Video related to this article is available below.Issue date: 2/27/08 Section: News
Taking classes outside the College box
Students turn to the College of General Studies for smaller classes, different scheduling options
Nandanie Khilall
With the pending stress of Fall Course Registration on the horizon, the School of Arts and Sciences is doing its best to make students happy.
For some students, that happiness comes with more night-class options in the College of General Studies.
Kristine Rabberman, director of programs in the Humanities and Social Sciences in CGS, and College of Arts and Sciences Dean Dennis DeTurck have been working together on ways to "best meet the needs of both College and CGS students," Rabberman said.
By taking a look at course enrollment patterns in CGS, officials can identify certain courses that attract many undergraduates. If a course both fills a general requirement and has high demand, the College and CGS will try to offer the course to the greatest number of students.
In particular, courses in the Cinema Studies, English, Theater Arts and History departments are some of the more popular among undergraduates, Rabberman said.
This popularity could be due to a number of factors.
Some students take the three-hour-long night classes for clear-cut reasons, such as time conflicts.
Engineering freshman Lauren Sipzner is taking Math 104 through CGS because her other courses conflicted with every section offered in the College.
"If I had the choice, I probably wouldn't choose to take a night class twice a week, but I don't have that choice," Sipzner said.
Professors in CGS are of the same caliber as undergraduate professors, so there's no difference in quality, Sipzner said. But CGS classes are a different experience in other ways.
Engineering freshman Saksham Karwal, who takes Math 114 through CGS, said a major difference is class size. In the class, there are much fewer students - about 40 in comparison to approximately 120 to 140 in the SAS sections. "Students get personal attention without having recitation sections," said Karwal.
"Many people have the misconception that CGS courses are much easier or that it is easier to get a better grade, but that is not the case," he added.
"After all," he said, "vectors will remain vectors and complex numbers will in no way become simple numbers."
Even before CGS officials began collaborating with DeTurck and the College, Rabberman said they'd been working closely with several departments within the College, such as English and History, individually to offer CGS courses.
"It's all about balance," Rabberman said. "We're all a part of the same school and we share the same goals in making certain students have a great academic experience."
For some students, that happiness comes with more night-class options in the College of General Studies.
Kristine Rabberman, director of programs in the Humanities and Social Sciences in CGS, and College of Arts and Sciences Dean Dennis DeTurck have been working together on ways to "best meet the needs of both College and CGS students," Rabberman said.
By taking a look at course enrollment patterns in CGS, officials can identify certain courses that attract many undergraduates. If a course both fills a general requirement and has high demand, the College and CGS will try to offer the course to the greatest number of students.
In particular, courses in the Cinema Studies, English, Theater Arts and History departments are some of the more popular among undergraduates, Rabberman said.
This popularity could be due to a number of factors.
Some students take the three-hour-long night classes for clear-cut reasons, such as time conflicts.
Engineering freshman Lauren Sipzner is taking Math 104 through CGS because her other courses conflicted with every section offered in the College.
"If I had the choice, I probably wouldn't choose to take a night class twice a week, but I don't have that choice," Sipzner said.
Professors in CGS are of the same caliber as undergraduate professors, so there's no difference in quality, Sipzner said. But CGS classes are a different experience in other ways.
Engineering freshman Saksham Karwal, who takes Math 114 through CGS, said a major difference is class size. In the class, there are much fewer students - about 40 in comparison to approximately 120 to 140 in the SAS sections. "Students get personal attention without having recitation sections," said Karwal.
"Many people have the misconception that CGS courses are much easier or that it is easier to get a better grade, but that is not the case," he added.
"After all," he said, "vectors will remain vectors and complex numbers will in no way become simple numbers."
Even before CGS officials began collaborating with DeTurck and the College, Rabberman said they'd been working closely with several departments within the College, such as English and History, individually to offer CGS courses.
"It's all about balance," Rabberman said. "We're all a part of the same school and we share the same goals in making certain students have a great academic experience."
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