Increasing enrollment means tight squeeze in campus classrooms
OSU's Classroom Committee is working to find alternatives to heavily crowded campus, including option of later classe
Joce DeWitt
Issue date: 2/18/11 Section: News
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The Classroom Committee, which is a sub-group of the University Space Committee, meets every two weeks to discuss current issues, the urgent need for more classrooms in a quickly growing university environment and what needs to be done in order to meet the needs of students and faculty.
The committee is made up of representatives from various campus groups concerned with the effects of higher enrollment on the university as a whole. Eleven different groups are represented at the meetings, many by members who have been involved for at least four years.
As more students are experiencing difficulties getting the classes and credits they need to graduate in four years because of full classes or time conflicts, the committee has recognized a major need for some changes.
Anthony Wilcox, from the department of nutrition and exercise science, and a committee chair who has been involved since 2006 explained the issue discussed among members at the most recent meeting.
"We were summarizing why urgency for additional classrooms is needed," Wilcox said. "There is not as much of a crunch for smaller classrooms as for bigger classrooms."
The need for larger lecture halls with more seating and instructional space was clarified in the Classroom Committee Report, which details the state of university classrooms.
The report stated that during fall 2010 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m., there were no rooms available to seat more than 200 students. There was only one room available during the same seven-hour time block for classrooms with seating capacities of 120 to 199 students.
Wilcox said planning to remedy these issues is a main priority. "We have to find a way to expand space. Planning for that is now underway."
The first step to counteract the problem at hand is to realize the reasons the university has so many more students.
"There has been a chronic shortage of classrooms between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Over the last year or so we've been experiencing an 8 percent growth per year. It could be directly attributed to the economy, but also because students are staying longer; students are returning," said university registrar Kent Kuo, a committee member since 2007. "Also, students who attended as nonresidents couldn't afford it and they are returning. The influx of students has stretched capacities."
Certain ideas were thrown around for several meetings and it seems the committee is finally taking some final steps toward absolute decisions.
A few of the initial short-term ideas included pushing classes to later times during the day, scheduling them earlier than 8 a.m., using existing buildings for classroom space that are not currently being used as such, holding Saturday classes and the construction of modular buildings as temporary instructional space.
Of those ideas, most did not make the cut due to the impracticality of their effects on the student body and campus.
"We started talking about modulars, but they are only going to carry a certain size of classroom before they become ineffective," Kuo said.
"You lose money with modular classrooms," said senior Madison Parker, the ASOSU executive chief of operations, who is the longest-standing student voice within the committee.
Wilcox said investing in modular classrooms would have resulted in not only loss of necessary funds, but also a parking lot - not to mention the aesthetic influence mobile structures would have on the campus. "It seems best to utilize the resources we already have," he said.
The concept of Saturday classes was not something that was heavily discussed in meetings either. "It lasted about 15 minutes," Kuo, who argued both students and faculty need two days of recuperation during the week, said, "Saturdays are vitally important."
Kuo also expressed the case against classes starting at 7 a.m. instead of the current 8 a.m. first period. "We care deeply about student success; 7 a.m. classes wouldn't help that."
The ideas that were taken seriously, however, have already sparked concrete preparation and action toward the goal of increased space and accessibility.
Wilcox said there has already been a push by multiple departments for classes to convene in the evenings, namely within the 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. time block. "By teaching classes later into the day, we'll use the inventory of classes at times they're not commonly used," he said.
Kuo claimed that the projected 5 percent growth suggests a gross 25,000 students for next school year.
"We've already been pushing classes into the 4 p.m. range. Without a lot of that capacity, we're looking at inefficient utilization of classrooms," Kuo said.
With the needs and wants of students as her top priority, Parker agreed with the suggestion of evening classes, but was adamant about following through on the accompanying issues, such as night transportation.
"A lot of concerns we had for late classes were support with child care and Saferide. Parking is another thing," Parker said.
"We can identify issues of safety, like how much campus can expand its services. During the day you do have supports. ASOSU brought up expanding hours of the dining centers, as well as issues of child care," Wilcox said.
Parker also recognized the need for variation in class scheduling due to many students being employed as well as enrolled in school.
"By allocating 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. classes, hopefully students have a little more choice in order to coordinate other facets of their life," she said.
Classes are not the only things that will be pushed back later in the day, however.
"We worked with chairs of the science department about pushing back exam hours. It's getting to the reality of the whole day running pretty long," Wilcox said.
Wilcox and Kuo agreed that later classes also hold social influences. According to both, it would be a cultural shift for a college town like Corvallis.
Wilcox said holding classes later in the day is a lot more common for universities in the city, like Portland State.
"OSU still has a more traditional student body. In Corvallis, you have Saturday football games. Five p.m. to 7 p.m. classes are a little more unusual for here," Kuo said. "It's also a cultural shift for faculty. They have families too - that creates challenges."
The idea of using currently available buildings as temporary classroom space also remains a feasible option. Suggestions of altering the purpose of certain rooms included utilizing the current heat plant for classrooms and placing student seating in the newest structures.
"Linus Pauling wouldn't have had class space, but now it does," Parker said.
Snell Hall, the presently condemned home to student media and other groups on the south side of campus, is expected to be demolished and replaced within the next five years. According to the report, what will stand in its place is a brand new classroom building that will seat up to 3,000 students.
The presence of this new building is expected to change many other things than an increased amount of seats - "It will cause a shift in the heart of campus," Wilcox said.
Kuo said, "It takes seven years to build a building from its initiation." With such an extensive time gap, the committee searched for space alternatives during the construction period of the new building.
"The Student Experience Center is a precursor; the INTO building is a precursor. These are needed to free up Snell," he said. "When we have a new classroom building, it changes capacity."
All of the cosmetic changes expected to take place on campus will require a very accurate and precise plan.
"They're putting out a contract for a design planner to work with buildings, foot traffic flow and bike traffic; more of an urban planning job. We have to put together funding for the building itself. There has already been significant funding," Wilcox said.
Other alterations suggested by the committee are forecasted to take place during the upcoming summer term. The committee report contained specific information about four different buildings receiving renovations during the break, including Milam, Withycombe, Gilfillan and Weniger.
An expert in comparing student enrollment from term to term, Kuo argued one of the most effective solutions to lack of space is increased enrollment during the summer months. "I'd like to see more summer attendance," he said. "We believe this is a temporary condition. Frankly, as registrar, it's a fervent dream of mine to not have to worry about classroom space."
Joce DeWitt, staff writer
737-2231, news@dailybarometer.com
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