2008 Woodie Awards
Rightsizing
Keep focusing on small class sizes at CMU
Issue date: 12/3/07 Section: Editorial
- Page 1 of 1
CMU's work to keep class sizes small is a commendable effort, one the university should keep up.
And whether enrollment stays stable or starts to change, administrators should do what they can to keep education at CMU an intimate, personal experience.
With 90 percent of classes having 50 or fewer students enrolled, the great majority of classes are offering the sort of learning environment proven to be most beneficial to students.
Be careful not to allow the few classes that have more than 50 students to grow in size - there still is a big difference between 51 students and 349 - so keep it close to 51.
Small classes mean more personal involvement, more chance for feedback from teachers and students, and a more close-knit classroom.
It also means students are less likely to skip classes, because professors are more likely to know them better and recognize when they are not there.
Better education means more students wanting to come here. More students means more money to make CMU better. See where this is headed?
It's a commitment CMU needs to make regardless of factors like enrollment. Keeping classes small is possible through planning and preparation.
Administrators can anticipate which classes will draw heavy enrollment. They can encourage students enrolling or applying at CMU to fill out surveys that indicate their interests in classes or majors to help plan for which classes will need more professors and more sections.
All it requires is a few additional questions on applications, or asking high school students to know a little earlier what classes they're interested in taking as they enter their first year at CMU.
CMU already does a great job maintaining a small-class environment that is proven to be better for educating students.
If CMU does all it can to keep that environment, despite the unknowns of yearly enrollment, this university will continue to provide educational opportunities that will draw students every year.
And whether enrollment stays stable or starts to change, administrators should do what they can to keep education at CMU an intimate, personal experience.
With 90 percent of classes having 50 or fewer students enrolled, the great majority of classes are offering the sort of learning environment proven to be most beneficial to students.
Be careful not to allow the few classes that have more than 50 students to grow in size - there still is a big difference between 51 students and 349 - so keep it close to 51.
Small classes mean more personal involvement, more chance for feedback from teachers and students, and a more close-knit classroom.
It also means students are less likely to skip classes, because professors are more likely to know them better and recognize when they are not there.
Better education means more students wanting to come here. More students means more money to make CMU better. See where this is headed?
It's a commitment CMU needs to make regardless of factors like enrollment. Keeping classes small is possible through planning and preparation.
Administrators can anticipate which classes will draw heavy enrollment. They can encourage students enrolling or applying at CMU to fill out surveys that indicate their interests in classes or majors to help plan for which classes will need more professors and more sections.
All it requires is a few additional questions on applications, or asking high school students to know a little earlier what classes they're interested in taking as they enter their first year at CMU.
CMU already does a great job maintaining a small-class environment that is proven to be better for educating students.
If CMU does all it can to keep that environment, despite the unknowns of yearly enrollment, this university will continue to provide educational opportunities that will draw students every year.
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