April 18, 2016
Rachel Librach
[email protected]
Attending class in the summer is like being in church on a weekday.
Since middle school, summer classes always seemed to carry a negative connotation. But in college, summer classes offer opportunities for students to catch up or get ahead with their degree.
According to the Academic Advising office, between the 2014 and 2015 summer semesters, attempted hours in summer classes increased in almost every UCCS college, including an almost 24 percent increase in the College of Engineering.
Brett Fugate, director of Academic Advising, said growth rates rise in conjunction with increased college
attendance rates.
Several departments such as philosophy and innovation have added classes to enroll in over the summer.
Nicole Karges, senior biology major, said she tries to take classes year round and has enrolled in up to four classes over a summer semester.
She said she enjoys summer courses due to the way the classes are scheduled.
“You don’t really have time to forget the information. Having classes back to back keeps the information fresh in your mind,” she said.
“I have also noticed that most of the students in the class have a similar mindset; they are there to learn.”
Karges said the classes are redesigned and tailored to fit the condensed summer timeline.
She believes that by streamlining the information into a six-to-eight week time period versus a 16-week semester, there is more of a focus on the core subject and less filler material.
Fugate explained that in 2013 there was an effort to look at what courses were offered over the summer and what departments could expand on and continue into the summer to assist students in completing their degree.
After that initiative, he said there was a much larger growth in attendance rates in summer classes.
Fugate believes that there are pros and cons when taking summer classes.
“Summer classes are difficult in that they are condensed as best as they can be into several days a week. The classes are three to four hours long and can take up a lot of your day,” he said.
“While you may have less to juggle as far as other classwork, it makes all you juggle outside of school more difficult.”
In contrast, Fugate pointed out that students have more access to their professors and available resources over the summer.
“I think students have even greater access to the faculty over the summer and usually students aren’t balancing as many classes and the faculty aren’t teaching quite as many classes,” he said.
Registration for 2016 summer classes is open. Visit your UCCS portal to sign up.
Change in summer class attempted hours between 2014 and 2015
College of Business: Up 3.5 percent
College of Education: Up 2.9 percent
College of Engineering: Up 23.6 percent
College of Nursing: Up 5.5 percent
School of Public Affairs: Up 5.1 percent
College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences: Down 1.2 percent