For college students, it feels like there is just not enough time in the day. Between classes, working, socializing and doing homework, sometimes you just don’t have the time or energy to make it to that one club meeting you’ve been saying you’d go to.
E-Board members across Binghamton University clubs would agree that it is nearly impossible to find a time that works for everyone, given that late classes and other clubs’ meetings often overlap. The issue of club meetings running late and overlapping with other clubs and classes makes it hard for many clubs to retain members and by the end of the semester, every general body meeting feels like an E-Board meeting.
As a solution, the University must introduce a club block, a time designated for clubs to meet during which classes are not held.
If the majority of clubs ran meetings during the day when people are already out and about on campus, it would be much more appealing to attend these meetings — especially for those who live off campus and don’t want to come back to campus at night or stay on campus all day until it’s time for a club meeting. Not all clubs would have to run during this time, but clubs wanting to meet later in the day would have less competition from clubs that choose to meet during the club block.
While club blocks are not super common at universities, some schools have implemented it, such as Marist University, the College of Staten Island and NYU Stern. At Marist, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesdays, there is a designated “activity hour” where classes are not held. This allows students “to participate in the various club meetings and Student Center programs,” according to Marist’s website.
“Without the stress of scheduling conflicts, students here are a lot more likely to join different organizations and consistently make weekly meetings,” Christian Kay, a junior majoring in accounting at Marist, told me. “Personally, having that separate time makes it a lot easier to balance my classes with extracurriculars, which has been super beneficial for both my professional development and my overall college experience.”
Similarly, CSI holds club hours every Tuesday and Thursday from 2:30 p.m. to 4:25 p.m. and NYU Stern holds a common hour for clubs once a week from 12:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. While BU has a larger student body than these schools, I still think this change is possible and would benefit participation in campus activities.
Implementing a club block would mean a change to the typical class schedules the University is used to, but this effort would benefit students. Looking specifically at the meeting times for classes on the University’s main campus and the Innovative Technologies Complex, I think a club block addition could look like adding an hour-and-a-half to two-hour break between classes one day a week.
For example, an hour-and-a-half block could be added from 1:15 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. on Wednesdays. This would definitely take some rearranging — 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. classes that run on Mondays and Wednesdays or Wednesdays and Fridays would have to become all Mondays and Fridays or meet at different times on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Classes that typically take place from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays could also run earlier or later, or be an hour and a half on Mondays and Fridays or on Thursdays.
There are also two to four-hour classes that would have to be rescheduled, but that wouldn’t be impossible. If cutting out an hour and a half on one day is too big a change, another option may be to have two one-hour blocks or even just a one-hour block.
Although I think campus involvement would increase with a club block, I know time conflicts between clubs cannot be entirely resolved, given the large number of clubs at the University. Still, conflicts with class would be eliminated during this window.
Additionally, this time could also be used for the University’s different career, internship, study abroad and club fairs. I’d imagine many students have wanted to check out these fairs but couldn’t make it due to schedule conflicts and missed out on the amazing opportunities that come from stopping by and talking to the people tabling. Some of the best experiences and even job opportunities can result from attending these fairs and the people students connect with there. Student success could be positively impacted if these fairs were held at times when more students are available to attend.
The gap I am proposing is a bit small, meaning that clubs meeting during this window may have similar start times and it would only be realistic to attend one hour-long meeting or two shorter meetings during this time. Though it would be ideal for all clubs to have the option to meet during this block, it is a bit complicated because many clubs would likely choose to meet at this time. To reduce this conflict, one option would be for clubs with similar focuses and overlapping membership to coordinate so that only one club meets during this window, or that one meets earlier and the other later in the block.
Going to two clubs during this block may sound ambitious, but because there wouldn’t be classes in session, more rooms on campus would be available and clubs could be centralized in a few nearby buildings. Clubs could even rotate who meets during this block, perhaps by switching every other week and meeting at other times during their off weeks. Even if a member is not available for one of the two club times, they can at least come to half of the meetings.
Alternatively, this time could be reserved for professional organizations to meet, though they could still meet outside of this time if they’d rather. While this may seem inconvenient for nonprofessional organizations, it would ultimately benefit them because most people prioritize professional clubs and will choose them when there is a time conflict, so this would create less competition for these organizations. Students interested in multiple professional clubs may have to choose between them, but they could alternate between them or take it as an opportunity to become fully dedicated to one or two clubs.
Regardless, I think all clubs would see an increase in membership with a club block and more students would get involved on campus than there currently are.
I strongly believe that adding a class-free window for clubs to meet would benefit students and foster a more active, involved and unified student body.
Riley Lavrovsky is a junior majoring in psychology. [
Views expressed in the opinions pages represent the opinions of the columnists. The only piece that represents the view of the Pipe Dream Editorial Board is the staff editorial.