Photo by Justin Roth
As of next fall, the Course Enrichment Component will be no more. The Ramapo trademark has been eliminated and the class schedule reworked in a series of changes meant to "increase student learning opportunities and experiences on campus," according to a recent email from Provost Beth Barnett.
The email, sent out to students last Tuesday, also specified the changes that are to be made. Most classes will be meeting two or three times a week, instead of one or two. All classes will meet for 200 minutes; however, those minutes will be split according to the frequency of class meetings. Classes that only meet once a week will still exist, but they will be mostly advanced classes, such as senior seminars.
Classes meeting three times a week will be on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, with 70-minute periods each. Two-a-weeks will run for 100 minutes per class, plus a 10-minute break, on Tuesdays and Fridays, with some on Monday and Thursday afternoons and fewer on Monday and Wednesday nights.
Labs will run in a similar format to what is currently in place, and those in nontraditional programs on campus, like the RN to BSN program and the adult degree completion program, will follow an alternate schedule.
The new schedule will still include breaks for both students and faculty; however, the regular common hour from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. will be no more. On Tuesdays and Fridays there will be two 55-minute breaks, and on Wednesdays there will be no classes from 1 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. During this time, clubs will be able to meet, as before. How this change will affect dining services is still being worked out.
This change has added 20 more minutes to Ramapo classes as compared with this semester’s classes. These extra minutes have allowed for the elimination of CEC.
“I enjoy CECs because I felt they added a lot to the classroom experience, and provided me with different views and events I wouldn’t usually go to, and encouraged students who wouldn’t otherwise go to events on campus to go, increasing the amount of viewers in an audience,” said sophomore Monica Luciana.
According to Barnett, the current schedule made it difficult to comply with federal and Middle States regulations that legitimize institutions of higher education. Despite the increased frequency of classes, Barnett expressed that commuters should be better off next year.
Although Barnett says there is no going back to our current schedule, there will certainly be more adjustments in the future as the upcoming schedule enters its trial and error period.
“I’m not sure how great of an impact it will be on nursing students, particularly because they tend to have busier schedules and each class requires a lot of time studying,” said sophomore Patricia Sanchez. “It looks like it will be difficult to get a day off as well. It’s nice to have a day off in the week where you can devote your time to getting other tasks done that you may not be able to during the week.”
Others have questioned how this schedule will work with regard to club meetings, sports practices and off-campus internships. To answer the many questions that have arisen because of these changes, the Student Government Association has planned a “town hall meeting.” Barnett and Associate Vice President of Enrollment Chris Romano will be in attendance to speak to the Ramapo community and clarify the changes.
mlarocco@ramapo.edu
