On Behalf of the Computer Science Students of the University of Georgia,

At present, there are 28 Computer Science (CSCI) Professors/Lecturers. To accompany this number are the ~1300 CSCI students for whom these professors provide classes. The issue arises in that this provides a 47 to 1 Student to Professor ratio (over 2.5 times the University’s overall Student to Faculty ratio) (figures provided by US NEWS). This ratio is most blatantly illustrated in the course availability for 4000 level classes. Given the few instructors and few classes, many students are unable to register for their much-needed class.

After roughly one week of registration, the following classes had no remaining spots:

CSCI 4050 – Software Engineering (required to graduate*) (Two sections, ~36 students each)

CSCI 4150 – Num Sim Sci and Eng (One section, 38 spots total)

CSCI 4250 – Cyber Security (One section, 38 spots total)

CSCI 4300 – Web Programming (One section, 55 students total)

CSCI 3360 – Data Science I (One section, 46 students total)

CSCI 4360 – Data Science II (One section, All spots open, but the pre-requisite is Data Science I, which is full)

CSCI 4370 - Database Management (required to graduate*) (One section, 47 students total)

CSCI 4470 – Algorithms (One section, 35 students total)

CSCI 4570 – Compilers (required to graduate*) (One section, 30 students total)

CSCI 4690 - Graph Theory (One section, 10 students total)

CSCI 4720 - Computer Architecture (required to graduate) (Two sections, Only one of which has spots remaining. 62 students each)

CSCI 4730 - Operating Systems (required to graduate*) (One section, 47 students total)

CSCI 4760 - Computer Networks (required to graduate*) (One section, 62 students total)

CSCI 4780 - Distr Comp Systems (One section, 28 students total)

CSCI 4800 - Human-Comp Interaction (One section, 42 students total)

CSCI 4830 - Virtual Reality (One section, 44 students total)

* The required class is in one of two categories which require one class be taken.

**Total spots of the above classes: 727 (not including Data Science II or Remaining spots for Architecture)**

Of the 4000 level classes, those with free spots include:

CSCI 4360 - Data Science II (but, again, the pre-requisite is full) (40 remaining)

CSCI 4850 – Biomed Image Analysis (18 remaining (was 20 when I started writing))

CSCI 4720 – Computer Architecture (29 spots remaining)

**Total spots available: 87 **

The above also does not begin to account for course conflicts, which significantly reduces the options for a CSCI student. Furthermore, as most CSCI students will need to take more than one CSCI upper division class per semester, the slots are not a one-to-one ratio, but a 2 to 1 or 3 to 1 (making the actual slots available significantly smaller for each student). This issue is particularly troublesome for students registering later in the semester. This class availability and student to faculty ratio is, in the simplest terms: unacceptable, unprofessional, and unbecoming of what is touted as a prestigious institution of higher learning.

As for a resolution to the issue, more class sections should be opened and quality faculty should be hired as needed to teach those classes. It must also be noted that the CSCI department is growing at a rapid rate, and any measures to grow the department may be insufficient at a later date. It is the responsibility of the University and the CSCI department to maintain its ability to provide for the students which pay them, and not for the students to demand action.

Regards,

The Students of the University Computer Science Department