Staff Writer
Registering for classes can be difficult for students at times, and if the desired classes are offered during the same time slot, it can be near impossible to enroll in all the classes needed. With many courses being offered at the same time, other setbacks concerning registration can be devastating to students.
“This year has had the highest proportion of filled classes that I have seen since I have been keeping records, which goes back three years,” said Dr. Carl Kemnitz, the associate vice president for academic programs at CSUB.
With more classes being filled and other classes conflicting, students are having a harder time enrolling in the classes they need. The budget is also an issue, as reductions limit both the ability to offer new classes and department resources.
“With English, because we do have a large faculty, classes conflict. With a large department, it is difficult,” said Milissa Ackerley, the administrative support coordinator for the English Department. “With 14 faculty members, we will run into overlaps. We can’t avoid it. “To me, the best solution would be to have faculty start earlier or teach later,” added Ackerley.
The need to teach earlier or later classes arises from a prime time during the day when the majority of major classes are offered. This prime time is roughly in the time slots of 10 a.m. to noon and noon to 2p.m. on both Monday-Wednesday and Tuesday-Thursday classes.
Both students and professors are equally responsible for conflicting classes. Kemnitz alluded to the point that the academic programs office judges the enrollment rate of classes and acts accordingly, whether the action is pulling the class at a certain time due to minimal enrollment or retaining the class in a timeslot because of its popularity.
Most students do not want to wake up early for classes or go to school later than 5 p.m., so the previously mentioned prime time slots are the most sought after for classes, which causes conflict.
Certain classes also go until 3:15 p.m., so students who have to take these classes miss the 3 p.m. time block and the opportunity to enroll in classes running at that time, a problem not easily alleviated.
“Whenever they conflict, you can only take one class you need at a time, especially if they are major classes and you have already completed your themes,” said Nick Murdoch, a junior geology major.
While conflicting classes can be frustrating for students trying to finish their degrees, it is not practical nor possible for all classes to be available and not conflict with each other. However, by expanding the academic day, there will be a fewer amount of classes that do conflict and less frustration amongst students when registering.
