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In the 1970s, Case Western Reserve University’s academic calendar got a shakeup, introducing two 15-week semesters and a special, optional January session called Intersession. During Intersession, faculty and students could devote an entire month to a single course, with options ranging from Sports Officiating Techniques to Political Poetry to Basic Swahili.
In 1973, students could even opt to take Circus Techniques (pictured above with student Jane Sestak). Some January courses also included travel, with trips to London, Paris and Boston. In the first year of Intersession, about 250 courses were offered by more than 340 faculty members.
After budget constraints and waning enrollment issues arose, Intersession ceased in January 1976. At the time, leadership noted that Intersession hadn’t reached the full potential of expected enrollment.
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