Recently the University of North Texas has seen a steady increase in the number of students enrolled, which now approaches 35,000. With some classes filled to capacity at 500 students, the University has decided to take an interesting approach to resolve space issues. This fall the University began construction of a new auditorium style classroom which will hold nearly 2,000 students. The plan will be to consolidate multiple sections of courses, like freshman English, into fewer, larger sections. “Students want to be in larger classes with their peers because it creates a sense of community” said one University official. “It only makes sense; it’s hard to feel like your taking the same class when you’re not there at the same time and place.” The University is already making plans to create even larger lecture halls in the coming years to accommodate future growth.
In addition to the added sense of community, students have noted that larger classes make it easier to learn. “I’m not worried about getting called on in class or being required to participate — it’s not really my learning style. I feel I learn more when I can just listen to the lecture and take notes”, said one student. “Sometimes I don’t even have to go to class because I can get the lectures online now. This is a real plus for me with my busy schedule.”
The new classroom will cost approximately $10 million dollars to complete and will include a number of amenities to aid in learning such as plasma screen T.V.’s and stadium style seating. The University hopes to secure the needed funds by asking each student to commit to donating an undetermined amount of money each month for several years. “We don’t want to say how much it will cost each student because each student is different and we hope they will seriously consider how much they will be able to contribute over the next 3-5 years.”
Sounds absurd?
If “bigger is better” doesn’t work in the classroom, why do we think it works for the Church?
