Class registration at Kennesaw State University is absolutely frustrating. If you think you have it bad now, underclassmen, just wait until your senior year.
This year it seems that KSU cannot offer enough capstone courses for seniors who are ready to graduate in the spring 2017 semester. That means these seniors will have to graduate a semester or two later, and in turn they pay more in tuition and fees than they had originally intended to pay.
Upperclassmen vs. underclassmen
Freshmen and sophomores have more options during class registration than upperclassmen do. They don’t have to take any classes related to their declared majors as underclassmen. They can register for general education courses instead and wait for the other classes to open up.
Unfortunately for me, a senior trying graduate in the summer, three-fourths of the classes I registered for next semester are only offered in one section. I have been especially trying to get into Advanced Media Writing since I was a second-semester sophomore.
Just hours after I was able to register for my classes, Advanced Media Writing was completely full. Everyone with my major needs this to graduate, yet I have seen only one section offered each semester.
The communication major has changed within the past year, but when I declared my major it offered students four concentrations: journalism and emerging media, public relations, media studies and organizational communication. Journalism and public relations are now offered as separate majors.
According to Owl Express, only three sections of the public relations capstone are being offered in the spring 2017 semester. Two sections for the organizational communication are offered. Only two media studies capstone sections are offered, and one section of the journalism capstone will be offered.
Petition for more classes
Last week, freshman finance major Kameron Patel created a petition on change.org urging KSU to increase either class sizes or the number of classes available. This petition has been circulating social media for almost a week, and it has gained over 1,800 signatures, which is more than 70 percent of its goal of 2,500 signatures.
Patel, who transferred to KSU this semester, says he has not been able to register for the classes he needs so that he can meet the sophomore GPA requirement and apply to the Coles College of Business.
“We students are not asking for anything ridiculous,” Patel said on change.org. “We are proud to go to a school that places such emphasis not only on academics, but student life as a whole. All we are asking for is we be granted the ability to learn.”
How KSU is trying to help
Unfortunately, a petition may not help in this situation. On Nov. 3, my Communication Theory professor, Karen Sichler, explained to my classmates and me that KSU can neither offer additional courses nor increase the class sizes, which are already at full capacity.
Sichler showed her class a letter from the School of Communication and Media regarding the public relations capstone, which already has been filled.
“We realize that all sections of PR 4465 are full, and that all students need this class to graduate,” the letter read. “Unfortunately, we do not have the faculty resources to offer additional sections or open additional seats in the PR capstone course.”
“Until we are provided with these resources, there is nothing we can do about the number of PR Campaigns sections we can offer,” the letter continued. “We regret this might impact your graduation timeline.”
Sichler said on Nov. 7 that the School of Communication and Media has been granted two new faculty positions.
“Assuming we are able to hire two additional faculty members by Jan. 2, we expect this to be a big help in the [public relations] major,” School of Communication and Media Director Dr. Barbara Gainey said in an email. “We appreciate the provost’s support for these two new hires. We will be able to increase the number of [public relations] capstone and other courses.”
Gainey was not blind to the effects of the growth of the communication programs at KSU.
“We are still playing ‘catch-up’ to our student enrollment growth across the four undergraduate programs in the School of Communication and Media,” she said.
The KSU administration is sympathetic toward this issue, and it seems that they are doing everything they can do help students get the classes they need. I wish things could be better, but sometimes we must accept that some things are just beyond our control.
I also had the same problem with the Advanced Writing course. Keep looking at Owl Express everyday incase someone drops. Although this is not a long term solution, I wish you the best. At least KSU is aware of student concerns which is the 1st step!