Officials: Holding classes hurts peers

A recent e-mail regarding the issue of holding classes for other students, sent out by GCSU Registrar’s Office has created plenty of discussion among the student body. Discussion and awareness were exactly what the Registrar’s Office hoped to facilitate by sending the e-mail, officials said.

“During almost every registration cycle we hear reports from both students and faculty and advisors that students are holding classes for other students,” Registrar A. Kay Anderson said.

The actual practice of holding classes occurs when one student, who is usually an upperclassman, enrolls in a class for another student. Both students then simultaneously add/drop the course. Holding has become somewhat of a frequent occurance among GCSU students and, until recently, wasn’t thought to be considered misconduct.

“A lot of freshmen don’t know that it’s wrong,” freshman biology major Brittni Allen said.

The harm in holding classes arises from the incorrect data that can come from students being enrolled in courses they do not intend to take. Departments may not be able to fully assess the student’s class requirements if the information is incorrect.

“Departments may not be really meeting the needs if the demand and data are skewed,” said Senior Director of Advising and Retention Mike Augustine.

Departments cannot make the necessary adjustments such as offering more or less sections which is caused by the misunderstanding of student needs.

Another damaging aspect of holding classes is it can possibly prevent upperclassmen from receiving the courses that they need in order to graduate.

“Our registration process is designed to be as fair as we can or all students and that’s deliberately why we do just what we said you know we want those students who are closest to graduating to have the first opportunity to get classes that they need so they can stay on track,” Anderson said.

Holding classes for other students is detrimental to the registration process but it is also in breach of the GCSU Honor Code, according to officials.

“Any situations where individuals are taking courses out of availability for students, for a purpose other than their own legitimate use, is inappropriate in terms of reason, respect and responsibility, but it’s hurting other students and that’s the primary concern,” said Associate Vice President of Student Affairs Paul Jahr.

A violation of the honor code is considered to be very serious. If a student was involved with academic dishonesty their case would be heard by the Student Judicial Board, which hears all cases of academic dishonesty.

At the core of the holding issue is the question of why students choose to hold classes for other students. One of the reasons is the fact that GCSU abides by the seniority system during registration, according to Augustine. The pressure to enroll in classes that students need in order to apply for a program can sometimes be too much and having another student hold a class may seem like a viable solution.

“I know that I’m pre-nursing right now and a lot of people probably hold classes for that and it’s really difficult and frustrating,” freshman pre-nursing major Jessica Baumgart said.

Students have other options when it comes to holding classes. Anderson said that registering at your first available time will give you the best shot at the courses you need and it will also show department chairs that you attempted to get into the class. Students should also not wait for another section to open up. When you don’t get into the course you need, act immediately by talking to your advisor or contacting the department chairs. Anderson stressed the need for students to be pro-active when it comes to registering for classes and how sometimes that can get in the way of doing what is considered honest behavior.

“Our students worry, our students are concerned about staying on track for graduation,” Anderson said. “I just don’t think they’ve always thought of the consequences of doing that.”

Posted by AubrieSofala on Mar 5 2010. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry