Cancelled classes cause frustration for students and faculty
By: Kelly Glueck
-Opinions Editor-
On Aug. 20, the first day of school for most students, the registration office was a zoo, the halls of Business Administration may as well have been nicknamed The House of a 1,000 Sighs. Students were crying and shouting out in frustration after seeing the big yellow cancelled signs next to their potential classroom. Any class which did not meet the national standard of 15 students had the option of going through an extensive appeal process or hang one of those dreaded yellow signs announcing the cancelled course. Cut courses this semester have translated to not only the loss of classes, but also the loss of students, faculty and pride.
Meramec prides itself on a “wide range of career program selections” and “the largest fine arts program in the [STLCC] college,” however, it may be selling itself out this year with its “non-official policy” on cancelling classes with less than 15 people. Even if it is a national standard, are we synonymous with national expectation of a standard community college? No, we are an established, dedicated group of individuals from administration to faculty, students and staff – we are different.
Meramec’s mission statement supports that we are “unique.” The statement boasts of its rare programs including architectural technology, interior design, information reporting technology, horticulture, nursing, occupational therapy and physical therapy.
Meramec’s information reporting technology program (IRT) is the only certified program of its kind in the state, and one of the few in the nation. However, under the new rule of 15, approximately eighty-five percent of the IRT courses should have cancelled. More than half of the architectural technology courses and occupational therapy courses should have been cut. At least fifteen percent of art classes were at risk of being cancelled this semester and many of those that made the cut have been combined with other studio classes and/or are overloaded; thus, stunting the assistance one professor can offer to an overfilled classroom of students.
Small classes provide the intimate classroom environment many students need to thrive and perfect their trade. Meramec’s broad variety in course programs and dedicated faculty retain the schools reputation as the best two-year school in the Missouri according to CNN’s Fortune Magazine. If course programs are cut and faculty are overworked, what do we have left to fall on? Surely not its outdated, good looks.
The list of disappointments continues. This semester the accredited and profitable honors program has dwindled to a mere two classes – both introductory composition courses. The classes cut, both honors and regular courses, bar many scholarship students from a discounted education while still keeping up with his or her chosen career plan.
Scholarship students are not the only ones thrown off their academic course, many students will not graduate on time because they cannot receive credits essential to their degree completion.
Is this really worth it? What if class cancellations were based on a 50 percent fill rate instead of a cut off number? Think about it. Rather than cutting a class of 18 because it only has 13 people enrolled, try cutting the 117 student art history class with a 31 percent enrollment rate. This way your not selling the small classes short. Classes can stay small and effective while courses with plenty of elbow room are dropped.
We understand there is a national standard. We understand courses have already begun and opening closed classes would just create more havoc. However, next semester, Meramec may want to stick to it’s “unique” ways or perhaps reinvent the standard. Smaller programs and class should not get the short end of the stick. Course diversity and class intimacy look good on us. Why mess with a good thing?
