Pro: Cancel classes early Con: Cancel classes late

MARC BLAIS Reporter @blaismarc20161

There is a debate about whether it is better to cancel a class due to low enrollment weeks before the semester begins or to wait and see if that class will eventually be filled up.

It would be fair to students and teachers if classes were canceled weeks before the semester begins because it allows them more time to make the necessary changes in their lives.

College students deal with more than simply school. Some deal with jobs, families, sports or other extracurricular activities.

Not to mention, most people don’t have access to their own car. They may rely on their family and friends to drive them, while others depend on public transportation. Having to find a new class to replace the one that was canceled may require them to find a new way to get to school.

Lots of students relate to having to balance school while also working a job. They plan out their class schedule ahead of time so modifications can be made for work schedules. However, almost every semester they have to add and drop multiple classes in the first week. Not only is it stressful to have to find another class to enroll in, but there’s also the need to reschedule or cancel plans that were already made.

Letting students know before the semester starts that a class is going to be canceled would mainly help students. Giving the students a heads up allows them time to not only find a new class that will fill their requirements, but also gives them time to make adjustments in their lives out of school.

While students should be given the opportunity to make the necessary changes in their lives, teachers deserve it as well.

Canceling a class doesn’t affect only students, it also troubles teachers. Believe it or not, teachers have lives outside of school. There are professors that teach at other colleges and some have children they need to take care of. As with the students, if teachers are given advance notice that one of their classes is going to be canceled, they can find a way to alter their outside of school priorities as well. This doesn’t only affect how teachers balance their obligations, it also may influence their pay negatively. According to the article, “The Average Adjunct Pay at Community Colleges” by Tony Guerra, “Adjunct faculty pay at community colleges is usually on a per-class or per-semester hourly basis.”

In other words, some professors are paid by each hour that they teach. If one of their classes is dropped, it could have a significant financial impact on them. If they were to know that a class is being canceled ahead of time, then they could have time to try and find a new way to make up for that loss of pay, whether that be by teaching a different class or finding another job. Some believe that it’s more beneficial to try and see if more students will enroll in the class once the semester starts, and sometimes the classes do get enough students. However, is it worth the risk of throwing students and teachers lives into chaos simply to see if a class gets filled?

PAOLA CASTILLO Reporter @paaolacaastillo

The majority of students have experienced the dreaded email stating that a class they signed up for has been canceled.

Those students are then burdened with the task of having to find a seat in another class. If they are lucky, they’ll find one that meets their requirements. If they are unlucky, they’ll either have to waitlist or wait another semester to take the class.

The classes that would be canceled should at least be given the benefit of the doubt before it’s completely removed. Canceling a week or two after the semester starts may be the better option.

Waiting to cancel would benefit students who enroll in college last minute. By the time they’re ready to start adding courses, classes are either waitlisted or closed. This limits their options to almost nothing.

canceled. Canceling the classes results in them being forgotten. The students won’t know about it, and that will lead to it having low enrollment.

Also, if the students recognize that the class has the potential of being taken away, then they will be discouraged to enroll in it. Distrust towards the class schedule may ensue.

Students could find that the class schedule isn’t as reliable since the classes that are offered sometimes don’t take place.

What should also be considered are the last minute changes a student may make in regards to their academic plan. They may realize that the class that got canceled was one of the classes they needed to take. It’s possible that the other options they have are full or simply didn’t interest them.

Depending on the college, 10 to 15 is the number of seats that a class has to have filled for it to stay open. The problem is that the students are seen as seats rather than students.

If a student is genuinely interested in a certain class they should be able to take it.

According to responses on a forum on The Chronicle of Higher Education, some colleges allow students to take the class regardless of the number of students that enrolled. They either treat the class like normal or teach it through independent study.

It gives classes a level of importance and value that may not otherwise be there if they are canceled.

Some might say that if the class is that important to the student, then they can most likely find it elsewhere. Yet, some students are limited on how far they can go to school.

Some students don't have the ability to go to another college for the class that got canceled. Taking them online isn’t an option that is available for every class, so that is another risk that they face.

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Keeping the classes open would motivate them to enroll, which in turn would fill more seats.

Part of the reason these classes have low enrollment can be because they are being

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A class that isn’t filled to the brim doesn’t mean it isn’t valuable. The small number of students willing to take the class are equally as important as a full class of students.

The stress of a new semester is enough for a student to deal with. Canceling a class and having to make them find another is something they shouldn’t have to worry about. Classes should be given the chance to fill up before it’s completely removed. mblais.roundupnews@gmail.com

The class exists for a reason.