Leah Alsept
@leah_0913
Scheduling for Spring 2020 started University of Findlay students.
Every semester, students planning to continue their education at the University must schedule classes with their respective academic adviser. Advisers in each department may have as few as three advisees or more than 100.
Dr. Erin Alava and Dr. Brandon Forshey are Animal Science professors at the University of Findlay along with their role as academic advisers for Animal Science students. Forshey says he currently advises 117 students in the Animal Science department. Animal Science students, he said, usually take an average of 17 credit hours.
“When you look at the scheduling for the Animal Science/Pre-Vet [majors], they have very little flexibility in their classes, because we are working on getting them classes so they can apply to vet-school,” Forshey said. “There might be three to six hours per semester where they have a choice on what they can pick. Everything else, very well set.”
Alava says that students will occasionally take summer classes to lighten their academic load or even catch up on classes they aren’t doing so well in.
Alava gave an example of a student taking six semesters of chemistry back-to-back,
“Let’s say, scenario wise… a student tests into CHEM 111. If they test into CHEM 111 that’s six semesters straight of chemistry”, Alava said. “If they wanted to increase the pace at which they take them, maybe they’ll take the second general chem in the summer. That way, they can essentially get done with their chemistries in the academic year one semester earlier.”
Dr. Sarah Fedirka is an Associate English professor at the University and advises just three students in the English Department.
Her advisees average 15 to 18 credit hours, says Fedirka, not counting double majors or transfer students. She says she schedules students depending on what kinds of classes they want to take.
“When I have a student who’s kind of interested in kinds of digital communications, or who is interested in young adult literature or who is an AYA [Adolescent/Young Adult]/English double major, then maybe there’s a graphic design class they can pick up or that they could take a different kind of creative writing class or an additional creative writing class…” Fedirka said. “They could get the content they need from their major, but also be taking classes that are relevant to what they think they wanna do after they graduate.”
All students can take desired classes through a process called auditing if their schedule allows. Auditing is an opportunity to learn that is afforded to all students at the University.
According to the University of Findlay Auditing webpage, students can audit classes if they have the prerequisites for that course and if “space allows.” The University of Findlay’s Business Office states that auditing a class is free for full-time undergraduate students, but $50 per credit hour for part-time and graduate students.
Between summer classes, auditing, and academic advisers, University of Findlay students have multiple resources to help them along the school year.
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