Faculty Council Debates Calendar

The Faculty Council last week decided not to extend Harvard's 1975-1976 Christmas vacation more than one week and began discussion of possible changes in the entire calendar which would reduce Faculty expenses.

John B. Fox '59, secretary of the Faculty Council, said last week that the Faculty voted against a four week Christmas vacation because it would cut into the teaching days next fall.

Exams as Usual

Because of an extra long spring term next year the Council has decided to extend the vacation to three weeks. Reading period and exams will be held after vacation as usual.

Fox said extreme increases in fuel prices in addition to the new surcharge on foreign all, which went into effect last Saturday, posed the question of how much more money the University could spend on heating without affecting educational costs.

Brose Collier, assistant dean of the College, said yesterday that the "motivation for a longer vacation is to save money." He estimated the University will save close to $100,000 on fuel costs by eliminating one week from next year's calendar.

The Council also discussed the possibility of holding reading and exam periods before Christman vacation.

Fox said the Council "has beginning to reassess the fundamental basis of our calendar," and was beginning to think about the best way to cut costs. By starting the fall term in warm weather, around labor Day, the University would not need to use as much beating during the term and would keep its expenses down, Fog said.

Collier said the Faculty did not know if of how it would change the calender but he did say it discussed the possibility of a four-one tour type of schedule.

"If there are changes in the calender, we will not have enough time to put them into effect next year.