Saving a few easy core classes for second semester senior year?

Be careful, that may only be a good idea in theory. Most seniors try to pick the easiest schedule containing their remaining necessary classes for graduation. Usually this is a very specific combination, and one full class can throw off the entire mix.

This is what happened to Jordan Schibler, ’03, this semester.

“Registration this semester was a pain,” Schibler said. “Not getting into one class messed up my entire schedule. I ended up having to switch three classes and get two teachers and two deans to sign me into classes.”

Schibler was desperately trying to get into World Music History ‘ Ensemble, which would have finished multiple core requirements. Because of a waiting list of almost 30 graduating seniors, Professor Brian Torff could not help Jordan by writing him into the class.

A good lottery number did not even help Schibler, who was in the first alphabetical group to register in the senior class. However, Presidential Scholars register first.

Schibler disagreed with this policy. “This is absurd; freshmen may have gotten into a class that I needed to graduate,” he said.

It was not just the one world diversity course that Schibler was denied entrance because of closure, but every world diversity class he tried to get into had a waiting list.University Registrar Robert Russo assured however that the registrar will help anyone who has a serious scheduling problem.

“All they have to do is come see me and we’ll give them a spot,” he said.

According to Russo, Fairfield University has a lot more core classes than other colleges, including US and world diversity courses.,

However, students often plan to take these courses late in their undergraduate careers at Fairfield. “Students put off these classes until last minute, which is why we register seniors first, so they can have them,” Russo said.

The university is adding more US and world diversity courses every semester to accommodate all the students who need to take them. “The list is getting longer every year,” commented Russo.

The world diversity requirement is relatively new to the university. Russo was not sure if it was started before or after this year’s class of seniors started at the university. This may be a reason for the problem with finding an open class.

Regardless putting off any core class until the last minute may pose a problem for graduating seniors.

“We have seniors who leave off one thing or another until last minute. We had to start a new science class last week to accommodate everyone,” Russo continued. “We will find a way to make things work out. No one wouldn’t graduate because of missing a class like this.”

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