As each semester at Lock Haven University winds down, students who are returning the next semester must schedule the classes that they will be taking. Whether the course is required by their major, or it’s just an elective, students must make sure they get what they need in order to eventually graduate.
I am a communication major with a concentration in journalism, so naturally I take classes that are in that department. This coming fall semester is my final semester, and I only needed two more classes in the communication department to graduate, so imagine my surprise when I found out that one of the classes I needed was not going to be offered at Lock Haven. The course is, however, offered at Bloomsburg University, which is one of the schools being integrated with Lock Haven, along with Mansfield University.
The communication between the higher ups and the student body has been extremely lacking. Through no fault of the professors, I feel that student’s education has been a complete afterthought through this entire process. I don’t inherently mind having to take a course through Bloomsburg, but as of this writing there are only three available spots left in the class, and I don’t really know what’s going on regarding signing up for classes at the other university. I have been reassured that I will be able to take the class, so I’m not necessarily worried about myself. There are, however, other journalism students who will eventually need to take this class, and who knows when it will be available to be taken again.
Current students at Lock Haven have repeatedly been told that the integration would not affect them very much, but scheduling classes seems like one of the most affected aspects of the process. Another issue that I have is that, if we are supposed to be integrated, why are the classes not directly available through Lock Haven’s scheduling portal? Instead, I basically have to enroll and pay through Bloomsburg’s website, and I have to use an e-mail and classroom portal that they give me.
Complaining about the technological aspects of enrolling in both universities may seem petty, but my point is that this process is causing so much unneeded confusion for students who are just looking to get an education. Integration has caused much unnecessary stress on students, and I’m sure it’s just the beginning of a storm to come.
