By Haley Connor
haley.connor@spartans.ut.edu
Students at The University of Tampa are admitted to classes based on the number of completed credits. In other words, freshmen register last and are admitted to classes last. Seniors register first because they have completed more credits and are admitted first as well.
In theory this system makes sense because the closer you are to graduating the more options you should have when it comes to courses.
But in practice, it does not seem to work.
During my three and a half years at Tampa I was waitlisted for 90% of the courses for which I registered.
Entering my senior year, I had taken May term and summer term credits. I had enough credits to graduate in December. This should have put me ahead of most seniors credit wise. When it came time to sign up for courses for my last semester, I was excited. I would finally get into the classes I had been trying to take for over two years. Instead I was waitlisted all over again for two out of my three selections.
So I began emailing my professors, my advisor and finally my department heads. I was forced to do everything that I could because, in some cases, without these courses I would not be able to graduate in December.
Luckily after a number of emails, I was able to get into all the courses that I needed to graduate. But it required my time and faculty time to work out my courses. It should not be this difficult.
I am not sure if it is the lack of courses, the sheer number of students signing up or the small class sizes, but it should not be this tricky to get into a class. Seniors should not be waitlisted.
And I am not the only student to face these struggles.
According to Allissa Cervellino, senior advertising and public relations major, she faced the same problems throughout her time at UT and is still having trouble registering for classes next semester.
“I am now a senior and I thought that registration would be easier,” said Cervellino. “I am going into my last semester at UT, so the courses that I am signing up for I need to complete in order to graduate. I had one of the first registration times so I was hopeful that there would be no issues. Unfortunately, I was still waitlisted for one major course that I need to complete.”
The system needs fixing. The process should be more transparent and easier for both students and faculty. Do we need more classes, more faculty, larger classes? UT needs to evaluate and eliminate the endless waitlist option.
The advantage of being a senior is that UT offers smaller upper level classes with experienced faculty. Let’s ensure that those classes are open and end the registration frustration.
