By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
Missouri Western State University will end its Gold Friday initiative after this year.
Gold Friday instituted a four-day class schedule on the St. Joseph campus with Friday free for students to participate in learning activities outside the classroom. Beginning next fall, Missouri Western will return to a five-day class schedule.
“Gold Fridays was an initiative begun with great intentions. Although we have had some very valuable events on Gold Fridays, unbiased review of both the pros and cons has indicated that discontinuation is the best path forward,” Missouri Western President Elizabeth Kennedy said in a written statement released by MWSU. “While the four-day class schedule has given some of our students more flexibility, it also has made it more difficult for us to build the sense of belonging and community that represents our student-focused, vibrant and engaging campus culture.”
A task force created by Kennedy evaluated the effectiveness of Gold Friday, unanimously recommending that Missouri Western return to a five-day class schedule beginning in Fall 2025. The Missouri Western Board of Governors approved that recommendation during its meeting this week.
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