Registration for spring courses has opened. As students schedule their courses, they have a few expectations. Most importantly, students expect that the schedule they create is the schedule they will have. The Registrar’s office or the course professor should not decide after registration has closed to change around the time requirements.
Classes at RPI are hard enough. Students shouldn’t be forced to drop a class or even miss a few sessions because the professor decides, after the class has begun, that it is necessary to add evening exam sessions or mid-day make-up classes. Even in a small class of 20 students, it is likely that more than one student will need to choose between attending one class or another.
It is a noble goal for a professor to want to take full advantage of class time and schedule evening testing periods in addition to regularly scheduled classes. However, the situation changes drastically if the evening testing periods cuts into students’ personal time just so that the course can be completed before Thanksgiving, leaving the remaining scheduled class time unused.
Sometimes changes in scheduling are unavoidable. When this happens, professors, students, and the Registrar need to work together to come up with a schedule that meets the needs of as many students as possible. These changes should, however, be worked out as soon as the need for a change arises. It is very difficult for students to adjust their schedules if a course’s times are changed after the registration period has ended and classes have begun.
Students should also expect that classes may require four hours of work for every hour spent in class. Laboratory classes may require extra work, especially if an independent lab project is assigned. A scheduled course may have to shift times slightly. Students schedule their courses with certain expectations. Most obviously, the class will meet when it says it will. This shouldn’t change after the semester starts.
Unfortunately, a few professors are out of touch with their students, and some of the changes are beyond anything a student can reasonably expect. These things are important to remember for all parties involved in scheduling courses—students, professors, and the Registar alike.
