Bakersfield College students may have no complaints about the wait listing system. However, everyone, including students, counselors and professors do not like waiting for the printed class schedule, which, they all say, typically arrives too late for practical use.
BC officials say that the printed schedule will appear Dec. 12. A pamphlet containing a list of courses that will be offered in the spring semester can be found in BC’s Admissions and Records building.
“I don’t care about the wait listing system, but the printed schedule always comes out later than they say it will,” said BC student Amy Smith, 20, and a forestry and animal science major.
Other students simply express appreciation for the wait listing system.
“It’s (the wait list system) been good. This is my first semester, and I’ve been able to get into all of the classes I needed,” said Julia Marin, 18, and an undeclared major.
Speaking of the waitlist system, Rey Abaldonado, 18, and a nursing major, said the waitlist system is “a great idea.” However, regarding the printed schedule, Abaldonado said that the “printed schedule comes out too late.”
According to Mike Fox, 18, and an undeclared major, “there’s nothing wrong with the wait list.”
Darcy Brown, a BC counselor, said that that the wait list gives students fair and equal chances to get into the courses they want.
“There are little glitches (in the waitlist system) to be worked out, and BC is trying to work them out, but it’s a good system,” Brown said. “The system is easier for teachers, and not as chaotic as when they were sending out add and drop slips. The wait list is more efficient, and not like the previous lottery system of adding.” Speaking of the printed schedule’s timing, Brown said simply, “the administration is working to improve that system.”
According to Dan Murillo, counselor and counseling departmental chair, the wait listing system is “pretty good. It prevents students from crashing as in the old days. There’s no more of that drawing straws/lottery thing now.” However, with a smile, Murillo added that the new system is “rough on procrastinators.” In regard to accessing a BC course schedule, Murillo says that having an online schedule is fine, but that having the printed schedule is “necessary, and it needs to be on time. Lots of students have no access to computers.” Murillo said it is more convenient for many computer-deprived students to have a printed version of BC’s course schedule.
Some BC professors are not happy with the size of the wait list that BC administrators have allowed; according to Moya Arthur, BC philosophy professor, it is completely egregious to allow the list to expand to 25 so-called openings, she said.
“It’s deceptive to allow a student who is 25 on the wait list to think he or she has a chance of getting into the class,” Arthur said. “A student placed at 25 on the list doesn’t have an ice cube’s chance in hell of getting in.”
According to Arthur, the wait list system should logically “reflect the likelihood or chance of a student getting into the class.” In other words, Arthur says, the wait list should not go over a few slots and certainly there should not be as many as 25 to 30 alleged openings.
As for the printed schedule, Arthur said that it is the “best marketing tool BC has.” However, Arthur believes that it would be best to go back to giving the printed schedule away for free, as was done in the past. Arthur pointed out the fact that BC’s publication, “The Source” is given out for free, although the publication has some costs.
If “The Source,” which has its costs, is free, than why not the printed course schedule as well? She asked.
“Which is more important?” Arthur queried.
The online schedule is inadequate, and the printed schedule’s typical lateness is not acceptable, said Arthur. There is also a fallacious assumption that all students have access to computers. This assumption, said Arthur, defeats the “target aim” of BC; the “target aim” of BC is that BC is accessible. This assumption is “counter intuitive to our purpose,” Arthur said. If BC develops a reputation for being accessible only to those with computers, then this would not be right, she said.
Speaking of the deceptiveness of the wait list system with its 25 “available” slots, Andrea Garrison, BC biology professor said that a student who is number 24 on the list is definitely not going to get into the class. This aspect of the wait list system, Garrison said, “undermines student confidence in the wait list system.”