With record numbers of students streaming into universities across the nation, problems with overcrowding in classrooms and residence halls are worsening. At the University of Oregon alone, next year’s applications are expected to top 10,000, although only 3,200 freshmen are usually admitted from the applicant pool. The University should consider implementing an enrollment cap in the future to prevent campus buildings from bursting at the seams.
The University accepted 8,600 freshman applications for 2001, and the Office of Admissions projects total student enrollment could reach 20,000 next year. While it’s great that so many people are interested in the University, and while every student should have an opportunity to attend college, having 20,000 students on campus is bound to cause some logistical problems.
Overcrowding in classrooms is already a problem for some professors and students. It’s tough for faculty to give personal attention to each student when there are so many who are vying for help. And with a number of building renovations happening on campus, many courses are being displaced, leaving larger classes to be packed into smaller rooms that are unsuited for their size. An enrollment increase would also cause residence halls to be even more cramped and exacerbate the parking situation on campus.
Obviously, growth isn’t always a good thing. The University should continue to enforce application deadlines stringently and be stricter about academic probation — the students who have been admitted here should take it seriously and take advantage of the myriad academic resources available to help them do well in school. If they aren’t willing to put in the effort to succeed in their classes, maybe they should reconsider being here in the first place.
Deadline and probation enforcement, combined with an enrollment cap, could help alleviate classroom overflow and help keep class sizes down. The University needs to either start being more selective about its applicants, or build larger buildings to keep up with the demand. And with higher education budget cuts looming, the latter is not likely to happen.