As winter term registration for the University wraps up, many students in the School of Journalism and Communication are finding that record-high enrollment numbers are making it difficult to get into classes they need.
“We are definitely going through some growing pains,” University senior and journalism major Bjorn Johnson said.@@http://directory.uoregon.edu/telecom/directory.jsp?p=findpeople%2Ffind_results&m=student&d=person&b=name&s=Bjorn+Johnson@@
Johnson was scheduled to register this past Tuesday at 1:30 p.m but initially was unable to get into either of the two advertising courses he needs for winter term.
“By 1:30 Tuesday, there was a very small amount of ad classes left. All of them were ones that I had already taken, couldn’t take yet or didn’t fit my particular path in the ad major,” Johnson said. “I was left in a position where I couldn’t sign up for a single class in my major.”
Junior journalism student Kelli Lyons@@http://directory.uoregon.edu/telecom/directory.jsp?p=findpeople%2Ffind_results&m=student&d=person&b=name&s=Kelli+Lyons@@ had a similar experience when she registered for winter courses. She was unable to get into multiple classes which she needs in order to build her portfolio.
“Without a good work portfolio, I won’t really be able to apply for internships until I get those classes out of the way,” Lyons said.
Although her required courses will be offered spring term, Lyons fears that these same registration difficulties may occur due to record-high numbers of students within the SOJC. The fall 2011 headcount for the SOJC was 1,796 students, a 262 student increase from fall 2010.@@http://registrar.uoregon.edu/statistics/facts_at_a_glance@@
“Our policy is to increase sections where there is demand as best as we can,” SOJC Dean Tim Gleason said.@@http://uoalumni.com/s/1202/index_nbc.aspx?sid=1202&gid=1&pgid=779#gleason@@
Gleason said that students who were unable to get into specific courses should meet with advisers in order for the school to understand where they need to create more sections.
“We need the feedback in order to be able to offer students what they need,” Gleason said.
Johnson was eventually able to get into the classes he needed after the school offered more sections of the courses he required. Lyons, on the other hand, was not so lucky and has still not gotten into the classes she needs.
“This is the largest number of journalism and communications students that the school has ever had,” Associate Dean of Undergraduate Affairs Julie Newton@@http://www.linkedin.com/pub/newton-julie/11/aa7/38@@ said. “Any time you have an increase in enrollment, you’re going to have some pressure on how students register, and we just need to hear from the students about what their needs are.”
Newton said that the planning for each term starts months ahead with observing the data from previous terms in order to predict how many students will need which courses. Sometimes these predictions don’t accurately anticipate how many sections are needed.
“It’s really nice to see my program, one that I am very proud to be part of, grow so quickly,” Johnson said. “It’s frustrating, though, to feel forced out by the rapid increase in numbers.”