The length and timing of the course has potential personal benefits for students as well. It is a help to students who cannot afford to attend a regular summer session because of the time it consumes and the resulting loss of income. On a practical level, the course may allow them to get their 'money's worth' out of their May rent. Student response has been quite favorable. In fact, the most frequent comment was the desire to see more courses offered through this format.
Most faculty also seem pleased with the experiment.
I suspect that this experimentation may have an impact on their teaching methods during the rest of the year. I would categorize the three-week session as a success. In spite of being the first go-round, for the most part it went very smoothly. We hope to build upon this foundation as we continue to respond to the needs of the students.