Southeastern institutes later class start times for summer courses
Tuesday, April 16, 2019
by: Tonya Lowentritt
HAMMOND – Southeastern Louisiana University is responding to student requests
by modifying its Summer Smart programming to reflect later class start times.
Now with course offerings at 8 a.m. or later, Summer Smart will continue to benefit
students by reducing the net cost for a three-credit course to less than $900 and
expanding high demand offerings with an increased number of online and hybrid courses.
The changes in the summer semester were implemented to help students advance progress
toward their degrees in a timelier manner, while reaping significant financial savings,
said Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Tena Golding.
The idea of starting summer classes 30 minutes later came from focus groups and
individual discussions with students, she said.
“Many students felt 7:30 a.m. was just too early, especially in the summer, and
wondered why the first class could not start at 8 a.m., the same time as regular semesters,”
she said. “In addition, there was a concern for the students with child care needs.
It was difficult to get children to day care and be on time for a 7:30 a.m. class.
In some cases, students were paying an extra cost for early arrival at day care.”
Before officially making the change, Student Government Association President
Richard Davis, Jr. worked with SGA to survey students. The results confirmed that
students overwhelmingly agreed with the time change.
“When this potential change was brought to my attention, I worked with the SGA
to create a survey that went out to various student groups,” said Davis. “Out of the
80 students who completed the survey, 96 percent indicated they agreed with changing
the class start time for the summer semester from 7:30 to 8 a.m. I personally believe
that this change will be welcomed by most students as they choose to continue their
studies while being Summer Smart.”
Since Summer Smart’s inception in 2017, summer enrollment has been on the rise,
said Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Management Kay Maurin. Last year the
program enrolled 3,757 students.
“With offering a $300 Summer Smart scholarship for undergraduates, enrollment
grew by seven percent the first year and six percent the following year, equating
to a 13 percent increase over a two-year period,” she said.
Summer Smart savings result in reduced net cost of attendance for typical undergraduate
students. Summer semester terms range from four to eight weeks.
Hybrid courses combine face-to-face and online instruction for students, which
is embraced by traditional and non-traditional students alike who are able to schedule
their time around fewer physical trips to campus, Maurin added.
The early deadline to apply for summer semester is May 1 with an application
fee of $20. Students may also apply during the late application period that concludes
June 1 with an additional late fee of $50.
For more information on Southeastern’s summer sessions, visit southeastern.edu/summersmart or contact the Office of the Registrar at records@southeastern.edu.
