As I wrap up the first semester of my junior year, I naturally begin to plan for the spring semester. I want to graduate on time. I need to graduate on time. Ever since transferring to UTSA a year ago I have been meeting and working with my advisor each semester to make sure each coming semester is packed with classes that I need for my degree, not just want.
As we discussed the spring semester I could not help but notice the lack of class options. As I sat in the office trying to meticulously plan out my next three semesters, it was brought to my attention that course offerings have been cut, significantly, COLFA has taken a huge budget cut. So, two of three mandatory classes that I must complete in order to graduate are not being offered in the spring semester. I immediately begin to question: What if they are not available next fall either? What if my other classes are not available the last two semesters I am suppose to be in school? What if I can’t graduate when I am supposed to? Am I the only one? There is no way. I can’t be. And I’m not.
COLFA is a compilation of eleven different departments, and according to their UTSA website, they are “responsible for one-third of all the instruction delivered at the University and serves all University students through the Core Curriculum” (UTSA). If COLFA is such a large part of the UTSA community, why is it that the cuts are so deep? Classes are being cut; therefore students are losing course options, which can potentially cause issues with their graduation status. The cuts go deeper than that though.
So what if I have to take a class in the fall as opposed to the spring. As long as I get it done within the amount of time I need it, it is fine. What about the staff though? Courses being cut, means staff members are being cut. People are losing jobs. We’re not talking about inconveniences for some students; we are talking about livelihoods, a means of income, mouths to feed, bills to pay.
We have questions COLFA. What happened? What is the problem? How can it be fixed? Why have we not been notified of this significant change?
