Unit requirement tests Bruins
Many students struggle to balance busy lives with classes
The morning after pulling an all-nighter – when students may find themselves nodding off in a lecture hall and consequently becoming the involuntary subject of the professor’s lecture on sleep deprivation – is perhaps the undergraduates’ unofficial welcome to college.
Lack of sleep is not a foreign concept to many students. But for those trying to maintain a balance between fulfilling academic requirements and extracurricular activities, sleep may be the first luxury to be swept off their full plate.
“To balance, I sacrifice sleep and use up every minute of my time,” said second-year mass communications student, Pearl Tin, who during last spring quarter split her time between academics, interning at Universal Studios, working at World Financial Group, pledging for Alpha Kappa Psi, and upholding duties with Bruin Leaders Project and her floor government.
Tin is among the undergraduates affected by the implementation of the expected cumulative progress requirement, which applies to all students admitted to The College after fall 2001.
Under ECP, students must enroll in a minimum of 13 units per quarter and meet an outlined cumulative progress requirement that will result in the student completion of a minimum of 180 units after 12 quarters.
Students are monitored on a bi-quarterly basis, and any undergraduate who does not meet ECP in the previous two quarters is placed on probation. If a student remains behind during the next bi-quarterly check, students can be disqualified from further registration at the university.
Many have said keeping on track with ECP while being involved in extracurricular activities is dependent on good time management skills.
Prioritizing and maintaining a good balance between health and academics should be the student’s main interest, said Eligio Martinez, Academic Affairs commissioner for the Undergraduate Students Association Council.
Scheduling and prioritizing time also includes planning ahead and taking advantage of summer sessions.
In addition, it may be beneficial to augment one’s program with low-unit, such as Fiat Lux seminars, tutorial or small seminar courses that are presently offered by every department, as well as internships through the Center for Community Learning, said Penny Hein-Unruh, director of counseling for The College.
Making time for extracurricular activities has garnered concerns about whether ECP detracts from a student’s overall college education.
“It decreases the level of education that a student gets,” Martinez said. “It’s not as well-rounded because there’s no time to be active.”
Many students agreed that extracurricular activities are an important factor in molding a valuable college experience.
Third-year student Joe Vardner is an engineering student, therefore ECP does not apply to him. He said he believes this position offers him a broad perspective on the values of a real college experience.
“You learn a lot in the classroom, but you also learn by actually being in college – by being involved and making friends,” Vardner said.
Vardner is director of recruitment for the Interfraternity Council, chaplain of his fraternity, student representative for UCLA Transportation Services, and works in a lab doing research for a professor. He was also the USAC Elections Board chairman during the spring 2003 elections.
ECP has also been met with concerns regarding the inability of some students to complete a set amount of units due to financial constraints forcing them to work extra hours.
“I can see the challenge that it poses to students who don’t have monetary backing, and have to work their way through college,” said first-year undeclared student Jennifer Mishory, who held two on-campus jobs during spring quarter, while enrolling in 18 units and playing on an intramural soccer team.
Such circumstances are recognized by the university, and students have the option of filing an appeal to be exempt from the requirement for a certain period of time, which must be approved by the vice provost for undergraduate education.
Standard exemptions include students who file an appeal through the Office of Students with Disabilities, and those in the reduced fee program, which is for students who are enrolled on a part-time basis for an extended period of time due to personal circumstances such as work and family, Hein-Unruh said.
These students are placed on individual contracts that still enable them to maintain academic progress.
“We do whatever is academically beneficial for students,” Hein-Unruh said. “We are interested that they succeed.”
Some students believe that ECP benefits them by helping them keep track of their progress .
“I like seeing the breakdown,” Tin said. “Students tend to take too few units, so this helps them to graduate faster.”
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