Comp. Sci. Classes Force Students to Quit Jobs, Often Delay Graduation

WBCR Spotlight Report
By Estefania Barron

“I either have to drop it or quit my job, essentially,” said Brooklyn College computer science student Rami Saban.

In a Facebook post published on the BC Computer Science Community page on November 20, Saban voiced grievances about the trouble he’s had to register for classes in the upcoming Spring semester. That morning, a class he needed in order to graduate on time suddenly shift time slots, forcing Saban to potentially quit his job at the end of winter break. He also mentioned that a number of classes offered on CUNYfirst during the early periods of registration were taken down the next day, ultimately causing students that had already enrolled in them to find an open slot in another class. Hundreds of courses were to every department by accident, and the registrar had to un-enroll hundreds of students from phantom courses featuring the number 6. A shortage of class availability is among the biggest issues for the department, outside of what some students felt were cold-hearted faculty.

Computer Science (CompSci) is one of the most popular majors in Brooklyn College, according to the Office of Institutional Research and Data Analysis. It’s a recent development and became a fact ever since it appeared on the list of the top five most popular majors in Spring 2015. At the time, 363 students were majoring in the field. It rose to fourth place with 429 students the following year, and since the Fall of 2017 has remained the second most popular major on campus. 593 students were majoring in computer science as of Spring 2018.

Although the number of students majoring in CompSci increased by 57.3 percent since it first appeared on the list, the department continues to lack at least two full-time professors that have not been replaced since 2012.

“Since 2012 we have lost 7 full-time teaching positions,” professor David Arnow told WBCR News, “We’ve only been authorized to hire 5. So while the numbers of our majors have grown, our teaching staff has shrunk.”

Arnow, who has been teaching in the CIS department since 1981,  said most students including Saban do not know who the real decision makers are. He also believes their frustration is directed at the wrong people. When Saban posted on Facebook, Arnow commented urging students to become more politically active and organize themselves to demand change.

“Does anyone think we love seeing students being hampered from graduation? Does anyone think we like having our classes packed to the maximum?” said Arnow, “Does anyone think we wouldn’t welcome new colleagues who can inject new ideas, new thinking, and, by the way, help with committee work?”

“It’s like saying ‘tell the students to hire a new professor’. That’s not something you should do. I’m not going to go and find a professor for the department,” said Saban.

Arnow’s response? He feels it is an unfortunate necessity for students to take charge.

“Well-funded public higher education should just fall from the understanding and caring hearts of politicians,” Arnow said, “and a $15/hour minimum wage should not require unions and strikes but should come from the empathetic CEOs and shareholders. Students can say ‘it’s not my responsibility’, but nothing ever happens without people fighting for it.”

According to Arnow, everyone in the administrative hierarchy in BC, including President Michelle Anderson has been made well aware of this issue. The department is not allowed to hire any faculty without the administration’s approval, and the five professors that have been hired since 2012 were, according to Arnow, a result of department chair Yedidyah Langsam’s limited power.

Saban and senior computer science student Mohammad Danyal went on the record saying the CIS department at Brooklyn College made little effort to be helpful.

When Danyal was seeking permission to register for a course (CISC 4900) after he completed prerequisites defined by the college website (CISC 3110 or CISC 3115), Professor Moshe Augenstein denied him permission. Augenstein told Danyal he failed to meet the required GPA and to take an unmentioned course (CISC 3130). Since he wasn’t able to register for that course, Danyal will need to take a course in the winter in order to be able to graduate next semester. He may be paying for the winter course out of pocket.

“He does not seem like a friendly person at all,” Danyal told WBCR, “I asked him if he could give me a list of CISC electives if he has one and he just told me to go online and look for them…He said he is not gonna tell me, in a very rude manner.”

Saban, on the other hand, had gone in for advisement before enrolling for each upcoming semester since he transferred. He always happened to walk in when Professor Joseph Thurm was available. That first time, and every time after that, Saban said he felt like he wasn’t taken seriously or treated with respect.
“They don’t even look at your schedule,” Saban said. “They just say, ‘what have you taken?’ ‘Okay, this is what you need to take’. Some typing and ‘go.’ What does that mean? You know, you want to understand.”

Issues with classes had plagued multiple students inspired to share their experience in the post. Two semesters ago,  Saban remembers being unable to register for four of his classes. He emailed Langsam, who replied saying he didn’t meet the prerequisites. By the time Saban proved Langsam wrong and enrolled, he had been locked out of one of

his required classes. He’s among the 81.48 percent of students in a survey of 27 people who said they’ve been unable to enroll, and may join the 40.74 percent of people who have had to delay their graduation date.

“I was living on CUNYFirst,” said Saban, “that was my best friend. I was refreshing every single day. What I’m actually doing right now. I’m telling you, if I unlock my phone, it’s probably on CUNYfirst.”

WBCR News also found in a survey conducted with CLAS Acting Chair of Budget and Finance David Schykerynec that 59.26 percent have had to change their work schedule in order to accommodate for a required course. 4 of the 27 students said they have never experienced these types of inconveniences.

“There are two kinds of advisers. College advisers are outside the department and are not always properly updated on changes in our curriculum. The department has its own advisers; they are faculty and are totally knowledgeable but are not always available when students need them– again because of limited faculty resources,” Arnow explained, “We could and should do better on this score.”

“Not that I’m asking to be greeted with donuts, and whatever. I just want to, like, have a normal conversation,” Saban said, “I don’t want to be speaking to a robot.”