As State Colleges Cut Classes, Students Struggle to Finish

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/24/national/24COLL.html?hp

The moment registration opens, Michele D. Hannah dives for courses with the fury of a fifth-year college student vexed by a constant riddle.

"When will I get the classes I need to graduate?" said Ms. Hannah, Class of "I have no idea" at the University of Iowa.

Classes have gotten so tight, or so scarce, that Ms. Hannah says she trolls the university's Web site like a day trader, checking every few hours for the stray course opening that might suddenly appear.

But it probably will not. At many public universities, grappling with record budget cuts and enrollments at the same time, the classroom is no longer being spared. After whittling away at staff, coaxing faculty members to juggle more classes, stripping sports teams and trusting aging roofs to hold out a few years longer, many public universities have reluctantly begun chopping away at academics, making it harder for students to graduate on time.

The University of Illinois has canceled 1,000 classes on hundreds of subjects this year. Up to 1,000 students at the University of North Carolina will be shut out of beginning Spanish. The University of Colorado has eliminated academic programs in journalism, business and engineering. The University of California has put off opening an entire campus.

[jody]

1. Has anyone tried to "scalp critical course slots"? eom

[Stuckinthebush]

3. Interesting idea

...but I think it would be difficult to do. While you can hold onto a spot that you have, you can't transfer that spot to another student. All you can do is cancel the class, then the spot goes back into the computer and the next in line is pulled up into the spot.

[sham]

4. you can do it at my school.

There's no official "waiting list" for courses, so if you find someone who wants to drop the course you want to get into, the registrar will let you "trade" IF you go to the office together to do it in person. I've never heard of scalping, although I wouldn't doubt it.

My department has well over 1200 students, and due to hiring freezes, budget cuts, etc., we have no more than 10 faculty, and we no longer have our own advisor. You have to be classified as a senior and register on the first day of early registration to get the classes you want. If you're a day late, you can forget it. And underclassmen should be prepared for a long, frustrating 5-6 years. The department also has a policy that says if you do not show up on the first day of class, you will be dropped by the prof, no questions asked. That way if you couldn't get into a class, you can go on the first day, and if someone doesn't show up, the prof will add you, based on seniority. It's a good policy, and it helps, but things are getting more and more out of control every year.

[laconicsax]

2. Interestingly enough

When I (or other music majors where I matriculate) see stuff like this, the more common first thought is, "Five years? That's lucky."

Most Music Education majors (again, where I go to school) need 6-7 years (18-21 quarters) to graduate and Performance majors need 5-6 (15-18 quarters). I'm hoping that I can finish up my performance degree in 5.

[jody]

5. A dean of computer & information sciences maintained a five year schedule

of courses in the CIS major sequenced so that student could graduate in the minimum time.

The dean guaranteed each new undergraduate or graduate student that each course would be taught in the scheduled semester whether there were one or one hundred students. When possible, two or more courses taught in the same semester were scheduled on the same days in back to back time slots in the same room.

Faculty taught extra courses or taught special courses for an individual if needed. The students loved that approach.

[study_war_no_more]

6. Tough times in education

I work at the Uof Minnesota and we are a week away from going on strike, I hope the students join us as they are looking at yearly double digit increases while the administration refuses to reform themselves all cuts are from the bottom and not headed up.
Teamsters Local 320
Will strike if provoked!!!