By Katie Perkowski

The week before finals will be closer to a true Dead Week as soon as next Fall.

The UK University Senate passed Student Government’s Dead Week proposal on Wednesday.

SG President Tyler Montell, Outgoing Chair of SG Faculty Senate Advisory Board Joe Quinn, and SG member Kara Sutton presented the proposal to the University Senate. The proposal passed with 31 members in favor and 17 in opposition.The amendment states that no written exams or quizzes can be scheduled during Dead Week. It also states that no project, lab practical, paper or presentation deadlines or oral or listening exams can be scheduled during Dead Week unless it was already scheduled in the syllabus and the course does not have a final exam.

Makeup exams and class participation or attendance grades are still allowed during Dead Week. Regular homework assignments can continue during Dead Week and the proposal applies to graduate students.

Scott Yost, associate professor for civil engineering disagreed with the proposal loudly. The proposal, when implemented, could make the week before Dead Week painful for students, he said.

The reality is that students wait until the “gun is to their head” before they actually do their work, Yost said.

He cited having designated reading days as a better and alternative solution.

Sutton said she and other traditional and nontraditional students expressed that they suffer from the way that Dead Week is currently run.

“In three out of five of my classes, 50 percent of my grade is determined within a two week period,” Sutton said.

SG does not want professors to eliminate the assignments that normally take place during Dead Week, but rather to spread them out, Sutton said. This way, students can actually learn the material, instead of simply cramming.

Montell said what SG’s proposal is to make the class work more predictable, not easier.

“We’re saying as students we have a solution to make this university better,” he said.

Montell said SG chose the proposal over assigning designated reading days because reading days would conflict with K Week activities.

“This policy lets teaching still go on,” said Montell.

David Randall, professor in physiology said that the proposal will be sent to the Senate Rules Committee so it can be implemented as part of the university rules. He said he thought it would be practical for the fall semester.

“I think if everyone were to use the time to prepare for exams, (the Dead Week proposal) would be a real asset,” Randall said.