I think there have been a lot of interesting and constructive comments.
I would like to add that more flexibility for faculty scheduling (which I am all for!) may result in less flexibility in scheduling for many students as we move away from standardized time patterns. Also, there could be a large increase in students asking to be allowed to enroll in classes with miscellaneous amounts of overlap.
Paul
Paul A. French
Associate Professor and Chair, Physics and Astronomy Department
SUNY College at Oneonta
Room 120 E, Physical Science Building
Oneonta, NY 13820
607-436-3358
607-436-2654 (fax)
-----Original Message-----
From: Teaching Breakfast List
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf
Of Janet Nepkie
Sent: Wednesday, November 10, 2004
9:12 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: class scheduling
Hello, TBers
The comments from Geoff are particularly helpful because they
reflect student needs regarding scheduling.
It seems to me that the bottom line for scheduling should be
whether a college is meeting the needs of its students. At SUNY Oneonta, we
have significantly raised the "selectivity" numbers of entering
freshmen in recent years and we are turning away more students than we
accept. While we have many areas where we need to improve, it's also a
fact that much of what we're doing is demonstrably better than it has been in
previous years. It's possible, therefore, that our current system of
scheduling is one of the positive aspects of our campus.
Does anyone know which of our College Senate committees might be charged with looking at college schedules as a factor in academic achievement?
Thanks
Janet
Dr.
Janet Nepkie
Professor
of Music and Music Industry
Music
Department
State
University College
Oneonta,
New York 13820
tele
(607) 436 3425
fax
607 436 2718
----------
From: Teaching Breakfast List on behalf of
Jim Greenberg
Reply To: Teaching
Breakfast List
Sent: Wednesday, November 10, 2004 7:32 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject:
FW: class scheduling
This posting is from Geoff Davis, forwarded to the list by Jim Greenberg
Let throw my two cents in here as a part-time
adjunct (yes, I know that is a
redundant
title) and parent of two college kids attending two different SUNY
schools.
First, as an adjunct, I need flexibility in my
teaching schedule because I
am
working other jobs off campus that also require my attention. The
inability
to teach a Monday-Wednesday or Wednesday-Friday class that meets
for
the hour and fifteen minutes each session has caused problems for me
from
time-to-time. Because of this I have had to change my day class
schedule
to
Tuesday
and Thursday for the next two semesters. The result is that I am on
campus
less and also makes it difficult for my students to make up classes
they
miss due to illness or club/team activities.
My son attends Albany and my daughter is at
Purchase. Albany is so large
that
if there is a pattern of when classes are offered I haven't been able
to
figure it out the past four years. What I do know is that my son has had
considerable
flexibility in determining the days and times of when he is in
class.
At Purchase my daughter has not had classes on
Friday the three semesters
she
has been there. Her impression is that because most faculty and a
significant
number of students commute through horrendous traffic that they
selected
Friday as a no class or limited class day. Also, most of her
courses
are four credits and meet at least two hours each session twice a
week.
If the figure of aboiut 40% of our faculty are
adjunct, and therefore
part-time,
is correct then that need also has to be taken into consideration
when
looking at a class schedule. I vote for more flexibility.
Regards - Geoff Davis