Waitlist Protocol

[mythbuster]

I always have our advisor check the story on those who claim to desperately need the class to graduate. I've yet to have the advisor agree with the student on that. If they did, I would work to add them if possible.

[clean]

Personally, I do not believe that faculty should be involved in deciding who should or should not be allowed to take a class.  That seems to me to be a function for the administration.  Where in the faculty handbook, or process manual outlines that faculty are authorized to make these decisions AND outlines the procedures to follow? (not there?  then stay out of it!!)

Suppose that YOU decide that student A should be allowed in, but Student B should not.  Who are YOU to make that decision?  Would Student B have a cause for a grievance?  Would there be a way for Student B to appeal YOUR decision?  What defense can you offer for your decision?  (Do you WANT to expose yourself to defending these charges?)

Long ago we had 2 faculty teach the same required class. Of course, one was more 'in demand' than the other.  At one time he was making students write a 'memo' explaining why they should be admitted.  A student asked me about it, and I made it an issue to ask what the criteria for the decision was and as I pointed out here, what remedy do students have to appeal being denied?  Who was he to make the value judgements over the relative, clearly objective, individual situations?

IF there are some issues of disparate impact, or allegations of direct discrimination or favoritism  THEN What?
Do you NEED this in your life?  Do you want to open yourself to being investigated by some university level 'burrocrat' because a student made some complaint/charge?

I suggest that you refer the students' requests to the administrator in charge of students or class sizes/scheduling.  Let THEM make the decision if for no other reason than to prevent you having to defend subjective decisions that are not really within your direct/line authority to make!! 

[arcturus]

I always have our advisor check the story on those who claim to desperately need the class to graduate. I've yet to have the advisor agree with the student on that. If they did, I would work to add them if possible.

I generally trust that these students need a science class to graduate, but it is not clear that they need my GenEd science class to graduate! Anyone trying to add my class at the last minute under these circumstances has almost certainly failed their previous attempt at a GenEd science class (otherwise, they would have registered at the normal time, when graduating seniors have first pick of available courses) and are likely to be a PITA as a student. Indeed, this semester I have a student who pleaded to be added in advance of others on the waitlist due to similar circumstances. She is now in the class (courtesy of other students dropping, so she was added based on her name rising to the top of the waitlist in the normal manner) and has handed in almost no work. It is mathematically possible that she will pass if she earns more than 60% on the final exam, but that will be hard to do based on the work she has accomplished thus far. I am glad that my university has a normal waitlist process, and that I, as a faculty member, do not have to get involved. I also appreciate that I can deny requests to add students to the course after the official drop/add period has closed (first week of the semester), so that I do not have to accept students into the course that are even more likely to be PITAs.

[the_geneticist]

I always have our advisor check the story on those who claim to desperately need the class to graduate. I've yet to have the advisor agree with the student on that. If they did, I would work to add them if possible.

I generally trust that these students need a science class to graduate, but it is not clear that they need my GenEd science class to graduate! Anyone trying to add my class at the last minute under these circumstances has almost certainly failed their previous attempt at a GenEd science class (otherwise, they would have registered at the normal time, when graduating seniors have first pick of available courses) and are likely to be a PITA as a student. Indeed, this semester I have a student who pleaded to be added in advance of others on the waitlist due to similar circumstances. She is now in the class (courtesy of other students dropping, so she was added based on her name rising to the top of the waitlist in the normal manner) and has handed in almost no work. It is mathematically possible that she will pass if she earns more than 60% on the final exam, but that will be hard to do based on the work she has accomplished thus far. I am glad that my university has a normal waitlist process, and that I, as a faculty member, do not have to get involved. I also appreciate that I can deny requests to add students to the course after the official drop/add period has closed (first week of the semester), so that I do not have to accept students into the course that are even more likely to be PITAs.

As someone who teaches 2 GenEd, no prerequisite sciences classes, this is so darn true.  There are several courses offered each term that fulfill the science requirement for other majors, my class is just one of them. 
It also makes me very glad that I have absolutely no ability to add or drop students during registration.
At my previous job, the faculty were also the academic advisors and we could add or drop students.  It was not good.