‘Relationships with professors are already impersonal’: UC Davis reacts to influx of students
An email from Chancellor announced more freshies and transfers on campus
Earlier this month the Chancellor Interim at UC Davis sent out an email detailing this year’s increase in students.
Student enrollment has increased by about 700 students since last year to become a total of 9,100, not including the 8,000 new graduate students – in other words, the campus is more crowded compared to last year.
The email from Ralph J. Hexter, acting Chancellor
Some people might feel welcome towards the larger influx of Davis guys and gals with the knowledge of a new lecture hall to come in 2018. Others, like myself, are probably a little bit sickened by the thought of those impacted courses, for the sake of those poor freshies.
I’m sure lots of us recall sitting in one of their science prereqs and sometimes being unable to find a seat, even in as big a hall as the SciLec.
Students despair at the excess people
Joan Vu who is a third year has an optimistic view of the higher number of students.
“I kinda feel good about it. A lot more people get a better chance of doing what they want going to a UC. So overall, I think it’s a good thing. It also depends how the school handles the influx of students. If they handle it well, [UC Davis] can take responsibility for their students. If they don’t handle it well, the students are going to be upset about it.”
2nd year Sid Selvakumar is an NPB major agreed:
“I think it feels the same. If it doesn’t die down, then it’s gonna feel different. But I feel like it’s gonna die down.”
4th year Henry Le had the same thought: “It feels the same. People stop coming to campus. It’s conditional, we don’t know yet.”
UC Davis student in front of a busy roundabout
Alfredo Amaya, who graduated as a Chicano Studies major seemed more unsure, saying:
“I have mixed feelings about it. It gives more students the opportunity to study at UC Davis. That said, I feel bad. I’ve experienced some discussion sections with 60 students. You don’t get that much experience with the professor.”
Second year psych major, Dana Hever, said she hadn’t really noticed:
“Class sizes last year were pretty large, so relationships with professors are already impersonal. I’m in a Psych class right now with 400.” The school ended up opening another Psychology class.
“I’m glad they did that because Psych is my major. Otherwise,” she laughed, “I would’ve been kinda screwed.”
Ray is a second year at UC Davis
Ray Woffinden, a second year, is double-majoring in computer science and music performance:
“It’s more people to join the clubs… and fill them up,” he said. Ray is in Model UN Club. “It’s more difficult to get in waitlisted classes. It has its pros and cons. My brother’s a senior in high school, he gets a better chance of getting in.”
Finally, Chase Caligiuri is a 2nd year History major:
“The university and the town are unprepared,” they said. “The prices for leases and rent will go up, and there’s not enough housing.
“There will be decreased quality of life and living conditions for students… I think we should expand the student population but we should address the problems”.