Intersession learning at a price

The time has come for CSUS students to make the decision to fork over extra cash for a three-week-long, all-expense-paid rendezvous with the limited selection of classes offered during Winter Intersession.

Professors, however, may have a different outlook on intersession.

Faculty may be motivated to teach intersession for the extra money, according to communication studies professor John Williams.

"CSUS does not have enough money for faculty to attend professional conventions in their field," said Williams. "I want to remain professionally active, so I teach intersession to pay for my travel expenses."

According to Williams, a senior faculty member, professors who are tenured and can no longer be promoted have been discouraged from requesting subsidization for their travel expenses by the department. Trimming this budget allows junior faculty who need the experience in order to be promoted to attend needed conferences.

"About seven years ago, I went to San Diego for a convention and the University gave me $89 in compensation. After that, I stopped asking," said Williams.

Professors who volunteer to teach intersession classes earn compensation for each student enrolled, up to the class limit. However, if more students are allowed to enroll, the excess tuition goes back to Regional Continuing Education, the office responsible for coordinating intersession.

Not all professors want to teach an intersession class.

"I need the time off between semesters so I am happy to see the students when I return," said communication studies professor Barbara O'Connor. "That's why I went into teaching in the first place."

Professors must have a certain number of students enrolled in their class or else it can be canceled. According to Babette Jimenez, Registration/Records-Credit Coordinator, it depends on the course classification as to how many students are needed to sign up.

"It varies from class to class," she said.

Professors' reimbursement rates may be low, but intersession prices are still high for students.

"I have never taken an intersession class before, but I need to so I can graduate on time," said CSUS junior criminal justice major Steven Chin. "The prices are a rip-off." Classes run around $400 for a compacted three-unit course.

"The fees are high because RCE is self-supported, not state-funded," said Rina DeRose-Swinscoe, the summer and winter intersession coordinator. RCE controls both summer and winter sessions. The money RCE is paid for intersession is used toward the professors' salaries and the upkeep of the campus during the intersession period.

"I don't take intersession because I cannot afford it," said liberal studies senior Amy Zalunardo. "I probably wouldn't take it anyway because I don't think I would benefit from a class so compacted."

The intersession money is used for a variety of things such as the upkeep of utilities on campus, as well as the cost to make the schedules and the salaries for the staff of RCE, the admission's office and the library.

"We use a lot of the money for the library. We pay the salary for the staff and for extended hours to keep it open," said Jimenez.

Certain options of tri-semesters could knock out winter and summer intersession all together. According to Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Jolene Koester, "We may or may not change to a form of tri-semesters."