Students take pride in their accomplishments, including being accepted into the prestigious UW Honors College. However, what is the benefit of that position if it means students cannot enroll in the courses they need to graduate?
Recently, the Honors College introduced a non-western attribute course requirement for graduation for honor students that has not been evenly distributed.
Like any other policy change at the university, students who were already enrolled in the college or transferred in before the introduction had this course requirement waived.
This creates a disparity in costs between honor students, especially those who may have transferred only one semester apart but with the same academic achievements, since newly indoctrinated students need to pay for an extra course towards graduation.
While early enrollment is a perk to being an honors student, a distinction should be made amongst them and advisors should provide senior and junior status individuals with meetings and enrollment first.
Not only is the requirement for this course typology unevenly distributed among honor college students, but there is also a severe lack of them.
The Honors College only provides three-to-five non-western attributed courses each semester, averaging about sixteen seats per class. While waitlisting or emailing the professor for an “exception” is an option, not every student is successful in achieving enrollment.
One colleague of mine even described that he had to postpone his graduation from the honors college for three semesters because he was unable to enroll in a non-western attributed course due to the competitiveness of the classes.
The Honors College should increase class availability slots up to twenty.
Even numbers promote more successful group discussions and projects, and if a professor needs assistance with grading, the Honors College could employ a new internship or teaching assistant program.
Alternatively, an honors course teacher has once said that upon the discovery of his unique educational background and how it fits into the mission of the honors college to teach “interdisciplinary courses” in “an invigorating and highly effective learning environment,” he was “begged” to teach courses.
Most critical is the expansion of class options, especially non-western attributed courses, through the dual appointment of professors from multiple colleges across campus and readdressing the qualifications it takes to create unique classes for honors students.
While I myself, as an honors student, was lucky enough to secure a spot with a non-western attributed course for my graduation requirement, the same cannot be said about courses that engage my interest.
For three semesters I have tried to enroll in a course that would help me adapt my argumentative skills for my future career as a lawyer. My first attempt was unsuccessful as the class was full and I had not built enough rapport on campus to establish an argument as to why I should be an exception to the class.
The following semester, I was led astray by an advisor who believed the class would still be offered. Upon the discovery that the course was not available, I could not have been more dismayed.
Knowing the difficulty of registering for Honors classes, I secured both early enrollment and an early meeting with an advisor to receive my PERC number in hopes of getting into the class.
Yet, despite my efforts–despite my preparation–the course for the fall semester was full and I, yet again, have been forced into an alternate class.
Honors College courses are too competitive, even for their own limited student population, and a solution must be found.
