Whether it is for catching up or getting ahead, J-Term is Hamline’s offering of select month-long January classes in an accelerated setting that meet between four to seven days a week. While the classes themselves now cost additional tuition dollars to enroll, remaining on campus is at no extra cost to the student whether they choose to take a J-Term class or not.

According to Hamline’s website, this year’s cost for the 2019 J-Term is $629 per credit, with a 4-credit class costing a little over $2,500. Previously, this optional term had been included in undergraduate students’ fall fees, but, according to an FY18 report by Hamline, this was altered in 2017 and put into effect in 2018. Instead, students are now charged on a “per credit basis” at 50 percent of the normal per-credit cost, so a J-Term class costs only half of what it would to take a semester-long course.

Many of the courses are already posted on Piperline. Some of them also fulfill Hamline Plan requirements, such as World Art, which fulfills the Diversity, Fine Arts and Humanities credits or Statistics, which fulfills the Formal Reasoning credits.

The popularity of J-Term is not limited to Hamline, either. A variety of institutions across the United States are also offering unique, month-long courses during their Winter Terms, such as Columbia Business School, University of St. Thomas and Oberlin College and Conservatory.

Similarly at Hamline, classes such as Metal Casting and Jewelry Making with Metal Clay are uniquely tailored for J-Term, so long as students have interest. Professors can even debate new classes to be taught during J-Term, but, because it is optional and at an additional cost to the student, there is limited interest for specific classes. For Sharon Preves, Professor of Sociology, this is a reality.

“I have decided not to teach [a] class due to lack of interest,” Preves said, concerning the class she was debating in the Sociology department.

The additional cost is a deterrent for some students, limiting this interest pool for unique classes. For first-year Olivia Hjerleid, this is unfortunately the case.

“I am not planning on taking one [a J-Term course], and that is mainly because of the cost,” Hjerleid said. “I would love to take one, but not for that much.”

While cost is a significant factor, the compact schedule of the course can also be an element that hinders enrollment. Though the classes are condensed into a single month, they are not necessarily easier than traditional semester-long courses.

Sophomore Emily Poupart does not expect to take a J-Term class, primarily because of the accelerated pace.

“They’re not free, but I also feel like I would not be able to absorb that much information in such a short amount of time. I’d rather be working,” Poupart said. “If anything, [I would take] probably one of the science classes just to get it out of the way because it is over so quickly.”

Some students, like Poupart, may see the accelerated class schedule as too short, but others, like Hjerleid, may see it as a chance to take unique classes that otherwise would not be able to be taken over a full semester.

“If I could take one [a J-Term course], I would probably do Argumentation and Advocacy or Human Rights in a Globalized World, just for the fun of it,” Hjerleid said.

Courses for Winter Term can be found on Piperline. Some classes are still being adjusted and added, but are expected to be finalized by registration, beginning at 7 a.m. on Nov. 15.