If you’re annoyed that your classrooms are so overcrowded that you can barely move your hand to take notes, you are not alone. Professor and student complaints have risen this year, making Fairfield look like it is incapable of accommodating its students.
“My professor said our classroom was too small when she saw students writing on their laps,” said Shawna Murray ’06.
“In my business turbo, I can end up sitting on the floor for two hours. It’s been disrupting to my learning process and I don’t think it should happen,” said Taylor Brown’06.
The job of assigning classrooms when there simply isn’t space is complicated, and rests on one woman’s shoulders: Patricia A. Newall, assistant to the University Registrar for Registration and Scheduling.
Newall, who says nobody wants her job, uses a computer program called Schedule 25 to assign classrooms according to the size of the class. She spends her days trying to make everyone content, which is becoming harder with Fairfield’s growing population.
Overcrowding is an issue that is not Newall’s fault, who can change a classroom in two hours flat, like she did for Professor Calienes of the Sociology Department. What is the solution to our jam-packed classes? Expansion of buildings is coming to a halt, so do we stop accepting so many students? Do we hire more professors and raise tuition?
“I have been here for 26 years…Fairfield now has the most students it has ever had,” said Newall.
Professors agree with Newall that the size of their classes can often be overwhelming. Some read up to 600 pages of final papers while others take pictures of their students to help them remember names.
“We’re experiencing all of our classes at maximum capacity,” said Professor Lynne Porter of the theatre department. “It’s nice to know there’s an interest in theatre classes, however it’s more difficult to spend time with my students.”
Students say when they are in smaller classes they get more feedback and more out of the lesson plans. Because of this, the Registrar strongly discourages professors from writing students into their classes, but professors still have the ability to do so.
However, not all professors dismiss the Registrar’s advice. Professor Richard DeWitt of the philosophy department rarely writes students in because of how many requests he receives and his knowledge that extra students sacrifice the level of education Fairfield strives for.
Professors can ask for specific rooms prior to the beginning of classes for the semester or after. Newall dates all the requests and they are granted to whomever applies first.
“I am grateful to have a classroom at all. This year I have been hearing of classes held in dorm rooms and faculty lounges,” said an anonymous professor.
Professors must notify the Registrar if they are switching classrooms with another professor because certain classrooms are booked for single days. Conflicts occur when the Registrar isn’t notified and classroom schedules overlap.
“God forbid there was an emergency and we had to find a student who wasn’t in the assigned classroom. We wouldn’t be able to locate him or her,” said Newall.
Classrooms get most use during prime time, which is 11:00-12:15pm, especially on Mondays and Thursdays. Because there is little demand for Friday and early morning classes, the Registrar encourages students to take these classes to avoid crowding.
“I genuinely believe that there is flexibility to create some potential and very exciting mixes with normal tradition. Undergraduate classes could meet in the early evening with the University College,” said Professor Philip Eliasoph of the art history department.
Classes like biology and chemistry are placed in Bannow’s larger classrooms first, but because of Fairfield’s desperate need of classrooms, don’t be surprised to take a religion or philosophy class there. However, most professors want to teach classes closer to the convenience of their offices that are located amongst Donarumma and Canisius’s smaller classrooms.
Despite Fairfield’s difficulties with space, the demand for classes can also be a good thing.
“I’m delighted that Fairfield undergraduates have created a strong demand on seats… the overflow capacity indicates that we are fulfilling our misson,” said Professor Eliasoph.
“Twenty-five years ago, we had smaller classes and were able to serve our students better,” said Eliasoph. “It’s a difficult issue because we don’t want education to suffer. One wonders how far we will push the capacity of Fairfield before we arrive at the tipping point. We’re definitely pushing.”
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