Michaelmas, Candlemas, Whitsun?

[BasilSeal]

Were the old names for terms--stull current when I was in teh Old Red Gown--Michaelmas, candlemas,a nd Whitsun? Or am I misremembering?

[Gealle]

Michaelmas, Candlemas, and Martinmas, surely?

[hr]

Funky flunky munky...

[David Bean]

I'm pretty sure it was Martinmas, Candlemas and Whitsun, in that order; although many universities had a term named for Michaelmas, St Andrews didn't.

We do, of course, retain the Martinmas and Candlemas terms now that the semesters have come in.

Edit: for clarification, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_Term_Day - the other traditional quarter day was Lammas which, of course, is celebrated in the summer with the Lammas Fair.

[hr]

Psalm 91:7

[rob 'f*ck off' wine boy]

No thanks!

[BasilSeal]

Thanks, David! You're quite right. Ah, the joyous days of picking up the term planner from BESS for the wall of my room, and inscribing the name of the new term, before heading off to the Central, and the demise of all my good intentions!

[exnihilo]

I liked the old names, Martinmas, Candlemas, and Whitsun, they had a bit of character. Of course, that's on its way out, "Semester 1" and "Semester 2" are just soooooo much better. Hasn't "matriculation" also been attacked in favour of "registration"? Apparently words like those put off people from "non-traditional" backgrounds.

[David Bean]

Perhaps a friendly member of the SSC should put a motion demanding that all Association published materials refer to 'Martinmas Term' and 'Candlemas Term' instead of Semesters 1 and 2, and someone on the SRC put one requesting the University to do the same...

[hr]

Psalm 91:7

[Al]

The old names were better.

Hebdomadar is another name that seems to have been abandoned.

[KateBush]

Why Whitsun term and not Trinity? Strange...

[hr]

Intelligence can leap the hurdles which nature has set before us- Livy

[eagle]

What could you have said, Katebush, that 40 seconds later had to be deleted?

[sat]

I seem to remember getting Music Centre concert leaflets through the post referring to the Whitsun Term. My current one refers to Martinmas Term: October-December 2007.

On the point of "semesterisation", I understand that it might have been suggested that the first semester---call it what you like---ought to start earlier so that exams would be finished by Christmas, but this was rejected.

[exnihilo]

Was there a point on semesterisation?

[sat]

Quoting exnihilo from 15:18, 21st Oct 2007
Was there a point on semesterisation?

Well, perhaps not, though it doesn't seem to be entirely unrelated.

No doubt there might be some argument as to whether there was a point to semesterisation.

[exnihilo]

The dates of the semesters have been a thorny point since they were introduced (1994, I think), they've never quite fitted around traditional holidays. They were, however, originally referred to as the Martinmas and Candlemas semesters, which seems to have fallen by the wayside.

[Lecturer]

The 'old' term names were introduced at the Scottish Universities in, I think, 1911. They refer to the traditional Scottish 'quarter days'. Quarter days are different in England, and the historic terms at Oxbridge, the Inns of Court, some schools etc. were originally (4) quarters.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quarter_days

At St Andrews, there was some attempt to have it both ways in the mid-90s. Term and semester dates were listed in the calendar, but terms have since fallen by the wayside. The semesters are still officially called 'Martinmas' and 'Candlemas', though.

Incidentally, a semester is the period of six months (two half-sessions in a 12-month year, not all of which need be teaching time). Our 'semesters' should be called 'half sessions', not semesters.

In my view, the problem with the current system is that it leaves far too little time to prepare for the second 'semester' (for both students and staff). Exams should be held in May; or, at the very least, Sem 1 exams held before Christmas. But the academic year would have to start so early then that the University would miss out on holiday, conference and golfing revenue from Halls. That's why it didn't happen in 1994.

[Al]

I still haven't been able to work out what was wrong with the three term academic year.

[munchingfoo]

Change Al. People hate it - beaurocrats love it. Gives them a whole new set of forms to write.

[hr]

Tired Freudian references aside - your mother played my mighty skin flute like a surf crowned sea nymph trying to rouse Poseidon from his watery slumber!

[David Bean]

True, but I don't see how three terms could possibly work with the modular system we have these days - one third of an academic year wouldn't be long enough to teach a meaningful module and have exams.

Here would be my proposal - try not to laugh too hard, I actually think it's not a bad idea...

1. Abolish the use of the word 'semester' - as has been pointed out, it's not the right word to use, and in any case it fails to account for the period during the summer when postgraduates may be working as hard as ever. Substitute 'term' instead.

2. Call the period from September to Christmas the 'Martinmas term', the period after Christmas the 'Candlemas & Whitsun term' (with the period before Easter being known as Candlemas, and the period after it Whitsun), and the period of the summer break the 'Lammas term'.

This way, the traditional names are honoured, no changes to structure are required, postgraduates and people who stick around town have a name to refer to the summer that actually makes sense (since it's hardly a holiday for many of these people) and we almost manage to have two terms and three at the same time. Sorted!

[hr]

Psalm 91:7

[Al]

I'm not sure the modular system was a great leap forward either.

[Lecturer]

Quoting Al from 22:38, 21st Oct 2007
I still haven't been able to work out what was wrong with the three term academic year.

Nothing at all, except for the fact that Americans can't come over & pay for a 'semester'; which is why it was changed.

Here's a slightly different proposal, favoured by many staff in the University:

Three terms, two long teaching terms (12 weeks, including a reading week), one short examination term (6 weeks). Call them Martinmas, Candlemas and Whitsun if you like. No need to change any of the 'modules', continuous assessment etc. Just defer exams of first term courses until April/May. This has the added (educational) advantage of enabling people to see the 'big picture' when they revise for their exams. 'Deep learning' (the current buzz word) happens only if you repeatedly return to a topic, not if you get things over and done with in three months to be able to tick a box & sell your books afterwards.