At the request of the UC Denver administration, the Student Government Association unanimously voted to recommend a new class schedule at UCD that would increase the number of classes housed at the university.
Currently, UCD houses 3,924 classes a week in 218 available spaces. The university is looking into revising the 7 a.m.–9:45 p.m. schedule in order to house more classes as well as eliminate class periods that have significantly lower use.
The SGA was given two class scheduling variations to review and recommend. The first variation would increase the amount of classes housed by providing nine class periods in one day. Classes would start at 8 a.m. and go until 9:35 p.m. Of the two variations, this would be less disruptive of the current class schedule and would increase the number of classes housed to 4,360.
The SGA voted to recommend this proposal.
The second variation proposed a more drastic change.
Instead of having 75-minute class periods with 15 minute breaks throughout the regular school week—Monday through Thursday—and six three-and-a-half hour periods on Friday, the schedule would be changed to incorporate both Friday and Saturday in the regular rotation.
Classes are normally paired on either Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday, and this new schedule would give students the option to take Friday and Saturday courses—increasing the number of classes housed to 5,232.
However, this proposal would lead to future UCD students taking six classes a week. Either way, the input of the SGA may have little effect on the final administrative decision.
“They don’t have to listen to us at all,” said student body president Jack Kroll. “We’re just recommending something.”
Kroll and other SGA members considered how the second variation would be beneficial to certain colleges and departments.
According to Kroll, “The second variation would definitely help the College of Arts and Media.”
Andrew Pattison, a representative of the Student Advisory Committee to the Auraria Board, stated that the new proposals may have little effect on graduate students.
“I don’t know any grad student that hasn’t taken a Saturday class,” said Pattison. “For some, that’s all they take.”
The SGA still noted how a six-day-a-week schedule would have an undesirable effect on undergraduate students. Public relations committee chair Oliver Keating proposed a plan that would allow colleges at the university to opt out of having weekend classes, which would ideally prevent undergrads from being forced to take weekend classes.
“There are classes that are only offered once a year,” said Keating. “This would make it so more sections would be available for those classes. The opt-out would work for keeping students off six days a week.”
However, even though the SGA voted on the less drastic proposal, the administration may go with the other option. So the motion was amended to include Keating’s opt-out suggestion if the university decides to go with a Monday through Saturday schedule.
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