly decide to switch back later,” she says, having observed that many of her peers, some even pursuing their studies while having children of their own, enjoy the earlier break for that reason.

“It depends on the personal lives of the students, I’ve noticed,” MacDougall says.

Such cases are where Abu Hayyaneh invites students to think about how they can make the most out of their breaks and their academic schedules, alongside the other options available that could satisfy both sides of the argument. 

While a decision remains a long way off, students and faculty alike have voiced their opinions, and Lang commends the work that students have done to bring light to this issue.

“I think it’s a brilliant idea, and I commend the students for doing the research and surveying their peers,” Lang says.

Despite the progress, Abu Hayyaneh wishes to remind students that they are encouraged to reach out to SAMRU to voice their concerns.

“There isn’t much I can share at the moment about what it could look like, but I would encourage students to reach out to us … and let us know what they think,”  she says. 

Abu Hayyaneh adds SAMRU remains committed to students’ needs and their success at Mount Royal.

“We want to make sure that no one gets left behind on what they want in our community, and we want to make sure that we are making a good decision for our community,” she says.

Students can email readingweek@samru.ca with any questions or concerns they may have, as well as any suggestions regarding reading week and its future.

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