More students, less money
COM faces enrollment hike, budget crunch
Elisa Forsgren
Issue date: 2/8/10 Section: News
Enrollment at College of Marin rose 16.5 percent compared to the spring 2009 semester, college officials said last week. What will the approximately 1,100 more students mean for the current student body?
At the very least, say students and faculty members, fuller classrooms and longer waiting lists for high-demand classes.
"Bakersfield has classes up to 50 students," said transfer student Madeline Fabbri, "but COM can't accommodate 40 plus students in the classroom."
Nearby colleges canceling summer semester, cutting classes and capping enrollment are a few reasons COM has seen an increase in students, according to college officials.
"COM is filling up with the overage students," said Dean of Math and Sciences Jim Arnold.
"A lot more students are enrolled in the high-demand classes such as biology, psychology, philosophy, chemistry, speech and English," said Vice-President of Student Learning Nick Chang. "In particular, courses required for completing general education in order to transfer for fall semester."
Higher student enrollment means an "impressive wait list," said Arnold, "and the wait list thing is confusing."COM's wait list system is not automatic Arnold explained, meaning a waitlisted student does not immediately obtain the roster spot vacated by a student dropping the class. "Students have to physically show up for class and be added by the instructor because the entire wait list is purged by 8 a.m. the first day of class," said Arnold.
The wait list for students attempting to get key transfer classes like English 150 or 151 contains more than 100 students, according to Dean of Arts and Humanities David Snyder.
Adding more classes would seem like a logical solution, however, it is not that simple according to Chang. "It costs money to add classes and there are so many things tugging at those dollars," he said.
The budget has become a growing concern for college of Marin, said COM Superintendent and President Fran White. "Every time the school opens a new section, someone has to be hired to teach," she said. "With the numbers going up for certain classes, COM can't continue to accept all incoming students because of the cost."
At the very least, say students and faculty members, fuller classrooms and longer waiting lists for high-demand classes.
"Bakersfield has classes up to 50 students," said transfer student Madeline Fabbri, "but COM can't accommodate 40 plus students in the classroom."
Nearby colleges canceling summer semester, cutting classes and capping enrollment are a few reasons COM has seen an increase in students, according to college officials.
"COM is filling up with the overage students," said Dean of Math and Sciences Jim Arnold.
"A lot more students are enrolled in the high-demand classes such as biology, psychology, philosophy, chemistry, speech and English," said Vice-President of Student Learning Nick Chang. "In particular, courses required for completing general education in order to transfer for fall semester."
Higher student enrollment means an "impressive wait list," said Arnold, "and the wait list thing is confusing."COM's wait list system is not automatic Arnold explained, meaning a waitlisted student does not immediately obtain the roster spot vacated by a student dropping the class. "Students have to physically show up for class and be added by the instructor because the entire wait list is purged by 8 a.m. the first day of class," said Arnold.
The wait list for students attempting to get key transfer classes like English 150 or 151 contains more than 100 students, according to Dean of Arts and Humanities David Snyder.
Adding more classes would seem like a logical solution, however, it is not that simple according to Chang. "It costs money to add classes and there are so many things tugging at those dollars," he said.
The budget has become a growing concern for college of Marin, said COM Superintendent and President Fran White. "Every time the school opens a new section, someone has to be hired to teach," she said. "With the numbers going up for certain classes, COM can't continue to accept all incoming students because of the cost."
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