Here is an idea to increase student enrollments: Have UAF go back to a 14 week semester.

The Faculty Senate some years ago increased the semester to 15 weeks in order to "increase learning." But having a shorter semester allows students longer breaks to learn in non-academic ways such as adventuring in Mexico.

You might laugh, but does learning an extra chapter of "Inference about Population Variances" really matter? Or couldn't students just pick that up later if they run regressions for work? I have yet to see a study proving that an extra week's worth of class increases a student's post-graduation wages.

On the other hand, a longer break allows more work opportunities, which would increase students' net present value. Students who need to take professional exams can use the break to study more immediately prior to such an exam.

Mostly, though, a semester that is shorter, more intense and has longer breaks would make UAF more attractive to new potential UAF students, giving them more alternative opportunities to travel, work or study than at a lot of other schools.

Now, if 15 weeks weren't long enough, the University of Alaska Statewide System wants us to extend to 16 weeks in order to match UAA's start date. With our full 60-minute periods this puts UAF over the third or fourth standard deviation above the mean for contact hours.

What student would die to come to UAF for minus 40 degree weather with more work and class time than any other college or university in the country?

Maybe Statewide is under pressure from the Legislature or public to harmonize UAA and UAF start dates.

But that is why Statewide gets paid the big bucks, to take that pressure. In the meantime UAF lowers its attractiveness, and loses students to the Lower 48.

Some will argue that I am wrong, but I know there is no statistical proof that these extra weeks are actually helping students gain higher pay, more Nobel prizes or more networking contacts.

On the other hand, with the proper marketing of the 14-week schedule, we could attract more students, and even faculty. While the 15 or 16 week schedule does help keep graduate students (even faculty) here longer to conduct grant research, graduate students could be required to come earlier or stay later (faculty already have incentives).

Some might argue that a snow day will cause accreditation problems (but no one has heard of a snow day happening in over 25 years, only weather advisories). Actually though 14 weeks with one hour periods still gives an extra day for most classes, and you can add a Saturday make up day if need be. After all UAA has a shorter semester with shorter periods and more snow, but they remain accredited.

Why not have a vote of faculty and students on the issue. Have Statewide backup that vote of the people by putting through legal, administrative or legislative changes that are necessary to make it happen and justify it by saying this attracts more students.

Doug Reynolds is an associate professor of oil and energy economics at UAF. He can be contacted at ffdbr@uaf.edu.