Huh?
It may seem counterintuitive, but students use Wintersession as an opportunity to get ahead by earning credits toward graduation, said Jessica Carter, operation coordinator for Extended Learning Services. Others do it to lighten their class load in the spring.
This year, UM is offering 100 three-week courses, from Jan. 5-23. Full-time students enrolled for spring semester don't have to pay additional money to take Wintersession courses.
These intensive classes are generally held every day, sometimes for three hours. Students are encouraged to take only one class during this time because teachers condense a semester-long course into three weeks.
Registration numbers for the 2009 Wintersession have already surpassed what they were in 2008. As of Nov. 14, there had been 2,178 class registrations. Last year there were 2,033 registrations.
Also, there are more courses offered this year than ever before.
In 2004, the university offered 66 classes. Wintersession has grown each year since.
Part of the reason for the boost this year is because there are a number of online classes added to the mix, to increase flexibility for students, Carter said.
Students can enroll in everything from Global Climate Change Policy to African Dance to Poker for Fun and Profit. Wintersession also offers opportunities to travel for credit.
For instance, political science majors can attend the presidential inauguration in Washington, D.C., for credit.
Wintersession began in the early 1990s after UM moved from the quarter system to semesters. The university first saw a large spike in Wintersession enrollment in 2007.
That was the first year Wintersession credits applied toward spring semester, which meant lighter class loads for students from January through May.
In a survey conducted in 2008, 75 percent of the students who enrolled in Wintersession said their motivation was to earn credits toward graduation. Thirty-one percent said it satisfied a personal interest, and 24 percent indicated that they liked the condensed time frame.
While many introductory and intermediate courses lend themselves to the time constraints of Wintersession, some classes do not, said Jim Lopach, head of the UM political science department.
Lopach teaches constitutional law and said that three weeks may not give students enough time to absorb all the material taught in that course.
Reporter Chelsi Moy can be reached at 523-5260 or at chelsi.moy@missoulian.com.
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