Monika Searcy / Roundup
As the fall semester drops its last leaf and comes to an end, spring semester approaches with a new class plan.
The official end date of the fall semester at Pierce College is Dec. 21, which for some students can mean winter break or winter session. As for the spring semester, which begins Feb.5 and ends June 4, the opportunity for obtaining classes will be accomplished without the stress of adding, with Academic Affairs increasing the amount of heavy demand courses by 2.5 percent to prevent students from being denied entrance into a class.
“Responding to what students are asking for which the data shows us; we respond to that student demand,” said Nabil Abu-Ghazaleh, vice president of academic affairs. “We want our students to obtain their goals.”
The goal of the Academic Affairs department is to allow students to reach their goals, whether they are transferring to a four year college or university, become certified in an occupation, or simply obtain an associate degree.
The department makes this possible for students by distributing earlier registration dates to students with the most units completed and returning students so they are allowed the first choices of classes to send them through his or her curriculum on time.
Most students on campus appear to have no complaints.
“I did not have any problems registering for the fall semester and I registered kind of close to the beginning of the semester,” said Qwyneshea Fields, a sophomore at Pierce. “I get my classes on time…one class I was a stand by but I was immediately added with no problems.”
Another student agrees to not having trouble enrolling in classes.
“I have never had to run around like a chicken with its head chopped off trying to get in a class just for unit sake, I just click the enroll button and I’m in,” said Ashley Owens, a third year at Pierce.
Another idea the department kept in mind for the spring schedule of classes is students’ life schedules by keeping night and weekend classes available for students who may work full time jobs.
The Academic Affairs department also recommends that due to the decrease in the cost of enrollment fees from $26 per unit to $20 per unit, that will take affect, students ought to not view the decrease as only saving money but as an opportunity to take more units and to register quickly because spaces will fill up.
“Register as quickly as you can because people will want to save that extra $6 and classes will fill up,” said Charlotte Doctor, dean of academic affairs. “Take an extra class for the same cost.”
According to the department there will be no added full-time teachers and no new courses.
The new spring 2007 schedule of classes catalog will be available online Nov. 9. The hard copy version will be available Nov. 22 in the bookstore.
