Loading... Please walt. by Paul Williams In case you didn’t notice, it seemed there were a lot of waitlists at the Institute last semester: the overflow of students that didn’t make it in. What happened? Did we all apply for the same classes where there was only space for ten students? Maybe instructors silently protested the fact that they don’t want to teach in more than one course each last semester. Was it El Nino...? A large number of students seemed to be trying to get into the classes they thought they’d need or would just like to take and only just making it in to classes by the end of the second week of school (and the you must pay tuition or else deadline). In the interest of respect- ing the amount of hard work done by those in administration, and the impossibly frustrating feeling of trying to organize courses that are going to effect the rest of our post secondary education and the rest of our lives, we thought we could take a peak into WHAT THE HELL WAS UP WITH ALL THE WAITLISTS? : (Fade: from Black, Flashback: Hazy frame edges, sunshine, view of concrete exterior of North Building) It’s spring time 1998 on Granville Island and students are work- ing diligently on their final projects and studying for finals. The new course catalogue is released by Administration for the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design and students are walking around in a daze trying to figure out if they should take David MacWilliam’s studio course or Art Perry’s New Bohemia course... (Cut to:) Frenzied scribbling of course planner and flipping through course descriptions. A student is trying to decide how courses next semester will effect his next year of art production (and what kind of life he’ll be leading if all the courses he gets makes him want to leave school to pursue his other dream of entering a monastery and baking little dinner rolls for monks.) Art History? Studio? Photo? Design...??? I’m sure we all remember the decision making process involved in choosing courses. We talk-to other stu- dents that have had a particular instructor or have taken a particular course. We hunt down instructors in the effort to find out more.about that Science course that had a lousy course description but we kept hearing great things about it. Oh, and we can’t forget to take the right credits to achieve the almighty four year diploma (to prove that you officially did not waste all your time.) Good research breeds good rewards: a good education, intelligent individual. (Fade from black:) Bright early morning sun- shine above the Ocean concrete factory, casting shadows onto the North Building. Pan across and down to the entrance to the Institute being repaired by unshaven men in hard hats and tight Wrangler jeans. Students pick up their newest course confirmations from their mailboxes. A number of them get confirmations some- thing like the following: drawings by Aaron Powell course 49.311 course 49.410 course 87. 300 course 85.101 | #9 on the waitlist #17 on the waitlist #33 on the waitlist #5 on the waitlist ((oh, that’s not SO bad)) course 23.910 (registered) When you’ve signed up for five classes, it’s a bit daunting to realize that you’re only registered in one, especial- ly since you quit your summer job to come back to concen- trate on school. It would be nice to graduate sometime too. What now? Wait. ((“You have until September 18th to add and drop courses”)) Wow. A whole week and a half. Find the instructors, go to the class- es you want to get in and wait. Wait. Wait for students that might not show up. Wait for stu- dents to drop courses. Wait in the line at Student Services because you previously understood that you could finally graduate this semester but the courses are full - is it possible to take a similar course for the credits you need? Maybe. Maybe you can get into the second-year “exploring post-modern basketweav- ing using concrete and similar man- made synthetics” course. Woopee. ((“Yeah.. but, I like, took this course cause I need the cred- it-”)) Q: HOW DO WE STOP WAIT- : LISTS and get all the courses we want: A: Not going to happen. Thad a little chat with our buddies down in Student Services and this is what I found out. Waitlists are created by too many students sign- ing up for a course when there are only a given amount of seats (duh-h!). If a student should happen to sign up for extra courses with the hope that he/she will get something he/she likes (some- times called “going shopping”) this extends waitlists through the add/drop period in the first two weeks of school. Another reason for waitlists, which occurs mostly in the studio department, is the lack of structured programming for students to give greater flexibility in course selection. Design and Media programmes are structured with only a certain number of electives, whereas in . studio a student can take almost anything. By creating waitlists, this shows Administration a certain demand for particular courses. Randy Lee-Cutler’s “Technobodies” course was popular enough to grant it anoth- er section to be opened up because the waitlist was over thirty students long. This Spring did not have the same kind of exten- sive waitlisting that occurred last fall, but it will always exist. Part of the problem in the fall was al2-15% increase in enrollment that was not planned for. Another part of the waitlist problem is cash. When a Dean opens a new section, there has to be money to pay for the course, a room to be able to hold the course in, and hopefully an instructor avail- able to teach the course as well. : One solution to waitlist problems is a better priori- ty system. Rather than giving student #1 all his first choices and preceding down the list until student #230 gets what’s left, there is a plan to go down the priority list once and give everyone their first choice for their first class and then pro- ceed down the entire list again for second choices and so on. Good idea. Some of us thought it was always done this way, but apparently not. Waitlists can be reduced by signing up only for the courses that you really want, and if you're still wait- listed make sure you ATTEND those classes. There are almost always students who drop a class or try to shuffle around, so this is where the determination pays off. If you want in, keep going until the bitter end. Ask the Deans if there is a possibility of opening up another section (again, just like the “Technobodies” course: enough student demand). Apparently, we are currently on a twenty year old computer registration system and this old system has a superior modern version (hey, that’s a shocker...). The Institute is in line to upgrade this year to a more efficient system of registration. Another possibility for making it easier to get into courses and reducing waitlists is to implement a registration deposit that will ensure that you’re actually serious about register- ing in courses for the following semester (especially when the summer break becomes involved). As long as stu- dents phone in to say “Hey, I’m like, still treeplanting up in the bush and I won’t be coming back to school this semester... so can you guys, like, send back my deposit and UNREGISTER me from all the classes I signed up for (so other people won’t get shafted out of an opportunity to slide into a course)...? Thanks.” Student Services can answer: “No problem. Done. Thanks for the phone call,Corby.” After sussing out more information on the whole registration process, it’s amazing that we all even get into classes. The system will never be a perfect democracy. Some will get shafted, some will get bumped and some will get all their first choices. It is far more complicated than this art student cares to try to analytically solve for the sake of creat- ing a superior system of fairness in meeting student course demands. I’ve made my suggestions. I’m going to go make art now. If there’s anything that seems wrong in the system, Lawrence Lowe down at Student Services asks that you stop by or write him nasty little notes and leave them somewhere he can find them. And when that fails, you could always make an appointment to wait and see a Dean... Maybe next semester can be as much fun wait- ing for our money to be sucked into the vortex of post sec- ondary education while attending classes that we only dream of actually being on the “officially registered” class list for. Then again, maybe next semester there will be no waitlists at all. Just wait until they bring in the new computer system. That’ll be fun. ((Loading. Please Wait...)) When you’ve signed up for five Cclassé@s, it’s a Dit daunting to realize that you're oni, registered in one, especially Since YOu Guilt. your summer job to come back £0 concentrate @ ec c ser Influx * Magazine February 1999 29 Loading... Please wait. by Paul Williams In case you didn’t notice, i seemed there were a lot of waists atthe Institue last semester: the overflow of ‘students that dida't make tin, What happened? Did we al Apply for the same classes where there was only space for fen ‘students? Maybe instructors silently protested the fact that they’ don't want to teach in more than one course each last semester. Was it EI Nin. large number of students Seemed to be trying to get into the classes they thought they'd reed of would just like to take and only just making iin to classes by the end ofthe second week of school (and the you ‘must pay tuition or else deadline). Inthe interest of resp ing the amount of hard work done by those in administration, and the impossibly frustrating feeling of tying to organize courses that are going to effet the rest of our post secondary ‘ducation and the ives, we thought we could take & peak into WAS UP WITH ALL THE WAITLISTS? (Fade: from Black, Flashback: Hazy frame edges, sunshine, view of concrete exterior of North Bing) It's ‘ring time 1998 on Granville Island and students are work- ing diligently on thie final projets and studying for finals. ‘The new course catalogue is released by Administration for the Emily Carr Institute of Are and Design and students are Walking around in a daze tying to figure out if they should take David MacWilliam’s studio course or Art Perry's New Bohemia course. (Cut to.) Frenzied scribbling of course planner and flipping through course descriptions. student is tying t0 decide how courses next semester will effect his next year of art production (and what kind of life he'll be leading if all the Courses he gets makes him want to leave schoo! to pursue his other dream of entering a monastery and baking litle dinner rolls for monks) Art History? Studio? Photo? Design..2? T'm sure we all remember the decison making process involved in choosing courses. We talkto other stu dents that have had a particular instructor or have taken a particular course, We hunt down instructors i the effort t0 find out more about that Science course that had a lousy ‘course description but we kept hearing great things about it. (Oh, and we can't forget to take the right credits to achieve the jloma (Co prove that you offically did 1.) Good research breeds good. rewards: a good education, intelligent individ (Fade from black) Bright carly morning sun= shine above the Ocean concrete factory, casting shadows foto the North Building. Pan across and down tothe entrance to the Institute being repaired by unshaven smc in hard hats and tight Wrangler jeans. Students ‘up their newest ‘course confirmations from theie mailboxes ‘A numberof them get ‘confirmations some- {hing like the following ‘course 49.311 #9 on the waitist ‘course 49.410 #17 on the waist ‘course 87.300 #33 on the waitst ‘course 85.101 #5 on the waist (oh that’s not SO bad) epistered) When you've signed up for five classes, it's a bit {daunting to realize that you're only registred in one, especial ly since you quit your summer job to come back to concen- trate on schoo, It would be nice to graduate sometime £00, ‘What now? Wa (C*You have until Seprember 18th 10 add and drop courses")) Wow: A whole week and a hal. Find the instructors, goto the class- es you want to get in and wait. Wait Wait for Students that might not show up. Wait for dents to drop courses Waitin the line at Student Services because you previously understood that you could finally graduate this semester but the courses ae full i it possible to take a similar course for the credits You need? Maybe. Maybe you can get into the second-year “exploring post-modern baskerweav- Jing using conerete and similar man ‘made synthetics” course. Woopee:(("Yeah bout, Tike, took this course cause ned the cred iy Q HOW DOWE STOPWAIT- Lists and get all the 'A: Not going to happen. Thad tele chat with our buddies down in Student Services and this i what I found ‘out. Waitists are ereated by too many students sign- ing up fora course when there are only a given amount of eats Gulv-h). If a student should happen t0 ‘gn up for extra courses with the hope that he/she will get, something heshe likes (some times called “going shopping") this extends waitists dhrough the ad drop perio in the frst ro weeks of school Another reason for waitlsts, which occurs soul inthe studio department, i the lack of structured programming for students 0 give greater exiilty in course selection. Design and Media programmes are structured with only a certain number of electives, whereas in Studio a student can take almost anything By creating waits, this shows Administration a certain demand for particular courses. Randy Lee fechnobodies” course was popular enough to grant it anoth- er section to be opened up because the wails was over titty students long. This Spring did not have the same kind of exten- sive waitlsting that occurred lat fll but it wil always exist. Part of the problem in the fll yas 12-15% increase in ‘enrollment that was not planned for. Another part of the ‘waist problem is cash, When a Dean opens a new section, there as to be money to pay for the course, a room to be able to hold the course in, and hopefully an instructor avail able to teach the course as well ‘One solution to waist problems is a better priori ty system. Rather than giving student #1 all is fist choices and preceding down the lst until student #230 gets whats lef, there isa plan to go down the priority list once and give ‘everyone thei fist choice for thee fst class and then pro- ood down the entire list agin for second choices and 80 on. Good idea, Some of us thovght it was always done this way, but apparently not Waitsts can be reduced by signing up only for the courses that you really want, and if youre still you ATTEND those clases. There are almost always students who drop a class or try to shufle around, 80 hiss where the determination pays off. Ifyou wantin, keep going unti the bitter end. Ask the Deans if there isa possibilty of opening ‘up another section (again, just ke the “Technobodiew” course: enough stadent demand). ‘Apparently, we are currently on a ‘wenty year old computer registration sytem and this old system has a superior modern version (hey, thats a shocker.) The Institute i in ine to upgrade this year to/a more efficient system of registration, Another possibility for making i esir to get into courses and reducing waitsts is ro implement a registration deposit that wil ensure chat you're actually serious about register ing in courses for the following semester (especially when the summer break become involved), As Tong as stu- dents phone in to say “Hey, I'm like, still eeplanting ‘up inthe bush and I won't be coming back to school this semester. 50 can you guys like, send back my “deposit and UNREGISTER me from all the clases 1 signed up for (0 other people won't get shafted out of an ‘opportunity to slide into a course)..? Thanks” Student Service can answer: “No problem. Done. Thanks fo the phone eal, Corby” After sussing out more information on the whole registration process i's amazing that we all even get into classes. The system will never bea perfect democracy. Some will get shafted, some will get bumped and some will get all thee frst choices, Te is far more complicated than this art student cares to ty to analticaly solve forthe sake of ereat- ing a superior system of faieess in meeting student course demands. T've made my suggestions. I'm going to go make fart now If there's anvthing that seems wrong inthe system, Lawrence Lowe down at Student Services asks that you stop bby or write him nasty litle notes and leave them somewhere he ean ind them, And when that fils, you could always make an appointment to wait and see a Dean. “Mave next semester can be as much fan wait- ing for our money to be sucked into the vortex of port sec- ‘ondary education while atending classes that we only dream of actully being on the “officially registered” clas ist for. ‘maybe next semester there wil be no waists at al Just wait unl they bring i the new computer system That'll be fun (Loading. Please Wait.) When you've signed up for five Classes, Lt is gout daunting to realize that you’re only registered in one, especially since you quit your summer job to come back to concentrate on school. Influx? Magazine February 1999 29