Liat Nosrati
The new software that will do away with the “waiting list” enrollment process at Pierce College was discussed at the Academic Senate meeting Feb. 25.
A handout that described how the new method would be more efficient was presented by Robert Martinez, academic policy vice president and William Duxler, physics and planetary science department chair.
The current enrollment method prevents students from filling empty seats because of the waiting list. The new method involves an “interest list.”
“Switching to the interest list fixes that and allows students to immediately fill the gaps the moment vacancies appear,” the handout stated.
Ultimately, the interest list will take the place of the current waiting list. When students wish to add a class they may do so as long as there is existing space.
As soon as there is another vacancy, students from the interest list, in priority order, will be added.
The interest list will work in a similar way to the waiting list in a sense that the student will know if the class was successfully added or what number they happen to be on the interest list.
Although the new software is not set in stone, Martinez, who is also the mathematics department chair, specified that the department chairs and deans support the new enrollment software.
However, a few professors had mixed feelings about the new method, explaining that if students do not constantly check for vacancies while hoping to add, then they have a slimmer chance of adding.
Also discussed at the meeting was the progression of Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs), which essentially define what a student should know or be able to do by the completion of any particular course.
Barbara Anderson, SLO coordinator and speech professor, spoke about the growing development of the system.
She commented on how vital the advancement of SLOs are for students as well as professors.
“We are working on developing and assessing SLOs in all of the courses that Pierce offers, but that is a process that will not happen overnight,” Anderson emphasized.
Beth Benne, director of the Student Health Center, made an announcement regarding a new benefit at the center.
Senior graduate nutrition students who are completing an internship at Pierce will be available to conduct free consultations with students Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the center.
Fliers informing students of the new assistance were made available Friday.
Lastly, Phil Stein, ethics chair and anthropology department chair, briefly explained the purpose of the ethics committee and spoke on the unique culture that resides at Pierce.
He noted the importance of “absorb[ing] this culture we have built over the years.”