Enrollment increased at all UH System campuses this fall, great news for UH President Renu Khator, but several things remain unaddressed.
Having such a dramatic increase in enrollment within the system raises many questions, and many want to know the answers. Was the increase due to a sudden interest in college education or an increase in Houston’s overall population? What will this mean for students and professors?
The UH System has campuses in key points throughout Houston and surrounding areas, and it would be impossible to know for sure why the increase happened. But, as Khator puts it, "It’s gratifying that so many people are making a commitment to higher education."
Regardless of the reasons more students are enrolling, students at every campus will feel the impact in the system. An increase in the number of students will mean an increased need for professors, teacher’s assistants and support staff on all campuses. It will also increase the class size in some cases. Another concern is in the financial spectrum. Will our tuition rates increase, yet again? It would be logical. Higher tuition would pay for more instructors, build more dorms and provide additional resources for students, but again, at what cost?
In some classes on campus the rooms are filled to capacity, making listening to lectures almost impossible. The desks are ridiculously narrow, providing an even tinier space to write on, but yet they are crammed 80 or more in a room, with just as many students. We don’t need large desks for storage, just a little room to breathe in these packed classes – and some oxygen and cool air wouldn’t hurt, either. To put it plainly, some classes can make you feel downright claustrophobic. While this may be at times uncomfortable for students, it speaks volumes for the professors whose classes are continually packed semester after semester.
An increase in the number of students means changes for the professors. For those who teach on the side, it could pose scheduling problems. One popular professor, who will remain unnamed, has students begging to be let into his class for the next semester before the current one has ended. He works off-campus every day at his normal job. With more students, the potential exists for an increased need for additional classes in different timeslots on different days. For a few, this may not be a problem, but for others with outside jobs or families who need them, it could mean having to say "no" to additional opportunities to teach and to many eager students.
Keeping in mind that numbers reported are not exorbitant as a whole, it does help prove enrollment in colleges and universities is on the rise.
For the Houston area, the answer may be that those transplanted to our city from New Orleans after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita have finished high school and are following the normal path of education. It could also be explained by the booming population increase in Houston’s outlying areas.
The UH System welcomes all students with open arms, and rightly so; our city is proud to be known as a melting pot with cultures from every corner of the world overflowing our streets and universities. I think I would be safe to speak for all UH students when saying that no matter how large the numbers may rise, we are happy to have the chance to meet and help a fellow Cougar.
MousaviDin, a communication junior, can be reached via [email protected]
