Some of the 8 a.m. classes were canceled this semester due to lack of student enrollment, according to University Registrar Mary Ellen Farrell.
Farrell said "a number of" Monday, Wednesday and Friday 8 a.m. to 8:50 a.m. courses were canceled; however, the exact number was unknown to her.
"Unfortunately, I cannot provide an exact number of courses in this category, since we need to remove the faculty assignment and meeting days and times when we code a course as canceled," Farrell said.
She said the meeting time information is not associated with the canceled courses anymore.
She did say that for the spring semester, there are 11 classes running on MWF from 8 a.m. to 8:50 a.m. and there are six running from 8:30 a.m. to 9:45 a.m.
She added that on Friday mornings there are some classes that begin at 8 a.m. and have an extended meeting time on Friday only. There are 18 Friday classes that begin at 8 a.m. and end at 10:50 a.m.
The new schedule also raised the question, will final exams have to be altered to accommodate the new changes? Farrell said no and that the new schedule fits into the original exam slot.
Junior Samantha Hill is one of the students who has a Friday class running from 8 a.m. to 10:50 a.m.
"I feel indifferent towards it," Hill said.
Hill said she doesn't mind getting up early for class because she realizes the need for the University to do this.
She added that after all, she "picked the class."
Junior Krystal Turner said she did not mind the early classes, but she just does not like the fact that things like the SHUfly do not accommodate the new schedule, to which Hill agreed.
"They need to adjust things like the SHUfly to accompany classes," Turner said.
Hill said she agreed that adjusting such things is the University's "main issue."
Freshman Brittany Rockenfeller said she wouldn't mind the early classes if she were not a commuter.
"It's fine unless you're a commuter," Rockenfeller said. "I have to leave my house at 6 a.m."
Freshman Sheikh Rasel said he does not enjoy his 8 a.m. class.
"It's really bad for me," Rasel said. "I hardly can sleep."
Senior Kara Caroccio had a different take on early classes.
Caroccio said her 8 a.m. classes are preparing her for the real world, where she will have to wake up early for work every morning.
"It's harder for students who take afternoon classes and sleep during the day to transition into the real world," Caroccio said.
Lindsay Rittenhouse can be reached at lindsay.rittenhouse@student.shu.edu
