University Park students are set to begin classes today, with one noticeable change from last year -- the university will follow a Tuesday schedule.

Although the first day of classes had followed a Friday schedule in recent years, the university changed the schedule to reduce confusion for the more than 40,000 students beginning their academic year today.

To keep a balanced number of class days throughout the year, Nov. 22, the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, will follow a Friday schedule.

Student confusion was the main reason for the return to a Tuesday schedule today, Penn State spokesman Tysen Kendig said.

"There was more confusion over past years by having the first day of the fall schedule falling on a different day than it actually was," Kendig said.

Students often went to the wrong classes because they weren't aware of the Friday schedule, he added.

"It caused distractions in the classroom," Kendig said.

Tyler Rutt (sophomore-musical theatre) said the latest change could benefit first-year students.

"It's more logical for incoming freshmen because it will be less confusing," he said.

Rutt said a different schedule around Thanksgiving would not cause as many problems because students have several months of advance warning.

Kendig said the change was a recommendation of the University Faculty Senate, which will evaluate the new schedule to see if the policy should continue in the coming academic years.

Because most students were not
at University Park during the summer, it has been difficult to communicate
the new schedule to students, Kendig said.

"Now we have nearly three months to inform them of the Nov. 22 change," he said.

But Kristin Dressner (senior-anthropology) said it would be better to have the change early in the semester rather than later.

"The change in the schedule should be in the beginning of the year and get it out of the way so students so can get in their routine for the rest of the year," she said.

Laura Doerr (senior-anthropology) said she does not mind the schedule change but said it may have been more convenient in the beginning of the year.

"If they change it, they should just do it in the beginning," she said.

Alex Ollinger (sophomore-hotel and restaurant management) said he liked it better when the schedule was changed on the first day of classes.

"I think it's better that way because by Thanksgiving, everyone is pretty much set in their ways," he said.