Vacancies at the University
Students refrain from taking up their registered spots. This results in vacancies. Anne Mari Bardum was denied access to Religion Psychology this autumn even though one-third of the students will never turn up.
Students on degree courses are currently able to register for as many modules as they like. Consequently, many students occupy modules, which they have no intention of passing.
Jon Arild Olsen, guidance counselor with studieavdelingen at the Faculty of Humanities (HF), has been working towards solving this issue for over two years. HF statistics indicate that 23.8 per cent of the registered students do not show up for exams.
– From what I understand, the problem is that the University has no upper limit as to how many modules a student can register for. The current system opens for the survival of the selfish and strategic students, Olsen says.
– Why should freedom of choice for students be limited?
– Allowing a maximum of six modules per semester should satisfy even the most ambitious of students, Olsen thinks.
– We had a look through the student system once and found a student who had applied for more than 50 modules, Jon Arild Olsen says and laughs.
Huge Problem
This autumn, 70 students had registered for Social Psychology, but only 40 of them turned up for classes. Religion Psychology experienced a similar desertion when one-third of the registered students missed their first obligatory seminar.
– Several of my colleagues have identified this as a huge administrative problem at UiO. Three out of four students skip my obligatory classes every time, associate professor at the Department of Psychology Astrid Bastiansen says.
She explains that the demand to fill up these vacancies is vast. Bastiansen thinks that increased overbooking of popular modules might be a solution.
– Getting the most interested students should be the primary objective. Today, there are unfortunately too many vacancies.
Denied Exam
Anne Mari Bardum is denied access to Religion Psychology despite the fact that one-third disregarded obligatory attendance.
– My tutor told me that I was allowed to follow lectures and seminars, but I was not allowed to take the exam in Religion Psychology, Bardum says.
The Psychology student explains that her tutor at the Department of Psychology turned down her request because registered students occupied the modules, regardless whether they attend or not.
National Measures
Monica Bakken, studiedirektør at UiO, explains that measures to solve this problem have been long in the works. At this time, she cannot comment on when these plans are put into action.
– The current system is unsatisfactory since there are too many vacancies. We co-operate with institutions on a national basis and work towards developing a system on Studweb that will force students to refrain from taking up modules they do not intend to pass.
