"Colleges and universities manage only about 15% of the time to provide required courses when their students need to take them, according to research by Ad Astra, which provides scheduling software to 550 universities. It's among the major reasons fewer than half of students graduate on time, raising the cost of a degree in time and money. Now, with widespread layoffs, budget cuts and enrollment declines on many campuses - including in California - the problem is expected to get worse."
"'We're forcing students to literally decelerate their progress to degrees, by telling them to do something they can't actually do,' Shaver said. Scheduling university and college courses is complex. Yet rather than use advanced technology to do it, many institutions still rely on methods that include producing hard-copy spreadsheets, according to some administrators."
Colleges and universities only provide required courses when students need them about 15% of the time, creating scheduling gaps and seat shortages for major requirements. Fewer than half of students graduate on time, increasing both the time and monetary costs of degrees. Ad Astra found 57% of students spend additional time and money because campuses fail to offer required courses on schedule. Budget cuts, layoffs and enrollment declines are intensifying course access problems. Many institutions continue to use outdated scheduling methods, including hard-copy spreadsheets, instead of advanced scheduling technology. The California State University system eliminated 1,430 course sections this year, including required courses.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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