A Resolution to Introduce Course Workload and Materials Questions to the Electronic Course Instructor Survey
written by sidnee bell and suraiyah syed
legislation by vishal kantharaju
It is no secret that the UT Austin registration process can be daunting. The path to improvement may be long, but NSC member, Vishal Kantharaju, has made major strides on this path through his latest legislative resolution. With a focus placed on providing greater transparency for students during registration, Vishal aims to ease the burden of registration for all UT students. In addressing some core issues students face, such as unexpected workloads and financial strains, his legislation seeks to create a more informed and balanced registration experience.
The brains behind this legislation and the Natural Sciences Council’s Legislative Committee Chair: Vishal Kantharaju!
Vishal's vision heavily centers around taking full advantage of the end-of-semester course survey system UT Austin has already instilled. He has suggested that by adding a question asking students how many hours per week they spend on the course, other students may gain greater insight into how much time they will likely need to allocate for the course. This would include space for students to reflect on time spent on homework, readings, review materials, writing papers, and completing projects. The student responses to this question serve as powerful indicators for prospective students as they plan their schedules. For instance, OS (Operating Systems) is frequently cited as a difficult class, and many students attest that the credit hours do not align well with students' work. This mismatch between credit hours and actual coursework can lead to students feeling overwhelmed and miserable. Similar problems can be seen in chemistry labs and foreign language courses. By making this information available, these survey additions could help mitigate some of the academic burnout students face, aiding their workload and mental well-being.
In addition to workload transparency, Vishal envisions a future where students can make more informed financial decisions. He seeks to ask students to rate the usefulness of course materials — on a scale of 1 to 5 — as part of the same survey. This information could help future students decide whether or not to purchase textbooks or other materials, enabling them to better plan for the financial demands of certain courses. As textbook prices continue to rise, this feature would allow students to avoid unnecessary costs, helping to alleviate some of the financial strain associated with their education. With these ratings made publicly available, students could make better financial choices before committing to buying expensive books that may not be essential to the course.
Although the advantages of this resolution are evident, Vishal has encountered difficulties throughout the legislative process. Making changes to the end-of-semester course survey is a lengthy and complex process. In total, it’s estimated to take approximately 3 years from proposal to execution. UT Austin has a team dedicated to ensuring questions are worded for the greatest accuracy. There is extensive deliberation and a developmental process to approve questions. Despite these obstacles, Vishal has remained persistent, working closely with administrators to ensure that students' needs are prioritized and that these important reforms will be applied.
Ultimately, this legislation is set to benefit not just current students, but future generations of Longhorns by providing them with critical insights on course workloads and financial planning. It empowers students to make better decisions about their schedules, internships, jobs, and finances, ensuring they have the tools to balance their academic responsibilities with their personal and professional lives. With greater access to this valuable information, Vishal’s resolution will foster a more transparent, efficient, and student-friendly course registration experience for all UT students.
Link to the full piece of legislation: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ieI6ILUVGzn-_NGgV71XEQ4HrNmrrWPnASCiHYVy-3A/edit?usp=sharing