The lack of communication between the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and its students appears to be a common theme this spring.
While some administrators were fairly open about the reasons behind the closing, it is puzzling that the college seemed to forget to remind its students about such significant developments. Earlier this semester, CLASS officials also forgot to tell students the deadline to add courses had been cut in half from 12 days to six days.
On Jan. 17, CLASS students were notified by e-mail that their career center would be closed down permanently Friday. Those who did not receive the notification were alarmed by the closure last week when The Daily Cougar reported it.
CLASS Dean John Antel cited Peoplesoft 8.9 problems and resource constraints as reasons for the office’s closing.
Because Peoplesoft has not been cooperative thus far, it is taking advisors longer to deal with student needs, which reduces less time for others and causes delays.
Peoplesoft has been a thorn in many students’ sides since it was implemented, and this latest stab will surely affect CLASS students who will no longer receive the specialized counseling that so many of the college’s degrees require.
While recruiting is an important obligation for the University, it is important not to mishandle students’ needs once they begin paying tuition and fees – fees that can put a hefty dent into student bank accounts.
Knowing that services such as the CLASS Career Center exist make paying those fees a little easier.
While CLASS officials are referring students to University Career Services, the mere action of shuffling students to another area of the University isn’t enough. Students complained about the closure with good reason: the tailored approach of college-specific career centers is likely to be more helpful in the long run."
CLASS students who are not given support to pursue their career goals are only being discouraged to pursue those degrees, which make up the college itself. With that in mind, CLASS officials should think twice about who its students are and how to best serve them before another decision is made without telling them about it.
