Complaints about conflicting class times and issues with course availability have been heard around campus recently.
While students are upset with scheduling conflicts, university administrators are making efforts to improve course accessibility.
“The institution is committed to moving to much more flexible scheduling. We’re trying to schedule at different times and online, trying to maximize student demand,” said Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs Laura Woodworth-Ney.
Senior Michelle Kinney, an anthropology major, had complaints about conflicting class times for courses needed for graduation.
“I’ve had such problems with this,” said Kinney. “You have to rearrange your entire schedule.”
Woodworth-Ney said ISU began using a new system to track student demand for classes in recent years.
“We’re going to start to reap the benefit of that data now that it’s been in place for a while,” she said, noting that more courses will be offered online as a result.
“It’s a huge increase in the past five years of courses that are online,” said Woodworth-Ney.
Although some students said they think conflicting class times are a university-wide issue, University Scheduler Lara Morris explained departments are responsible for their own schedules. She said the registrar’s office asks departments to schedule classes during standard time blocks but is not responsible for specific classes’ scheduling.
“For large sections, we make sure those are scheduled into a block schedule so that they do not conflict with each other,” said Woodworth-Ney.
“The colleges monitor the departments’ scheduling,” Woodworth-Ney continued. “So an upper division chemistry course and an upper division history course” may conflict because they are in different programs. “We’re trying to schedule different courses at different times across the spectrum,” she said.
Brian Lu, a sophomore biology student, said “I’ve never had any conflicts” with ISU’s class scheduling.
Kinney said she doesn’t think scheduling is done far enough in advance. Lu agreed with her, saying, “They don’t tell you the schedule.”
Woodworth-Ney said, “We have a year catalogue. We’re always a year out. So we always know two years in advance what courses will be offered.”
Some students are concerned that classes are not offered frequently enough.
Woodworth-Ney commented, “Upper division courses may not be offered every term.”
Flexibility is key for students planning their schedules, according to Academic Advisor Jacqueline Baergen.
“Students sometimes want to be all Monday, Wednesday, Friday or all Tuesday, Thursday, [class-wise], so they won’t look at other options,” said Baergen.
Lu agreed, saying he hasn’t had problems scheduling classes because “I’m willing to sacrifice my sleep and my morning schedule.”
Baergen said students should plan their college schedules as far in advance as possible. “The best thing to do is plan early in their college career, so if they have to skip a semester,” the students’ expected graduation date won’t be affected.
“Try to know which classes there are only one or two sections of,” said Baergen. She said prioritizing classes with limited availability is important. Then students can fill the rest of their schedule with courses that are offered frequently, like English 1101.
“Planning ahead is going to help,” said Baergen.