Online courses have caused some professors to either intentionally or accidentally shorten passing periods between classes. 

In previous years, classes lasting an hour and a half had 15-minute passing periods, and hourlong classes had 10-minute passing periods, according to the UT general information catalog website. Although this policy still exists in the current virtual environment, some professors have not fully granted these small breaks to students.

Katherine Dunlop, an associate professor of philosophy, said she experienced setbacks adjusting to passing periods in a virtual classroom.

“Everything I would have just written in a few phrases on the board I find myself typing out in more elaborate Word documents,” Dunlop said. “I actually had not realized at the beginning of the semester that some of my students needed me to observe the passing period. I just assumed they could probably set up their laptop right next to their next class … I’ve been trying to observe that since.”

Public health junior Shannen Dumadag said these moments provide vital time for students to perform various tasks before their next class.

“Besides physical breaks and needing to rest my eyes or use the restroom or eat … I would take … that 10- to 15-minute break to unpack everything I’d learned in the class,” Dumadag said. “Ideally, if I had that appropriate amount of time in between, I could at least summarize things I learned from the last class or prepare myself mentally before the next.”

Suzi Goebel, a government and Spanish senior, said without passing periods, she engages less in her next classes. 

“Not only is it really not fun or fair because it’s not the schedule I agreed to, but it’s also impeding my ability to give my all in those classes where you really need to be hands-on,” Goebel said. “Everybody’s expected to show up on time, so it feels like we’re holding up our end of the bargain, and our time is not regarded as important when it gets to the end (of class).”

Goebel said it would be helpful if all professors took measures to adhere to the passing period time frame. 

“I don’t think it would be that hard to set yourself an alarm for 15, 10 or five minutes before class ends so you’re just like, ‘OK, I have got to start wrapping things up,’” Goebel said.