Catalogue changes create negative domino effects for seniors

UHCL’s 2014 downward expansion allowed admittance of the first freshmen and sophomore classes in the university’s history, and with it came changes to the course catalogue that created problems for students attempting to graduate.

With the addition of a freshmen and sophomores came the addition of the first set of lower-level courses offered at UHCL. When UHCL became a four-year university, it changed the order in which its rubric numbers appear to conform to the rubric hours found in local community college catalogues.

“It was a university level decision to change the catalogue,” said David Benz, director of student relations in the School of Education. “The purpose is to get us in line with the Texas Common Course, and now our lower-level courses will match community college courses.”

Formerly, the first digit of a four-digit course number described the level of the course. The third digit determined the number of hours. Since the catalogue change, the second and third digits have been switched to match community college course numbers. For example, the first-digit in History 1301 signifies that the course is a freshmen level course and the second-digit tells students it’s a three-hour course.

“Changing the undergraduate course numbers to conform with those of community colleges has caused mass confusion for students,” said Kathleen Williamson, executive director of academic programs and advising in the School of Business. “We have students now that sign up for a course that they have already taken and they didn’t know because they didn’t look at the course number.”

Class availability and teacher shortages have created a problem for courses in-demand by students seeking to graduate on time. Julie Garner, Student Government Association president, addressed her own personal struggles and that of other accounting majors since the downward expansion.

“International Accounting is needed, and for some accounting majors it’s their last viable elective option,” Garner said. “But it’s not offered next semester. And I can tell you for sure that Dr. Saroyanson can’t teach International Accounting because she has to teach freshmen and sophomore classes, and she just doesn’t have the time to teach international accounting.”

Another problem students face since downward expansion is that classes previously offered at the upper level have been changed to count as lower-level courses. This change, again, was the result of matching what is offered at local community colleges so that UHCL is in line with the Texas Common Course.

The current UHCL policy requiring students to graduate with 60 hours of upper-level credit has created a negative effect for some students trying to graduate because of the upper-level to lower-level switch.

“We had one student this semester who took a drawing class for non-art majors for her last elective,” said Gayla Brashears, coordinator of academic advising at the School of Business. “But since the course changed to a lower level due to the catalogue changes, she wasn’t able to get credit for the course since her elective has to be an upper-level course. Now she has to delay her graduation by one semester even though she already sent out her graduation invitations.”

Brashears said that although she advocated for this student by asking the dean of the School of Business to waive the class for her, the answer was no. Brashears was told that the credibility of the university would be called into question if a waiver were granted because the reputation of the school is dependent upon the quality of the graduate.

The School of Education and the School of Science and Computer Engineering have not received any complaints from their students to date regarding class availability as a result of downward expansion.

“We haven’t seen any cases, but then we haven’t done our graduation audits for this semester yet,” said Dennis Casserly, associate dean of School of Science and Computer Engineering. “But if a student comes in and has taken a course that changed from an upper-level to a lower-level course we would not penalize the student provided that they still meet the upper-level requirements.”

The School of Human Sciences and Humanities students have experienced courses being dropped from upper-level course to a lower-level course or certain courses are not being offered anymore. For example, Basic Texts, a core requirement for all HSH majors prior to fall 2014, has stopped being offered. For communication majors in the school of HSH, Digital Photography and Introduction to Mass Media and Society have converted from upper to lower-level courses. Seniors graduating under the older degree plans, who have not taken these required courses, now face not meeting the required 60 hours of upper-level credits. These changes have led some communication majors to speak out about their feelings of panic and confusion at this abrupt change in their degree plan.

“I was told by a counselor about the change, but if I would have never gone to see one then I would have never known,” said Alyx Haraway, senior communication major. “The class being changed from upper-level to a lower-level course almost affected my graduation date according to a counselor, until I went and spoke with [my faculty adviser]. It was very stressful at first. Fortunately, I was able to use it as an upper-level course but the teacher was discombobulated with the change as well, and the name of the course has yet to be changed to the correct name. It’s very confusing.”

Cruz Flores, advising coordinator at the School of Human Sciences and Humanities, said that the absence of Basic Texts in the course schedule seems to be one of the most confusing things for students.

“We no longer offer that course,” Flores said. “But we have a replacement course, Ideas and Transitions. Pretty much if there is something a student has to have to graduate then our faculty adviser will work with them. And our majors are flexible, not so black and white like the School of Business.”

Stuart Larson, associate professor of graphic design and Department Chair for Communication and Studio Arts programs, admitted since the changes to the course catalogue he has had to waive requirements and help students find substitutions several times. He has filled out a CPS change form at least 15 times this semester.

“I hope it gets better for the students, but I think it’s going to be difficult for at least the next year,” Larson said. “But for the spring semester, I think students are going to have to work really closely with their advisers, and they’re going to have to find substitute courses. In the old days, a student could wait for a class and it would show up sooner or later, but I don’t think we can count on that anymore.”