If there’s anything that unites all UCSB students, it’s the dread we feel when it’s time to register for next quarter’s classes. We glue our eyes to our laptop screens, anxiously checking the space in our desired classes for days, hours, and minutes leading up to the enrollment window in which we can actually register for them. Once we’ve finally registered for one or two courses, we restart the whole process for our next pass-time.
UCSB’s “pass-time” system, in which students enroll for only about two courses’ worth of units at a time, is certainly well-intentioned. According to UCSB spokesperson Andrea Estrada, the reasoning behind the pass-time system is to ensure that course availability is equitable across the student body, so that all students can achieve full-time status and work productively towards degree completion. Despite this fact, class registration certainly causes eyerolls, headaches, and frustrated screams for many students who repeatedly struggle to get into the classes they need. As registration for Winter 2023 loomed closer and closer, I couldn’t help but wonder if there is a better way to organize class selection. Should UCSB get rid of pass times and unit limits? Or is this really the best choice we have?
To answer this question, I investigated how other colleges and universities handle the class registration process. Many other schools have systems similar to our own, where students are assigned registration times based on their class standing and other factors like participation in athletics and enrollment in honors programs. The main difference lies in how many units students are allowed to register for during each registration period. For example, the University of Oregon and UC Irvine both assign registration times based on the number of units a student has completed (the more they’ve completed, the earlier their registration time), but the University of Oregon allows students to register for all their classes at once, and UC Irvine allows students to register for up to 18 units. Similarly, Cal Poly allows students to register for up to 18 units and be waitlisted for up to 16 units in their first registration window.
My friends who attend these schools seem fairly content about this system of registration. While it is occasionally difficult to get into their desired classes, they are ultimately able to enroll in classes that count towards their major and GE requirements, as well as believe that they will graduate on time.
However, one major issue that was discussed among my friends was a class shortage. A former UC Santa Cruz student described an overcrowded computer science class in which many students were waitlisted and ultimately added into the course a few weeks after the start of the quarter. A University of Oregon student concluded that the only surefire way to get into desired classes is for more classes to be made available for students. Perhaps the registration systems aren’t to blame, but the actual number and capacity of available classes.
The phenomenon of class shortages is not unique to other campuses; it has recently been a major issue for UCSB as well. In September 2021, the Dean of Undergraduate Education at UCSB announced in an email to Chancellor Yang and several other recipients that many undergraduates are “entirely out of luck” in finding enough classes to meet the 12-unit minimum to be considered a full time student. He went on to add that “…we are enrolling more students than we can educate on a four-year, three quarter schedule.”
“…WE ARE ENROLLING MORE STUDENTS THAN WE CAN EDUCATE ON A FOUR-YEAR, THREE QUARTER SCHEDULE.”
Dean of Undergraduate Education, Jeffrey Stopple
This class shortage has impacted UCSB’s registration process. In fact, the reason that the unit limit for Pass One was reduced to 10 units last year is because of several factors that resulted in fewer classes being made available to students. These reasons include an increase in professor retirements, reduced availability of Teacher Assistants, and reduced capacity for internship and study abroad programs, all of which are due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Until the problem of class shortages is fixed, the new limits of the pass-time system may remain the most efficient way to register for classes.
So would class registration be easier for everyone if UCSB retired or altered the pass-time process? Probably not. While the pass time system is certainly problematic, it is a solution to the larger issue of class shortages that many universities currently face, even if it is only a Band-Aid solution.
In the meantime, UCSB students have found some pretty clever tricks to navigate the pass time system and ensure that they get the classes they want. If you’re interested, check out these Quora and Reddit pages with advice for how to make the most of your pass time. Good luck!