Despite an 80 percent increase in the number of courses offered and moves to extend laboratory hours, the number of declared biology majors at UCSD has fallen by more than 1,500 in recent years, the campus’ Guardian is reporting.
The university’s nationally-recognized Division of Biological Sciences saw a 60 percent increase in enrollment between 2000 and 2007, topping out at 5,294 before overcrowding caused the department to declare an “impacted” status for incoming freshmen in 2009 and transfer students in 2011. The status has led to limited enrollment in the following years, eventually culling the crop of biology majors to 3,781.
“During this period of extraordinary growth in student enrollments, we made every effort to maintain a quality student experience for our undergraduate majors,” Associate Dean of Education for the division Gabrielle Weinhausen told the Guardian, admitting that due to continuing undergraduate population growth “even these measures were insufficient.”
The university is hoping that at some point in the future funding for additional classrooms, lab space, and faculty will allow the division to lift its impacted status.
Despite an 80 percent increase in the number of courses offered and moves to extend laboratory hours, the number of declared biology majors at UCSD has fallen by more than 1,500 in recent years, the campus’ Guardian is reporting.
The university’s nationally-recognized Division of Biological Sciences saw a 60 percent increase in enrollment between 2000 and 2007, topping out at 5,294 before overcrowding caused the department to declare an “impacted” status for incoming freshmen in 2009 and transfer students in 2011. The status has led to limited enrollment in the following years, eventually culling the crop of biology majors to 3,781.
“During this period of extraordinary growth in student enrollments, we made every effort to maintain a quality student experience for our undergraduate majors,” Associate Dean of Education for the division Gabrielle Weinhausen told the Guardian, admitting that due to continuing undergraduate population growth “even these measures were insufficient.”
The university is hoping that at some point in the future funding for additional classrooms, lab space, and faculty will allow the division to lift its impacted status.