Though PS 143: "Roots of Radical Islam" was originally not listed as a limited enrollment course, Associate Professor of Political Science Pauline Luong opted to cap the course because of the high number of interested students who showed up during shopping period.
Luong made the decision for two reasons: to "make it possible for enrolled students to do a presentation" and "to facilitate a more interactive lecture, which is my preferred style," she wrote in an e-mail to The Herald.
"I like to get to know my students by name and interest and to interact with them in class," Luong added.
Once a semester begins, professors seeking to lower the number of students they plan to allow in a course must get approval from the College Curriculum Council, according to University Registrar Michael Pesta.
Pesta said he was unable to provide specific figures regarding the number of professors who cap courses once the semester is underway, but he said such decisions stem from a variety of factors.
Professors might ultimately limit enrollment in a course if the number of interested students exceeds the capacity of the room in which the course meets, Pesta said. Though some professors try to change rooms, some are unable to find a new location.
Initial room assignments are based in part on pre-registration figures, which can often be misleading. Many students might change their mind about a particular course during shopping period, Pesta said, noting that the Office of the Registrar handles about "12,000 adds and 11,000 drops in the first four weeks of the semester."
Pesta said the somewhat unpredictable level of student interest in courses poses complications both for professors and students.
"There is a balancing act between students who need leeway to make their minds up about what classes they want to take and the teacher's need for certainty provided by pre-enrollment," Pesta said.
In addition to insufficient classroom size, some professors are unable to take on large numbers of students because of a limited number of teaching assistants available. This factor partly influenced Luong's decision to cap PS 143.
"I did not have enough TA coverage to allow more than 100 students," she wrote.
TAs are assigned based on pre-registration figures and available funds, according to Pesta.
As a general rule, professors are encouraged to accommodate as many students as possible.
"The rule for shopping period is if a student attends the first three classes, the professor is encouraged to allow the student to stay in the class," Pesta said.
However, as the semester progresses, instructors might be less likely to let in new students."Professors want to start teaching serious material right away," Pesta said.
Though some professors might decide to cap courses unexpectedly, others are more upfront about their intentions to limit the number of students they accept.
Several competitive writing courses in the Department of English are limited enrollment, but professors allow many students to pre-register and then select students from this pool once the semester begins.
This practice drew the ire of at least one first-year this semester.
"It was a waste of my time. I don't understand why I was pre-registered for a class that was already overbooked," said Nina Arjarasumpun '10, who pre-registered for EL 18: "Introduction to Creative Nonfiction."
However, students are notified that these courses will ultimately be capped, Pesta said.
"There are two types of writing courses," he said. "One is limited to 17 students and 40 students are placed on a waiting list. Here students are aware of their place on the waiting list or in the class. The other registers up to 40 students and they must present a portfolio so that 17 can be selected by the professor to remain in the class."
Ultimately, many of the problems related to limited enrollment courses will be solved when the registrar's office implements Banner, a program that will enable online registration, in the spring. Online registration will allow students to see immediately whether they are likely to get into a class, Pesta said.
