Waking up in a puddle of drool and realizing that your class
ended an hour ago may be a hint that you didn’t get the
classes you wanted this quarter.
UCLA students dropping classes this week, unhappy with what they
signed up for, may wonder how the list of courses they had to
choose from was put together in the first place.
The process of compiling the courses available for students to
take each quarter involves plenty of planning, and can involve the
opinions of students who aren’t satisfied with the courses
offered.
“Departments pretty much set up their courses,” said
Brian Benner, student affairs officer at the registrar’s
office.
For many departments, the planning is a joint effort between
chairs and faculty members.
In the English department, the undergraduate and graduate vice
chairs set the courses, but make sure to take faculty availability
and preference into account, according to Charles Batten,
undergraduate vice chair for the English department.
“Every faculty member is given a form in which they
request what classes they want to teach each quarter,” said
Batten.
The department does its best to cater to student needs, and
makes sure courses such as the “10 series,” a heavily
demanded major prerequisite, are offered each quarter.
Even so, students may find fault in the level of selection they
encounter when enrollment time comes along.
“It seemed like they had the most basic classes to choose
from. Out of all the (classes in the English department), they
chose the boring (ones),” said Sheri Norris, a third-year
English student.
Students who have grievances with any aspect of the course list
for their department have the means to express their opinion to
decision-makers.
One way to begin the process of making course selection
improvements is to speak to a student affairs officer for their
department.
The student affairs officers at the Henry Samueli School of
Engineering and Applied Sciences look over the course list the
chairs have produced to check for logistical errors, said Diane
Golomb, student affairs officer at HSSEAS.
“If we notice (a problem), then we talk to the department
about what we find, and try to come up with a solution,” said
Golomb.
Although the department may take student concerns into
consideration, other factors may bar changes from being made.
“Sometimes students might complain about 8 a.m. classes.
Nobody likes 8 a.m. classes, but there’s a certain limitation
as to what can be done,” said Golomb.
Not having enough faculty to provide students with additional
courses and sections they want is one problem, Golomb said.
Each quarter, required classes fill up quickly because they are
in heavy demand, and students have problems enrolling in the
classes and discussions they need.
“There were a lot of classes, but by the time I enrolled
for my second pass, a lot of the classes were full,” said
Christine Phan, first-year chemistry student.
In other cases, courses are not full but not even offered
because there are so few students in the department.
“The more (students) you have, the more courses
you’ll have to have,” said Kerry Allen, student affairs
officer under the Royce Humanities Group.
Not only is the number of students important within the
department, but demand is a necessity for specific courses.
Classes are cancelled when the department finds there is low
interest among students, signified by low enrollment, according to
Allen.
Though changes such as cancellations of courses or sections may
occur within a department, efforts are made to keep a balanced and
substantial course list open to students, Allen said.
“(The department) has to keep in mind what the
requirements are,” Allen said.
Each department uses the university requirements for lower
division general education, upper division major and graduate
courses as important elements in course selection.
From the desks of department chairs to the schedule of classes
students see each quarter, the course list undergoes scrutiny by
the highest officials within the department.
In the end, it is the student who must deal with the final
product.