Committee assesses schedule structure

The Academic Prioritization report has recommended that CSB+SJU look at the current course schedule to determine whether it should be changed. A committee has been formed to research if there is a need to change, what areas need the most change and what that change would require.

The committee’s goal is to have some form of a decision or recommendation by next semester, even if it is determined to keep the schedule the same. One important part of the research is getting input from students, and the committee is creating a survey for students to share their input. The survey is expected to go out around Nov. 14 or 15 after registration is complete.

Dean of Faculty Pam Bacon explained the multiple reasons as to why the schedule is being looked at. The current schedule was created about 10 years ago, and with a decrease in the number of students, the administration questions whether the current schedule is meeting student needs regarding their major and graduating on time.

“We have about a quarter fewer students than we did when we first developed the staggered schedule and offered classes in that way. As we’ve had fewer students, it also means that we have fewer sections of courses that we need to offer. There became a concern that it’s possible that the fact that the classes are staggered could impact students’ ability to take the classes that they need if there’s only one section,” Bacon said.

Bacon says the committee is looking at the times when classes are held and if the current times are what is best for students overall.

“[We are] thinking about the schedule in general. Is it meeting student need? We seem to have a lot of classes that are scheduled in kind of the middle of the day. We’re also wondering, are we offering classes at the time that students want the classes to be offered?” Bacon said.

With the possibility of a schedule change also comes the financial cost of this and the involvement of other departments, such as busing and dining, to get information and feedback from all across campus.

“We’re going to have to think about finding out all the financial impact of any sort of change to the schedule,” Bacon said. “We’re also working with dining services and transportation and different areas on campus that changing the schedule might impact those services that students need.”

The committee is made up of a variety of people from both campuses, including people from the Registrar’s Office and Academic Advising. The committee is looking at multiple different items, and a big item will be feedback from students through a survey. Robert Kachelski, chair of the psychology department, described the importance of feedback from the CSB+SJU community.

“One key point is that it will be crucial for students, faculty, staff and community members to take the time to provide input through the surveys and discussions the committee is conducting. We can only do a thorough and effective evaluation of the current class schedule if we have input from a large percentage of the campus community, so everyone should watch for opportunities to provide that input,” Kachelski said via email.

The survey will ask a variety of questions regarding the current schedule, student’s experiences with classes and registering and any problems or concerns they have. Additionally, there will be open-ended questions which will allow for students to give their input or any other comments they have.The exact time when the decision will be made is unknown, as the committee has to gather all the information and write a report. The hope is the committee will complete its report by the end of the spring semester, but change will not take place for a few years. The report will be submitted to the provost, who will have the ultimate say in deciding how to move forward. It is also possible the committee may find that no change is needed.

“I would anticipate [the schedule change won’t] happen until 2024 or 2025, because it’s going to take, you know, by the time we make the recommendations and if there are changes, it’s going to take time to implement them,” Bacon said.

CSB+SJU students described how they felt about the current schedule and if they felt it was necessary for change.

“I just went with what the schedule was since it is my first year here, but it would be interesting if the schedule changed and what it would change to,” SJU first-year Jackson Kubitschek-Myers said.

The current schedule is challenging for some students.

“With the current schedule, it is really hard for me to do my capstone for nursing because my site is an hour away,” CSB senior Chloe Miller said. “I have to come back for my classes, which makes it difficult and frustrating that I can’t stay at my site for 3 days in a row. I instead have to go back and forth.”