The Queen’s Engineering Society (EngSoc) took an official stance against the proposed fall reading week on Wednesday in a statement released on their Facebook page.

According to their statement, representatives of EngSoc council collectively agreed to take a public stance.

“The Engineering Society and its members discourage the adoption of any changes to the academic schedule that would reduce the potential number of pre-exam days and/or change the current Orientation Week schedule,” the statement read.

“A significant number of Engineering students responded to the survey, indicating that they do not want a Fall Reading Break with consequential impact on Orientation Week.”

EngSoc’s statement identified several items as top priorities for engineering students when considering a fall break: the preservation of a Faculty Orientation Week, the pre-exam period, changes to tuition and student fees, the federal accreditation of the Engineering and Applied Science degree and the effects of any proposed break on university and student-run services.

The society also stated that they’re working with the AMS to ensure that both societies are aligned to advocate on behalf of students.

The AMS recently conducted a student survey to gather feedback on the most recent fall reading week proposal made by the Queen’s Senate Committee on Academic Procedures.

In the proposal, the fall break would be a two-day break attached to a weekend in November. Move-in Day would begin the Saturday before Labour Day and faculty orientation would take place on Tuesday, Wednesday and the following Saturday – split by two days of class on Thursday and Friday.

Those two days of class would then make up for the Thursday and Friday taken off in November for the fall break. Pre-exam dates would not be affected. 

Survey results will be released tonight.