Camden County College is the second largest county college in the state of New Jersey with over 23,000 credit students in 2009. It is also one of the fastest growing colleges in the country and ranked in the top 100 county colleges in the country for degree completion. Even with the continually growing student body and advancements that have been made by the college, there is still more to be desired by students.
The availability of classes has been quickly dwindling with the increase in students despite the adding of extra classes throughout the years. Some courses are even full the week they are opened for registration, making it near impossible to get the appropriate courses for a particular major in a timely manner. Students are forced to take alternative courses that they may not want or need just to stay enrolled in the college as a full time student until they can try their luck again the following semester.
The lack of classes overall is not the only issue. For those that do manage to find the class that they need, it is likely to be a class at an inconvenient time. Students are continually complaining about the lack of even basic classes. These are classes that a majority of the student body must complete, yet there are not enough courses offered per a semester to fit the needs of student’s curriculums.
After speaking to Frank Cacia, a student advisor of CCC, he informed me that some classes are full within days of becoming available, including basic classes such as English, Biology, and History. This forces students to take hybrid or night courses as an alternative if seats are still available. Another issue he stated was the lack of classes for certain majors. A few examples he listed were Biology, Nursing, and Communications. They all lack variety of times and days for the more specific courses, and it is nearly impossible to complete your degree on a timely basis. This is especially true for people that take mainly night classes because the college does not offer the full curriculum for students that take even a combination of night, weekend, and/or online classes. Some courses offer as little as one class per semester.
As student Sean Dolan, a Radiation Oncology major from Collingswood expressed to me, it is so hard to get into even just the basic science classes needed for his major that it will take him at least an additional year beyond what is standard to complete his degree. Fellow student Ashley Zelinski of Audubon, a Biology major, stated similar issues. She had trouble just finding available classes for her major, let alone ones that were at a reasonable time and day.
While Camden County College has come far in its development over the years, this is one aspect that definitely seems to be lacking. An evaluation and readjustment of the course schedules and class offerings would provide not only a quicker turnover of degree completion but also happier students that would be less wary of registering for classes. Looks like some reworking could result in a positive outcome for all.
