But I *really* want to take your class...

Before I get to the topic of this post let me address a question raised in a comment: No, I would not move to Australia to live full time. The main reason would be that it is just too far away from our other family members. In terms of a country, Australia has a LOT going for it and if I could take my job and extended family...


Now, on to the post. It is course registration season around these parts (when students register for classes for the next semester). My institution uses a priority system for the registration process. Seniors register the day before juniors, juniors the day before sophomores, etc. Within a class year, students are "grouped" based on the first letter of their last name. These "groups" register in different time slots and the order is randomly selected your first year and then rotated after this so that everyone gets a shot at picking first relative to people who came in with them. Students register on a computer, clicking on a course that they want. If the course is open, they get in. For classes that have a demand that outstrips supply, at some point the course fills and students can add themselves to a "waitlist". The computer keeps track of WHERE someone is on the waitlist, so that if an opening occurs (someone drops the course), people can be pulled in off the waitlist in a fair way. Seems like an equitable process, eh?

Now comes the part where I vent. After the juniors registered I started getting e-mails from sophomores and first-years. They read like this: "Prof. [dj], I see that your course will likely fill before I register. I REALLY want to take this class as I am very interested in it, and I might major in [area], so could you please sign me into the class?".

What can I write in response to this dribble that won't get me fired or sued? Of COURSE they want to take the class because they either need it or think they'd like it... That is why EVERYONE wants to take it. The basic issue is this: They want to get the classes they desire when they register first, but when they register last they, well, want to get the classes they desire (either being so self-centered to not realize this would cut out someone who had priority over them -OR- not caring).

These same folks will be cutting in line for the rest of their lives...