PERSPECTIVES

BY NICK CAMINO

Is change always necessary? Or is it necessarily better?

It seems that each day this world is constantly evolving to make life “easier” for us. Or so we’re led to believe.

When I attempted to schedule my classes for fall 2009, a helpful class adviser told me that academic class advisers no longer can help students schedule their courses. All they can do is suggest what students may want to take. They are prohibited from assisting to schedule classes.

A bit upset and confused, I asked what any curious student who has been assisted in scheduling his courses for the past three years would ask. Why? How does this help me?

Not receiving the adequate answer that I had hoped for, I did what any young enterprising journalist would do, research. I first went to the class Advising Services Web site connected to www.csuohio.edu.

Directly underneath the top of the Web page is a list of all the things Class advisers can help students with as they continue their higher education at CSU. Surprisingly, the fourth “helpful” option advisers can do to help students with on the list of 10 is, “reviewing and selecting” courses that students should take in reaching their ultimate goal of receiving a degree.

So, I am still left to wonder, if the Web site says “selecting,” how come advisers are not doing that? Actually, these advisers are merely giving advice on what to take. But expecting students to go into the Campus Net database online and sign themselves up for the courses, leaves one to wonder, if this is what they really should be taking?

Advisers are not happy with losing the privilege either. In fact, some have spoken out about it and while students have complained, the university still has not responded.

This new way of forcing students to schedule their courses without the aid of an adviser who understands much better what a student should take is simply unacceptable and truly not necessary. Sure, it’s fine if students want to simply meet with advisers to schedule their classes on their own, but why eliminate the option that has worked well for so many years?

Forcing students to schedule classes themselves without the help of a well paid adviser has caused much uncertainty and made even yours truly go visit with my adviser from the School of Communication on four separate occasions!

The first three years of my college career I was able to meet with an adviser twice a year, once during fall semester and once in the spring semester. So far advisers assisting me in scheduling my courses have helped me in earning Dean’s List grades each semester as well, keeping me on track to earn a four-year degree that will be complete next spring upon graduating. But now students are told they can no longer have their courses chosen for them by advisers who have done so quite successfully for many years?

This new rule forces students to seek guidance from advisers much more often and could cause someone to not take the correct courses or perhaps even graduate on time.

A modest proposal: let the students decide. If a student wants to schedule classes on his own, great. If he wants assistance from an adviser who is willing to schedule them, why not?

Students are upset with this new rule and advisers surprisingly agree with the students.

Will the university reassess and come to the realization that their recent “change” is not helpful to the students? Especially if the advisers concur with the students. For now, it is in their hands. But at least they know how we feel.