It was also noted that capping English 004 sections as well as other writing-intensive courses at 15 is consistent with General Education guidelines. The students may need to be informed that the faculty endorsed these limits because they tend to make for more effective teaching and learning, not because they make for good publicity. In response to the student complaints, the Senate will make two recommendations to the Registrar. First, a list should be kept on the web of all course schedule changes that are made after the printed version is distributed. Many advisors still rely on the printed schedule, annotating it with changes as they are announced via email.
Students come to advising unaware of new courses, new sections, and time changes.
The second recommendation is that the Registrar review the priority system. First and second year students are sometimes closed out of courses in their potential major by upperclassmen taking the courses as electives. The Senate recognizes the importance of student concerns about being closed out of courses, and will put this on the agenda for the next meeting with the Dean and the President. Student complaints about First-Year Seminars were discussed in the December 1 Chairs Council meeting. The Chairs Council Report of that meeting summarizes this discussion.