Pity the Disadvantaged Canadian Students

Classes for the academic year ended Friday at my university. Students and faculty, alike, rejoiced. [update: we still have three-week examination period].

The short academic year is a major selling point when we try to recruit new faculty members at The University of Western Ontario. Students like it, too, since it gives them an early start on finding summer or post-graduation jobs.

The short academic year short-changes Canadian students in two ways, however.

1. We have two 13-week terms instead of the 15-week semesters at most major U.S. institutions. Students are in class less and, not surprisingly, cover less material in each term-length course.
2. Spring on campus is almost non-existent. We may get a few days resembling spring in late March and early April, but for the most part students must experience spring away from campus. And springtime on a university campus is incomparable. Pity the poor students who do not get to experience it.