[media-credit name=”ALYSSA HANDELMANN” align=”alignnone” width=”300″][/media-credit]

A reading day has been added back to the final exam schedule after protests from students erupted in response to the faculty senate removing the study day in December.

In a staff editorial published Dec. 9, the Cynic called on the University “to address the concerns of students about the schedule change and take all voices into account in further decisions regarding the academic calendar.”

SGA leadership met with members of the faculty senate and the registrar to discuss the possibility of bringing reading days back, as well as passing a resolution supporting the restoration of reading days Feb. 16.

The response by the registrar in reinstating the Wednesday reading day is explained by the faculty senate as simply being a change in the “block pattern.”

However, this change is exemplary of what can occur if the student body uses its voice and advocates for what it needs.

The registrar and faculty senate made the right move by listening to the student body’s concerns, and taking into account what it had to say.

If in the future this could be done more often, more decisions could be made that take everybody’s needs and concerns into account.

Students’ voices matter and make a difference on a much greater scale than it may initially seem.

If we aren’t content with a decision made on our behalf, we need to advocate on our own behalf in order to create a positive change. If we don’t advocate for ourselves, no one will.

Decisions that primarily impact students need to continue to be made with our needs in mind.

Additionally, the reasons and processes behind these decisions need to continue to be transparent in order to give the student body a better understanding of administrative actions.