2008 Woodie Awards
Music Video Production Class Failed to Launch
Fabiola Prieto
Issue date: 3/12/08 Section: News
Disappointment. It happens every semester when students and professors find out that a class they had prepared for has been cancelled. Disappointment was particularly felt in the Media Arts department this semester, since a newly offered class didn't make it to the official schedule.
"This was the first time the college offered a class that specialized in something that I really want to learn," said Andre Hardin, 27, a mass communications major. He had enrolled in the Music Video Production class, MA 117, offered on Monday and Wednesday evenings.
The idea for a music video production class started in 2005. "Students were asked if they would be interested and every time I got an overwhelming positive response," Michael Pitts, the professor offering the class said. But he was informed two weeks before the semester was to start that his class had been cancelled.
"I was very disappointed because I went through all the trouble to get the class through the curriculum committee... It's not easy to get anything through the curriculum committee," Pitts said.
According to Ron Harlan, Dean of Instructional Services, there are costs associated with teaching classes that are paid by the state for the number of students in each class; in order to remain solvent the college has determined that classes that do not reach 15 students must be cancelled. Hardin was the only student enrolled when the decision to cancel MA 117 was made.
"I was very surprised because I knew that the class would've passed if I had been given the chance...more than 30 students would've taken the class" Pitts said. "So when the class got cancelled I asked I could give a list of students that would commit to take the class...I was told I couldn't do that. The class had been officially canceled."
To him, the reason the class didn't make it was a mistake in scheduling; in the printed catalog, the class was listed as another MA 101 class. A correction was made on the online catalog but it wasn't enough to improve enrollment.
"This was the first time the college offered a class that specialized in something that I really want to learn," said Andre Hardin, 27, a mass communications major. He had enrolled in the Music Video Production class, MA 117, offered on Monday and Wednesday evenings.
The idea for a music video production class started in 2005. "Students were asked if they would be interested and every time I got an overwhelming positive response," Michael Pitts, the professor offering the class said. But he was informed two weeks before the semester was to start that his class had been cancelled.
"I was very disappointed because I went through all the trouble to get the class through the curriculum committee... It's not easy to get anything through the curriculum committee," Pitts said.
According to Ron Harlan, Dean of Instructional Services, there are costs associated with teaching classes that are paid by the state for the number of students in each class; in order to remain solvent the college has determined that classes that do not reach 15 students must be cancelled. Hardin was the only student enrolled when the decision to cancel MA 117 was made.
"I was very surprised because I knew that the class would've passed if I had been given the chance...more than 30 students would've taken the class" Pitts said. "So when the class got cancelled I asked I could give a list of students that would commit to take the class...I was told I couldn't do that. The class had been officially canceled."
To him, the reason the class didn't make it was a mistake in scheduling; in the printed catalog, the class was listed as another MA 101 class. A correction was made on the online catalog but it wasn't enough to improve enrollment.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 2
Jose B. Gonzalez
posted 3/17/08 @ 4:44 PM PST
Being the adventurous type, I was wondering what part of the world would the MA 117 summer class possibly take place? Also, thank you for this well informed and professional article. (Continued…)
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