The International Program at Cal State Long Beach are trying to improve communication between CSULB and the foreign institution – communication regarding class availability for over a thousand incoming international students
Associate dean and executive director for International Programs in the College of Continuing and Professional Education Terrence Graham said that although their approach is to improve registration process, they “recognize that this process will be imperfect.”
“We know which programs are impacted on campus and make it clear to our partners that those disciplines are not available,” Graham said. “I have heard from several of our overseas partners that this advance ‘intel’ helps them to select students for CSULB who are most likely to find the coursework they need.”
Study abroad and foreign exchange students [July 4], which fall under the umbrella of the International Program, have waited for the first day of classes or about two months prior to the semester, respectively, to register for classes, Graham said.
For the “Study Abroad @ The Beach,” one of the categories of the International Program, it is California State University policy that allows the study abroad students to register only via Open University, a program that causes those students to add classes on the first day of the semester, Graham said.
Under the CSU policy, study abroad students are “non-matriculated” — meaning, students who are not seeking a degree. Graham said that the policy gives highest priority for registration to matriculated students. Once all of the matriculated students have had the chance to register for whatever courses they need in a given semester, then study abroad students can register for courses on a space-available basis, he said.
“What we tried to do this year was make sure there were more empty seats in some high-demand courses for our [study abroad] students to fill,” Graham said.
For communication studies professor Craig Smith, Graham’s new approach is working out better so that professors are not pressured by students to add classes already filled.
Smith said that last year, the study abroad program “took the tuition money from the students,” had international students “beg them to let you in,” and that seats were not reserved for them.
He said he taught a graduate seminar, and had four students from Denmark that wanted into his class.
“And I felt awful for them that I let them in,” he said, even though that seminar was already full.
“It worked out, but it increased my workload, and I didn’t get any compensation for that, but I just felt that the reputation of the university would have been hurt,” he said.
Classics professor Karl Squitier said that he adds students all the time. “However, when the classes are full and there are not seats, Fire Marshall has a hissy fit,” he said about filling classes over the room’s capacity.
Although for exchange students, Graham said that registration for them began on July 4, students still think that trying Graham’s new approach is not early enough for international students.
English junior Laura Slingo said that it’s “ridiculous” that she was allowed to register for classes within this month, and she had her class schedule finally settled a week before fall semester.
“I’m quite fortunate that I have all of my classes, but so many people still haven’t got their full set of units…” she said.