Close Menu
Honi Soit
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
    Trending
    • Students and Academics testify on USyd campus for the People’s Inquiry into Campus Free Speech on Palestine
    • “No public accountability”: NTEU report slams culture of university governing bodies
    • Surge Session: Electricity in Tyne-James Organ’s ‘The Other Side’
    • Strawmanning in the chat at the July SRC Council
    • Folk Reimagined, East In Symphony at the Sydney Opera House
    • Graeme Turner’s ‘Broken’ assesses our ailing university sector
    • MAPW addresses USyd’s retreat from “obligation to promote peace” in open letter
    • 2025–26 State Budget Unpacked
    • About
    • Print Edition
    • Student Journalism Conference 2025
    • Writing Comp
    • Advertise
    • Locations
    • Contact
    Facebook Instagram X (Twitter) TikTok
    Honi SoitHoni Soit
    Friday, July 18
    • News
    • Analysis
    • Culture
    • Opinion
    • University
    • Features
    • Perspective
    • Investigation
    • Reviews
    • Comedy
    • Student Journalism Conference 2025
    Honi Soit
    Home»News

    Third time lucky? University tries for twelve week semesters again

    By Max ShanahanMarch 6, 2021 News 2 Mins Read
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    University of Sydney management will again propose to the Academic Board that semesters be shortened to twelve weeks of teaching, down from the current thirteen. 

    Similar proposals were defeated at Academic Board in 2017 and in 2020. Last year’s proposal related only to Semester One of 2021, and the University indicated at the time that they would push for a permanent shift at the beginning of this year. 

    A University spokesperson told Honi that the shortened semester “is in line with many other universities, and we believe it creates more opportunities for intensive teaching between semesters including internships, placements…and learning experiences that involve travel and cross-university collaboration.” 

    Despite the proposed reduction in teaching hours, the University maintains that “course content and learning outcomes will not be compromised, as the changes largely involve removing the light introductory and course guidance week in the semester.” 

    Somewhat ominously, the spokesperson said “we plan to make better use of online resources.”

    Students’ Representative Council President Swapnik Sanagavarapu told Honi that the SRC is “strongly opposed” to the proposal, and that the move “would seriously compromise on the quality of learning.”

    Sanagavarapu said that the extra week was critical to preventing students from falling irreparably behind in their studies, and that “the most affected students will be those with unavoidable commitments such as work or carer’s commitments, structurally disadvantaged students, and those with disabilities.”

    National Union of Students President Zoe Ranganathan told Honi that the University’s attempt to cut semester lengths “shows transparently that the University only thinks of students in dollar amounts…A 12 week semester is a step down the path to trimesterisaton and the further commercialisation of our universities.”

    A number of Australian universities have shortened semesters in recent years. UNSW moved down to 12 weeks before instituting trimesters. Other universities with 12 week semesters include Monash, Melbourne, ANU and Adelaide. 

    Sanagavarapu told Honi that “unis such as ANU have seen increasing fail rates since the adoption of 12 week semesters.”

    The NTEU, which has previously opposed 12 week semesters, was contacted for comment but failed to reply before publication. 

    12 week semester academic board

    Keep Reading

    Students and Academics testify on USyd campus for the People’s Inquiry into Campus Free Speech on Palestine

    “No public accountability”: NTEU report slams culture of university governing bodies

    Strawmanning in the chat at the July SRC Council

    MAPW addresses USyd’s retreat from “obligation to promote peace” in open letter

    Antisemitism review puts universities, festivals, and cultural centres under threat

    Macquarie University axes Sociology, cuts more jobs & courses

    Just In

    Students and Academics testify on USyd campus for the People’s Inquiry into Campus Free Speech on Palestine

    July 17, 2025

    “No public accountability”: NTEU report slams culture of university governing bodies

    July 17, 2025

    Surge Session: Electricity in Tyne-James Organ’s ‘The Other Side’

    July 17, 2025

    Strawmanning in the chat at the July SRC Council

    July 14, 2025
    Editor's Picks

    Part One: The Tale of the Corporate University

    May 28, 2025

    “Thank you Conspiracy!” says Capitalism, as it survives another day

    May 21, 2025

    A meditation on God and the impossible pursuit of answers

    May 14, 2025

    We Will Be Remembered As More Than Administrative Errors

    May 7, 2025
    Facebook Instagram X (Twitter) TikTok

    From the mines

    • News
    • Analysis
    • Higher Education
    • Culture
    • Features
    • Investigation
    • Comedy
    • Editorials
    • Letters
    • Misc

     

    • Opinion
    • Perspective
    • Profiles
    • Reviews
    • Science
    • Social
    • Sport
    • SRC Reports
    • Tech

    Admin

    • About
    • Editors
    • Send an Anonymous Tip
    • Write/Produce/Create For Us
    • Print Edition
    • Locations
    • Archive
    • Advertise in Honi Soit
    • Contact Us

    We acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. The University of Sydney – where we write, publish and distribute Honi Soit – is on the sovereign land of these people. As students and journalists, we recognise our complicity in the ongoing colonisation of Indigenous land. In recognition of our privilege, we vow to not only include, but to prioritise and centre the experiences of Indigenous people, and to be reflective when we fail to be a counterpoint to the racism that plagues the mainstream media.

    © 2025 Honi Soit
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms
    • Accessibility

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.