Cal State Long Beach students will soon revisit the stress of registration as the 13-unit cap remains in effect for class registration for the spring 2013 semester.
The unit restriction is again divided into two rounds, mirroring the registration process of fall 2012. In round one, students can register for a maximum of 13 units and are urged to prioritize their more important classes, according to CSULB Enrollment Services. Round two will allow students to register for up to 18 units, after all students have had an opportunity to register for a course load of 13 units.
David Dowell, vice provost for planning and budget, said that the cap is a result of the budget’s not being very flexible.
“Because the budget continues to be tight, there will be a close relationship between seats available and students,” Dowell said via email. “The early unit cap will prompt students registering early to be thoughtful about which courses to sign up for at the early point in time, and leave some seats for students registering later.”
Dowell also said that the unit cap would help to relieve some tension on the budget.
“It will better distribute available seats among continuing students,” he said.
According to Dowell, the fall 2013 unit cap fulfilled its goal of sustaining the budget, but accepting more students to CSULB has also provided more funds for the university.
“The additional continuing students we took in the fall brought additional revenue, about $4.6 million,” Dowell said. “That was helpful in avoiding additional budget cuts. The unit cap made it possible for all students, including those who registered later in the summer, to get a reasonable schedules of classes.”
The average unit load for a student remained high, Dowell said, at an average of 12 units per student, which is the second highest in campus history.
With the continuing unit cap, many students are feeling the heat of graduation, especially those with majors that offer high-unit courses.
Albert Carrillo, a junior aerospace engineering major, said he feels the restraints because of the four-unit classes that are required for his major.
“It limits me,” Carrillo said. “[Because] some of the classes are four units, I will only be able to take three classes. There are only certain combinations of [four- and three-unit] classes, so regardless, [students] will be limited to three classes.”
Scott Nyberg, a junior mechanical engineering major, said he doesn’t feel as though his schedule will suffer much, but he can still empathize with students like Carrillo.
“It isn’t any different from past years,” Nyberg said. “I know it’s hard for students. I already have to balance between work and school anyway, so I usually only register for 12 to 13 units.”
According to the university website, round two of self-registration will take place between Dec. 5 and Dec. 12. Students with an approved petition for a maximum unit load can register during a third round of registration, starting Jan. 7.
