Summer Sessions Simplified

Summer session at SCC is a great
option for students who would
like to work towards a degree
at a faster pace by taking classes during
a time that summer vacation
may be on other students' minds.

The option of summer classes
at Maricopa Community Colleges
comes at two times: summer session
one and summer session two. But for
SCC, the second summer session is a
distant memory.

This will be the second year that
SCC will not be offering a second
summer session. Originally, there
had been two summer sessions to
offer students greater convenience
and a way to take more classes during
the summer. Budget cuts forced
SCC to think of ways that they could
cut costs.

Although the choice to revoke
the second summer session hinders
some students from reaching an early
graduation date, low enrollment
during the session helped clarify the
decision to cut back. Many have opposed
the cut back, but looking into
the matter, SCC’s decision to cut back
is the best option.

There are many things that SCC
could have done to keep the second
summer session: tuition increase,
technology taxes, and higher fees
are some alternatives. But weighing
the options, students don’t seem to
miss the second summer session as
much.

There are many disadvantages
to the retraction of the summer
session: fewer class options, lower
potential earned credits during the
summer, and fewer jobs for teachers
are some complaints from within
the community. But alongside these
disadvantages are positive reinforcements:
most students have not noticed
a change in the summer session,
students have the option to
take classes at other Maricopa Community
Colleges, and it offers much
needed time off from school.

You might say that the revocation
of summer session two may start a
trend. It has worked well at SCC and
other Maricopa schools may follow
in SCC’s steps and begin to cut back
to either summer one session or
summer two session.