I’m a maverick! While the enrollment management folks hover over the registration figures like expectant parents, passing out bubble gum cigars and congratulations when we meet (or exceed!) the projected enrollment figures, I float in the background silently wishing the students would go somewhere else. I have nothing against our students. They seem like fine people. I just wish they would go to school somewhere else. In enrollment management, wishing for a lower enrollment makes you a maverick, and probably a persona non grata, if anyone knew about it. But I keep my mavericknicity a secret. No one knows how fervently I hope that classes get cancelled. I need the space. Badly.
“How can I help?” you ask. I just happen to have four suggestions.
Check your classroom assignments on Tuesday morning. Things may have changed.
Due to last minute course assignments with special equipment needs, last minute information about professors or students with special needs and last minute increases in enrollment, room changes will take place right through the Labor Day weekend. Please plan to get up a little earlier on Tuesday morning and do one last check of your room locations. They may have changed late Monday night while you were sleeping, (which means we have to get up even earlier so we can put the room change signs up before everyone gets here!)
Don’t give up hope
If you have already requested a room change and haven’t seen any positive action that doesn’t mean I am ignoring you. If I can’t accommodate a change immediately I let it stew around while other changes are made and cancellations take place to see if an appropriate place opens up. This will continue throughout the first week of classes. If I don’t feel there is any hope to ever make your room change I will let you know. This is a perfect example of ‘no news is good news’. If you hear from me, we have problems.
Save time by giving me all the information I need when you email a room change request
While we don’t have a hardcopy form for requesting room changes we do have a format that is helpful. Here is an example of a perfect room change request:
I need a smart classroom for ENG 123-321, CRN 81651, MWF 8:00-8:50.
That’s it! You are welcome to include additional information such as “I think you are a room scheduling genius”, “The more weight you gain, the thinner you look”, or “Everyone in my department has chipped in so you can take a cruise during Intersession”. These things are nice to hear but do not affect my ability to find you the best room I can.
Please don’t call me or come to the Registrar’s Office to talk to me.
I take room changes via email and not in person or over the phone. The phones in Registration and Records are insane the first few weeks of classes and the lines outside our windows are constant. It will slow all of us down if you try to reach me by phone or try to break into the office to see me. You will get a faster response by email.
Right before classes start I always like to remind everyone that we are in this process together. Finding the best room possible for each course is important to me. Teaching is challenging and we don’t want to add to a difficult job by depriving you of the facilities you need to meet your goals. Unfortunately, our success in attracting and retaining students also means our facilities are stretched to the limit and there aren’t enough perfect classrooms to go around. Working together we can, hopefully, get you into a classroom that works for you, imperfections and all.
Best wishes for a wonderful fall semester!
Deborah Benjamin
Registration and Records
09/03/2009 |