New rules suggested for repeating courses

A statewide proposal to restrict students from taking a course more than once after achieving a passing grade was proposed on May 7 by the California Community Colleges Board of Governors.“Essentially, if a student gets a passing grade, they cannot take the course again,” said Paige Marlatt Dorr, Director of Communications for the California Community Colleges’ Chancellor’s Office.The change is a result of community colleges offering repetition of courses within the athletics, arts and music departments.“(Eliminating course repetition) is designed so a student isn’t taking a public funded course for recreation,” Marlatt Dorr said. “The thought is that it will free up class seats.”Instead of placing funds into classes with students taking them for the third or fourth time, Marlatt Dorr stated the community colleges can use it as an opportunity to see areas that need better funding to properly accommodate students’ academic needs. 

 

For example, funds can be used in aligning an English department to offer more courses for transfer students.“We’re fi nding community colleges are more popular than ever, Marlatt Dorr said. “We have unemployed students, veterans and students seeking a 2-year degree.”Current policy allows students to take a class four times if a student fails or just wants to take it again. James Carranza, CSM academic senate president, said the new proposal would include withdraws as a repeating class, creating a problem for those in need of credits.“In the past, withdraws didn’t count for repetition,” he said. “It’s an example of the state being more strict. They are just looking at transfer students.”

 

Focusing attention on transfer students, Carranza said, limits the ability for a student to grow at a community college.“It would be reducing the budget by limiting student opportunity,” he said. “It’s another way the state is trying to cut corners without understanding the academic progress.”