Stonehill students respond to cancelled Monday classes

By Arianna Campbell

This semester started with a whirlwind-or more accurately, a blizzard-leaving cancelled classes and frustrated students in its wake.  

The first Monday of the spring semester, January 26, classes were cancelled due to a snowstorm. A few weeks later, on February 23, another major snowstorm cancelled classes.  

Students like Abigail Newman, Class of 2028, are concerned with the number of Monday classes missed. 

“At first, I was excited, but then I was worried about how behind our class would be from other classes that meet more than once a week,” Newman said.  

Newman is not the only student worrying about the impact of sudden cancellations. Kylie Mallett, ’28, is worried about missing class time. 

“It has impacted my Monday classes because I only have this 4:30-7 once a week and we are already short. Also, this class has more discussion over anything,” Mallett said.  

Monday classes already have fewer than other classes and the two missed can entirely disrupt the entire course.  

“It feels like I'm being cheated out of some of my tuition money in a sense,” Newman said. “I pay a lot of money to go here and receive a good education. I love it here and I love all my professors, but it's also super frustrating knowing that I am missing out on important course content that my professor had prepared for us to go over this semester.”  

Peyton Webster, Class of 2028, is also struggling. 

“I feel like my Monday classes are way behind where we are supposed to be based on the syllabus. My professor is doing her best to get us caught up, but we have lost valuable in class time that we will not get back. I also have a pre-practicum for one of my education classes that I go to on Mondays, and I have only been once instead of three times, so I have missed a lot of experience in an actual kindergarten classroom to observe,” Webster said.  

The college has since addressed the fewer Monday classes, saying that the professors can use their discretion to make up for the missed days. This means professors may decide to hold virtual classes, do asynchronous work, or make up for the class on Reading Day. 

This will have a lasting impact on the rest of the class year.  

“I feel like the classes will be more challenging than the ones you have every week twice. I feel the lessons will be condensed so we won’t learn as much,” Mallett said. 

Some students anticipate a shift in the course regarding workload. 

“I think we will go through material quicker than other classes to make up for missing classes. I also think there will be more workload in these classes and a fast pace,” Mallett said. 

Webster shares that view. 

“I think my professor may adjust the syllabus and assign some asynchronous work, which could help maintain learning consistency. However, because the responsibility is left to individual professors, there may be inconsistencies across classes, with some classes feeling more rushed or workload-heavy than others,” Webster said. 

Newman is already feeling the impact of the cancelled class.  

“I think my professor dealt with the college's decision to cancel class in a way that made the most sense for our class. As an English major, there's always going to be a ton of reading, so I can't complain. My professor's decision to have us meet virtually on Monday was also decided by our class through a survey, so it felt like we still had some choice in the matter. I think my class will catch up despite missing two whole days,” Newman said.   

Professors and students will both have to find ways to get back on schedule.

“I have noticed that missed Mondays can cause the course to feel slightly compressed, with material sometimes covered more quickly or supplemented through additional assignments or independent work,” Webster said. “While these adjustments help keep the course on track, they can also increase outside-of-class responsibilities. Overall, the impact has been manageable, but it shows how fewer Monday classes can shape both the pacing and structure of the class.”