While taking many classes and units in college may not seem like a savory choice for some, the students that do want to take that many courses should be able to do so without having to jump through hoops.
Recently, Santa Barbara Community College and it’s staff have voiced their concern with the new “Administration Procedure 7210” bill with many members of the college’s staff signing a petition in order to nullify it.
One of AP 7210’s many goals was to limit the number of course units a student could take per semester.
“The maximum number of TLUs that may be assigned in one semester is 21, i.e., six
overload TLUs,” AP 7210’s bill stated. “Overloads shall be scheduled to avoid conflict with the faculty member’s professional duties.”
This bill mainly applies to the faculty and staff of SBCC, students across the Southern California area should also be worried about such limits applied to them by external forces.
It should be up to the students on whether or not the should take as few or as many courses as they want, not a board committee who are oblivious to the student’s individual academic strengths and economic stability.
The number of units that can be taken at Pierce is even limited at different places for people taking different methods of acquiring extra units.
According to the Pierce website, students may only take up to 4 units a semester if the student’s Cooperative Work Experience Education (CWEE) relates to their major.
If it doesn’t, then they can only take 3 units a semester. The reasoning for the limit relates to the concerns that students might overwork themselves, however, if the students feels that they are fit for the task, they should be able to take it without interference.
When it comes down to it, this is more of a matter if students should have a say in their school matters or not. Denying students of their right to choose their workload seems rather stifling to their education in general, which is something that Pierce should be avoiding.
Students shouldn’t have to sign a petition or schedule an unnecessary meeting with their counselor to see if they may receive more credits in a semester as it ironically only creates more work for all parties involved.
In the end, the students themselves should be the masters of their own future, and not be weighed down claustrophobic limits imposed by an entity that knows little of the students themselves.
