Opinion

UHin4 underclassmen should not have priority over upperclassmen

UHin4 makes it harder for upperclassmen not in the program to graduate. | File Photo

Class registration for students who aren’t in UHin4 or don’t have priority enrollment finally opened up Nov. 8. Already, most of the classes are either full or require students to get on the waitlist.

I personally have a frustration with registering for classes every year because I’m not in UHin4. The program creates major enrollment problems.

Every semester is the same. I watch everyone else register for their classes a week before my registration opens up. Then, all the classes I need are either full or waitlisted, forcing me to defer taking them for another semester or take a majority of classes online.

It seems like almost everyone is in UHin4 and that there’s a disproportionate amount of people. Those at the UHin4 office were contacted to find out just how many people are in the program, but they have yet to provide an answer, stating they are trying to get an answer from their communications director.

If there are too many people in the program, that means those not in the program are put at a serious disadvantage.

The purpose behind UHin4 is supposed to be to help ensure students graduate in four years, but the program isn’t doing a very good job of focusing on the people who actually need the help finishing up their degree.

“Those in the programs are helped exceptionally, and those who get left behind are left behind,” said electrical power engineering senior Yousuf Rashid. 

Having been at UH for more than four years, Rashid said since he’s not in UHin4, getting into the classes he needs is nearly impossible. 

Many students are left trying to find solutions in time to take the classes they need to graduate.

My plan is to figure out a way to get into the class by emailing the professor and getting approval,” said public relations junior Maia Mendoza. “If I don’t get into this class, I might have to take another semester, which will put me behind in graduating.”

Mendoza also said sometimes students in UHin4 will enroll in classes to hold a spot for friends until their enrollment time opens.

UH needs to pay more attention to students who have been here longer than four years. The University has been so focused on getting incoming students on the right track to graduate on time that they have neglected having better class availability for upperclassmen.

UH has many students who have been at the University for well over four years, oftentimes six or seven years. These are the people who need priority enrollment, not those who signed up for UHin4 at orientation simply because it was made available to them.

Enrollment for freshmen through seniors who do not have priority opened a full week after enrollment for UHin4 students opened up. Because of this, building the ideal class schedule this year will involve a lot of schedule rearranging and checking the Coursicle app, which tracks and notifies students of open seating in classes.

For some students, class registration might even mean adding another semester to their already-long degree path.

Opinion writer Rachel Reynolds is a liberal studies junior and can be reached at [email protected]

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