Bilinovich: How CWRU falls short, even as a top university

Beau Bilinovich Deveopment Editor

The past few weeks have been stressful for many students at Case Western Reserve University. Between dealing with uncertainty over housing options, struggling with registration for classes, and contending with continually fluctuating COVID policies on campus, the CWRU community is understandably frustrated with the administration. When you factor in the recent increase in COVID-19 cases on campus following the recent drop of the mask mandate, there seems to be no break in sight.

All of these issues point to a serious lack of foresight and effective planning on the part of the administration.

Let’s not mislead ourselves here: CWRU is a very good university. Its website boasts impressive rankings: No. 1 in Ohio, No. 42 in the United States, and even No. 68 globally. In addition, the university’s collaboration with top-ranked hospitals allows students involved in health disciplines an excellent education.

But despite these outstanding statistics, our administration, in particular, suffers from grave flaws.

The housing debacle at the start of the semester provided a window into the executive departments of the university, laying bare the inefficiencies which plague their operations. Instead of considering every option the university had in front of them, they decided to worry the student population, preemptively declaring that housing would not be guaranteed. For students in tough financial situations, this move cast doubt on their living plans for subsequent semesters.

Luckily, after organized efforts by the student population and a show of support by the Undergraduate Student Government, the administration changed its decisions and was able to find housing for all upperclassmen. But the week of confusion and anger that the administration put CWRU students under is evidence that the administration’s problems are of their own doing.

As the myriad of emails from university officials at the time explained, an increase in enrollment for underclassmen was expected. Yet, despite having access to this knowledge, the university decided not to share it until they made a ludicrous decision that briefly jeopardized housing plans for upperclassmen. In the end, students suffered as a result of poor, ineffective planning.

CWRU’s enormous flaws extend far beyond just housing, though. The class registration system is another area where it falls short.

Trying to enroll in the many courses students need to take to graduate is a nightmare, especially for students involved in majors where it’s difficult to secure spots for classes. This results in some students to be shafted, forcing them to scurry and find courses that they can take, if there are any left.

Granted, there is room for nuance. Not every individual’s situation is exactly the same, and not everyone pursues the same educational path. Thus, it’s hard to pinpoint where the problem lies or who is to blame, but a collective annoyance with the class registration system should at least warrant a look into what the university can improve.