Late Textbook Requisitions and Increased Student Enrollment Prove Costly
Hilary Wilhelm
Posted in: News on 9/26/08 at 11:02 PM PST
It would seem that Harbor College's 10% student enrollment increase for the Fall semester would prove beneficial to the success of the institution. In reality, the sudden spike in enrollment has started a domino-like effect hitting every level of the school's departments financially.
Over-enrollment in classrooms has become an issue. When student enrollment exceeds the classroom's capacity, and the number of textbooks originally ordered for the class, the students get shortchanged. According to Harbor College Bookstore Manager, Mark Zankich, the bookstore generally orders 35-40 books at a time if the instructor has not put the textbook order through at least a week before the first scheduled day of the class. If the number of students enrolled exceeds the number of books ordered, Zankich must then put a rush order through for the additional books. The "bookstore eats the price," said Zankich. Putting a rush on an order, due to late requisitions, costs more, which negatively affects the bookstore's budget and ultimately that of the school as a whole. Zankich has noticed the effect over-enrollment has had on the bookstore as the number of backorders and rush orders for the Fall semester has increased from previous semesters. Dean of Student Life and ASO Advisor, Nina Malone agrees: "Because of additional and unnecessary late fees, the college suffers, and measures to pacify the deficit, such as class cuts, [could] be made."
Late book requisitions, can hinder the success and class preparation of students like commercial pilot major, Sergio Ramirez, who buy all their textbooks from the college bookstore. Harbor student, Tiffany Romero, experienced the effects of insufficient textbook orders on Monday, Sept. 22nd, when she stood in the English section of the college bookstore only to find an empty book shelf labeled with a sign reading "book backordered/ out of stock." According to Romero, "after the first week [of school], the books were gone." As far as she knows, "three other classes are using the same book." This left Romero longing for a solution, especially after she had looked to the internet as another possible source for her book purchase, only to find another dead end. The backorder sign left her with another kicker, as the date of the order's arrival was set for Oct. 10th, but the date posted for backorder shipments is "ball-park," according to Zankich. Let's hope so for the sake of students like Romero.
Over-enrollment in classrooms has become an issue. When student enrollment exceeds the classroom's capacity, and the number of textbooks originally ordered for the class, the students get shortchanged. According to Harbor College Bookstore Manager, Mark Zankich, the bookstore generally orders 35-40 books at a time if the instructor has not put the textbook order through at least a week before the first scheduled day of the class. If the number of students enrolled exceeds the number of books ordered, Zankich must then put a rush order through for the additional books. The "bookstore eats the price," said Zankich. Putting a rush on an order, due to late requisitions, costs more, which negatively affects the bookstore's budget and ultimately that of the school as a whole. Zankich has noticed the effect over-enrollment has had on the bookstore as the number of backorders and rush orders for the Fall semester has increased from previous semesters. Dean of Student Life and ASO Advisor, Nina Malone agrees: "Because of additional and unnecessary late fees, the college suffers, and measures to pacify the deficit, such as class cuts, [could] be made."
Late book requisitions, can hinder the success and class preparation of students like commercial pilot major, Sergio Ramirez, who buy all their textbooks from the college bookstore. Harbor student, Tiffany Romero, experienced the effects of insufficient textbook orders on Monday, Sept. 22nd, when she stood in the English section of the college bookstore only to find an empty book shelf labeled with a sign reading "book backordered/ out of stock." According to Romero, "after the first week [of school], the books were gone." As far as she knows, "three other classes are using the same book." This left Romero longing for a solution, especially after she had looked to the internet as another possible source for her book purchase, only to find another dead end. The backorder sign left her with another kicker, as the date of the order's arrival was set for Oct. 10th, but the date posted for backorder shipments is "ball-park," according to Zankich. Let's hope so for the sake of students like Romero.
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