The student media organization of California State University Northridge

Daily Sundial

The student media organization of California State University Northridge

Daily Sundial

The student media organization of California State University Northridge

Daily Sundial

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CSUN students scramble to register for classes

Talar Shanlian, junior communications major, sits in a communications class hoping there will be room for her to add the class. "It has been horrible, this will be the fourth class I'm crashing," says Shanlian in regards to getting classes. Photo Credit: Tessie Navarro / Visual Editor

Despite administration adding almost 50 new classes to the Fall 2011 schedule, students continue to face problems enrolling in the classes they need.

“There’s an increased demand for classes,” said Cynthia Rawitch, vice provost for academic affairs. “We’ve opened more than 50 sections in the last month, ranging from small classes for majors to large classes for general electives.”

CSUN’s vice provost advises students still seeking necessary classes to be flexible and look harder.

This semester would have been Nicole Cardenas’ first semester as a transfer student. However, the psychology major chose to walk away from CSUN due to her inability to add any other classes toward her degree.

“I was only able to enroll in one class,” she said.

At orientation, advisers told Cardenas that it would be difficult to register for classes in her major. She quickly found they were right. Closed sections and an absence of permission codes denied her access.

“My department left me on my own,” Cardenas said. “I called Admission and Records, but they sent me to each individual department.”

Like many other students, Cardenas just wanted a shot at classes even if it meant losing a job.

“Even if I had stayed, I probably would have had to leave my job,” Cardenas said. “The classes I had planned, before the permission-number problems, were going to be all-day, spread-out. I’d have to be on campus for large blocks of time, four days a week. It’s tough, especially working full time, but I would have done it.”

Cardenas was not the only student impacted by this issue.

Junior Marie Takakura, an international student studying biology, did not have a full-class schedule at the beginning of the semester. Her stay at CSUN was also in limbo.

Admission policies for international students dictate that students must be enrolled in 12 units to be considered full-time. If Takakura doesn’t add the necessary units, her student visa can be revoked.

“This semester, I can only enroll in four units in my major,” she said. “If I’m not a full-time student, I can’t stay here.”

Students raise their hand after professor Jeanine Mingé asks who would like to add her communications course. Photo Credit: Tessie Navarro / Visual Editor

The new classes are largely offered on Fridays and Saturdays making it nearly impossible for students to manage around a work schedule. The only other option is to show up to a class and try to add it, thus the chances of enrolling in the preferred section decreases.

“Students don’t want Friday or Saturday classes, but it’s when we have the classrooms available,” Rawitch said. “We are running out of classrooms and faculty to teach these classes

Nevertheless, Rawitch advised students should look into the Friday and Saturday classes that are available.

Sophomore Devon Bargmann also noticed the shift in classes to less desirable times.

“I would prefer taking a class multiple times a week,” she said. “A three-hour class is a lot of information at once, and you don’t get to know the subject as well.”

When she began the search for classes, the most available classes were Tuesday-Thursday or classes offered once a week.

“How do I make sense about living on campus when I go to school two or three days a week?” she said. “My home is only half an hour away.”

On the first day of school, business management major Westin Yacoobian noticed differences in adding classes for his sophomore year.

“The classes I needed weren’t completely open,” he said. “They were not available at times I wanted. I start at 8 a.m., and I have a seven-hour break on Wednesdays.”

His evaluation of the process: “It wasn’t terrible. But it wasn’t ideal, either,” he said.

The available classes on Fridays and Saturdays are less desirable for students. But with no available classrooms during the week, the administration said it does not have other options. Classrooms are all booked.

However, Rawitch said sections will continue to be added through the first week of the semester.

“There’s a lot of movement in the first week,” she said.

The basis for adding sections is a result of tracking class need, Rawitch said. The university holds money centrally to departments, allowing the provost’s office to open more sections of full classes.

All classes must be added by the end of the third week with permission numbers from the instructor.

 

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