The idea that college semesters should be shortened to 16 weeks is silly and ridiculous. Doing so would create an even more hostile learning environment for students than is already present because it would condense the same amount of material that needs to be taught into a shorter time frame.

Think about the impact to students. Talk to professors about if shortening the school semester would help or hurt how they teach their classes.

Ask students that have taken 9-week courses what their opinion is on shortening the semester to 16 weeks.

Sure, if you are taking a “fun” course, it may not impact you all that much but if you take a course that has serious implications on your educational goals, you will see the difference.

Imagine needing a math class to graduate and needing to learn the same amount of material in a 16-week semester that you would be taught in an 18-week semester.

The workload would not shorten just because the semester does. You would still be required to learn the same amount of material in less time.

And what about the students that struggle in a particular subject? Those students would still have to keep up with the rest of the class.

That would be the equivalent of telling you to join a class two weeks into the semester and expect you to be on track with the rest of the class.

Not to mention the impact that shortening the school semester would have on the Cerritos College employees.

Employees that sign a contract that is based on the time that they work on campus would be greatly affected because that would mean two weeks less of pay for them as well as their families.

The negatives far outweigh any positives that anyone could ever argue as to why cutting the semester to 16-weeks instead of 18 weeks would be a good idea. It is a horrible thought and any conversation about it needs to be stopped immediately.