The first days of a college semester and mass confusion are two phrases that belong together. Some classes are overcrowded around campus now, but the problems should eventually solve themselves.
"At the beginning of a semester, (professors) sometimes give permits to people when they anticipate dropping some students and then others will later drop the course," said Nancy Magallanes, undergraduate faculty advisor in the Spanish department.
These permits will nudge the number of students in the class over capacity and the result is usually a few students without desks.
"My philosophy class is overcrowded," said Jason Harris, sophomore computer engineering technology major. He said he believes there should be an allowable margin of error but still the classes should be booked at capacity.
"Crowded classes make it more difficult to learn, harder for the teacher and makes a harder grading scale for the students," he said.On the other side of the issue, senior psychology major Bryon Pickens says none of his classes are too crowded, but offers a few thoughts.
"If (the class) is overcrowded, the class might not be as effective," he said. "People thrive in small classes and the attention from the teacher is better divided that way. Maybe more sections or faculty would help."
Besides scheduling issues, could enrollment and faculty size play a role?
According to The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2005 the answer is no. With numbers from the 2003-2004 school year, the book lists an enrollment at The U of M of 19,911 and faculty at 1,435. That's a ratio of almost 14:1 between students and instructors.
The previous year's almanac with 2002-2003 statistics listed enrollment at 19,797 and faculty at 1,319. That's a 15:1 ratio. The numbers seem to show student numbers are not affecting the overcrowded rooms.
"Sometimes there is just a crunch in the scheduling system but usually after the first week or two class changes help resolve everything," Magallanes said.
"It just seems like there are a few cracks in the system now and maybe (the school) should try to make our money count better," Harris said.
