Course Scheduling Survey, Fall 2015

Over Wayne College’s history, we have had two major course scheduling paradigms. The first followed a Monday-Wednesday, Tuesday-Thursday, and Saturday format. The second came about by administrative action changing the format to Monday-Wednesday-Friday, Tuesday-Thursday, and Saturday. Over concerns about enrollment trends, the faculty decided to take a student-driven approach to which paradigm is preferable to students. As a result, the faculty distributed the survey below (see link below) and collected data clearly indicating that students overwhelmingly prefer the first paradigm: Monday-Wednesday, Tuesday-Thursday, (although Saturday was not a preferred day). but show almost no preference for the second paradigm because of Friday classes.

The first graph below illustrates student's preferences for the first paradigm. The survey also surveyed students preferences for a 15-week, 8-week, and 5-week semester. Students overwhelmingly preferred a 15-week semester. The second graph below illustrates these preferences.

Wayne College faculty would like to thank students for taking the time to complete the survey. This website was created to share the results with students and the community at large.

• About 80% of respondents are available Monday through Thursday. Significantly fewer, about two‐thirds, are available Friday, while significantly fewer still, about one‐third, are available Saturday.
• In fall 2015, changes to the Monday & Thursday class meeting patterns coincide with decline in Monday & Wednesday evening enrollment.
• Saturday enrollment has collapsed to unprecedented lows.
• The highest demand and best served markets are Monday & Wednesday mornings. Tuesday & Thursday mornings are equally high‐demand markets, but less well served by the new class meeting patterns implemented fall 2015.
• Monday & Wednesday and Tuesday & Thursday afternoons are high‐demand markets that are underserved; this is observed to occur an hour earlier on Tuesday & Thursday.
• Early evenings are less in demand, relatively better served on Monday & Wednesday than on Tuesday & Thursday.
• Fifteen week meeting patterns are preferred over 8 week meeting patterns, which are in turn preferred over 5 week meeting patterns.
• Fifteen week, two day a week meeting patterns are most frequently selected as ideal; this is especially true of day students, and to less of a degree than evening students.
• Two day a week meeting patterns are selected as ideal more frequently than any other option, despite the number of weeks.
• Three day a week meeting patterns are most frequently rated as undesirable for fifteen week courses.
• Three day a week meeting patterns may be suitable for eight week courses. Although eight week courses are less suitable than fifteen week courses, when they are scheduled, three days a week is most often indicated as a good option. This is more so for day courses than evening courses.
• One day a week meeting patterns are rated either as undesirable or impossible— most frequently impossible on Saturdays, and otherwise most frequently undesirable.
• One day a week courses are among the least preferred options. Movement towards scheduling one day a week courses in the evening may be playing a role in the loss of enrollment in the evening.

Download Full Survey (PDF)