Whether DU students like it or not, 8 a.m. classes will arrive next fall.

The change will see classes begin an hour earlier than before.

The last class of the day will begin at 6 p.m., creating a 12-hour day of scheduled classes.

The change, according to the DU Student Resources Web site, will allow for two extra classes added into the daily schedule.

Joey Ham, Daniels School of Business Senate Committee chair, brought the new policy to the attention of the AUSA Senate to gain a better idea of students reaction to the change of class.

“I brought it to the Senate, hoping that it would cause some debate,” said Ham.

The Senate members discussed the issue and saw the new class starting times as having a positive and negative impact.

One issue raised was the possibility of students taking more classes in one day. Ham stated that the chance to take more classes during the day would give students an opportunity to take more credits in order to fulfill graduation requirements.

However, Ham made the arguments that students may not register for the 8 a.m. classes and if they did, they may not attend which may lower academic performance.

“I probably wouldn’t take the class if it started at 8 a.m.,” said sophomore Kurt Myers.

“It is hard enough to show up to 9 a.m. classes. Students are more likely to get less sleep and do poorer,” said sophomore Katy Halter.

“Less sleep,” as Halter put it, is the primary student argument against the 8 a.m. starting times.

It is this sleep variable that is keeping most students against the early start times.

According to the Medical News Today Journal, sleep is the root of student performance.

Studies done by Northwestern University and the American Psychological Association have shown it is the deprivation of sleep that can have the greatest negative repercussions on a students’ ability to learn.

“Students will change their patterns of sleep,” said Ham. “Waking up earlier will result in lower performance.”

“Right now, it is just students who have voiced their opinions,” said Ham who hopes students voice their concern.

Ham continues, “When professors see the lack of attendance and the poorer performance, the administration will have to take that into account.”

At the University of Colorado at Boulder, students already have their earlier classes at 8 a.m.

“In my experience, earlier classes are more difficult,” said CU student Joseph Dias. “You’re not really awake yet.”

Marcus Fast, 22, works at McDonald Audi in the service department.

“In the real world you need to get up early,” said Fast, who wakes up before 6 a.m. every weekday and some Saturdays to go to work.

“Most jobs won’t have you wake up at 8:50 a.m.,” he said.

Fast continues, “Students need to stop being lazy.”