Major maps introduced to help plan course loads, scheduling

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The Office of the Dean of Students recently released new major maps to help students plan their long-term courses based on the 2008-2009 Bulletin.

“Just about all majors have been mapped,” said Barb Lindley, associate registrar of the Office of Undergraduate Academic Services, who helped to verify the maps for accuracy.

The map project was initiated by the Office of the Provost at the request of Central Michigan University students, a representative from the Provosts Office said.

Provost Julia Wallace said she has seen the same types of maps at other universities.

Students were notified of the major maps by e-mail on April 13. All 157 maps can be found at bulletins.cmich.edu/majormaps.asp.

Each map lays out the courses required for the specific major and the semesters and order in which students should take them.

However, the April 13 e-mail stated “the majors are from the 2008-2009 Bulletin and thus may be different from your authorized major if your signed major is from an earlier Bulletin.”

“They’re a wonderful tool for students and advisers to use,” Lindley said.

Like Lindley, Houghton Lake freshman Evan Barber thinks the major maps are useful.

“I think they’ll be extremely helpful when I sign up for classes. I am a very unorganized person so it’s nice to see all the classes laid out in front of me,” Barber said. “It’s nice and streamlined and it was something I wish I had from the start.”

Wyandotte freshman Nicole Schmidt disagrees.

“I honestly do not think they are helpful because it’s basically the same thing as looking up the required classes in the bulletin and taking them in order,” Schmidt said. “Also, it really only works for people that know their major right away. If it gave suggestions, like UP’s that went well with the major or something, it might be better.”

university@cm-life.com