|
Volume CXXXIII, Number 3 |
 |
Class caps have little effect on students
KELSEY ABBRUZZESE
STAFF WRITER
Students may blame the new "class caps" system for their difficulty in getting into certain classes, but unless you are a sophomore trying to get into a government class, the numbers don't lie.
The new class limits were imposed this semester after a student survey indicated that smaller classes led to more discussion, more writing, and an overall better class experience. On the Curriculum and Education Policy Committee, the faculty recommended that the faculty vote on new class caps in April.
The caps change the limits of 100-level courses from 75 to 50 and 200-level course limits from 50 to 35.
"I think it is important for Bowdoin to make an effort at keeping classes small and intimate. After all, we pay," said senior Alex Harris. Harris, a French major, also said she has not seen a difference this semester in her ability to get into classes.
"The two main problems that would occur with class caps would be if students were not able to complete their major because they were blocked out of classes, or if they could not start their major because they were blocked out of introductory-level classes," said Christine Cote, Director of Institutional Research in Student Records. "We have had neither of those issues so far this semester."
Since almost half of upperclassmen got into their first choice classes,
there was little concern.
By instituting the new class caps, the faculty hoped to spread students
out among classes that would satisfy their major. Fewer students would
get their first choices, but they would reap the benefits of being in
a smaller class. "Would you really want to be in a class of 250?
Probably not," Cote said.
Such benefits are not immediately apparent to all students, including Mike Chute '06. After the first phase of registration, Mike was enrolled in only two of his original 12 choices, forcing him to scramble around during the add/drop period to find classes that interested him. However, those that he found were booked.
Eventually, Chute had to choose classes regardless of interest and registered for them simply because they fit his schedule. He finally got his fourth class a day before the deadline.
"It's more important to have students taking classes they want rather than making students scramble and take classes they don't want to be in," Chute said.
The government department was the hardest hit by the new system. Sophomores had the most difficulty registering for classes because they were not listed as government majors.
"I hope the CEP will consider letting sophomores declare their majors the first semester of sophomore year," said government professor Allen Springer. This measure would allow certain sophomore government majors to have priority in fall classes.
According to Springer, more students rushed to sign up for government classes in the spring in anticipation of the new limits. Usually around five students are closed out of classes, but this fall the number was 30 to 35.
Since the government department has a large number of 200-level courses, the new class caps severely limited the amount of students aceepted.
Eric Penley '05 said, "Some of the more popular ones were hard enough to get into when they had the higher limit, so reducing class sizes to 35 forces a lot more people out."
The full effects of the new class caps system will not be completely
known for the next few semesters, but students like Mike Chute are already
clearly seeing the results of the policy.
|
FastCounter by bCentral |