Let me start by offering a fond welcome back to all you unfortunate souls who will be spending the coming weeks stewing in a sweaty classroom while our peers lay around on couches, beaches and unfamiliar beds, basking in the freedom of summer. I know it seems dreary, but believe it or not, I envy you.
Until a few days ago, I was one of you, enrolled in summer class and dreading Monday’s arrival. But then, to my surprise, I received an e-mail notifying me my class was canceled because of low enrollment. Naturally, my first reaction was a resounding “hell yeah!,” but my joy was quickly dampened by the realization I needed those credits. Don’t get me wrong, I love college as much as the next guy, but the prospect of a fifth year in school is not one I can afford to look into. A canceled course is a burden I just don’t need.
Before this turns into one big sympathy plea, let me point out why this qualifies as an injustice.
University policy is to cancel summer courses if fewer than five students enroll in a course. It’s a policy that makes a lot of sense, given the cost of holding classes and paying professors. My personal gripe, though, has to do with timing. Enrollment for summer session I courses opens February 23 and doesn’t close until May 29. Because the registration period closes a whopping three days before class starts, those of us whose courses don’t make the cut are often not notified until very late. I received my notification May 28. Fortunately, I have little-to-no social life to speak of, but others in my situation have no doubt canceled vacations or internships because of summer class obligations.
To be fair, when a class is canceled, the university is quick to offer alternative courses and refund tuition, but when the cancellation happens so late, there are few options available. My solution is simple: Move up the deadline.
If the deadline to sign up for the first summer session was earlier, then cancellations would leave time to readjust summer plans. Late deadlines allow the greatest opportunity for enrollment and give students who fail classes the opportunity to make up credits, but there is already a three-month window to sign up, and students who fail have the opportunity to take classes in the second session or next winter in some cases. At the very least, there needs to be a deadline by which the minimum enrollment must be met, allowing students enough time to adjust their schedules.
So, for those of you who are lucky enough to be in class (yeah, I said it), I hope you study hard and stay focused. While you’re getting ahead, I’ll be sitting at home watching reruns of Just Shoot Me and preparing myself for my fifth year of college.
Mike DiMarco is a senior English major. He can be reached at dimarcodbk@gmail.com.
