How and why did Otterbein decide to change to a Semester System?
When Otterbein completed our most recent strategic plan, it was recommended that we study conversion to a semester system (along with a number of other recommended changes). We then appointed a “Semester Conversion Study Committee” composed of faculty, students and staff members, who interviewed students, faculty and staff at Otterbein and studied other campuses. That committee recommended a change to a semester system, primarily because they were convinced that a semester system would have important benefits for students, that semesters could enhance student learning, and that a semester calendar would expand opportunities for students. Was this decision influenced by the fact that all the other colleges in Ohio have converted to semesters? No. Many colleges are switching to semesters for the same reasons that Otterbein’s Semester Conversion Study Committee made its recommendation, but Otterbein’s decision was made independent of other colleges or the State of Ohio requirement for pub
