Oracle Online

An average year brings roughly 450 first-year students to campus. This number rarely fluctuates for a reason, according to Dean of Students Alan Sickbert. Sickbert says that few people at the University want to drastically increase enrollment for academic reasons. Part of Hamline’s appeal to students is the healthy ratio of students to professors. Students agreed.

“Class sizes are relatively small, depending on the subject,” junior Melissa Wilson said. She said that the bigger issue was whether or not professors were accessible to students, something with which she had never had a problem.

Senior Chris Lutz echoed similar sentiments. “Hamline’s class sizes are all right, except for a few general courses,” Lutz said. He continued to say that a bigger problem was class selection and availability, citing a course he is taking this semester that he has been trying to enroll in for three years.

Sickbert dismissed possibilities of residency hall problems. “We have plenty of room,” said Sickbert. Sickbert did suggest that enrollment and student-to-professor ratio issues would all enter the strategic planning process that Hamline administrators, faculty and students will begin in the upcoming months.

Sickbert said Hamline professors share a common vision. “Professors come to Hamline to teach,” he remarked. Sickbert said that professors would not support an increase in class size for that reason. “Small class sizes are part of our academic vision,” Sickbert said.

Class sizes and enrollment will likely remain similar for the next academic year. The students interviewed for this article would not support drastic increases in enrollment or class size. “I think class sizes are fine, but no bigger; that’s for damn sure,” said Brad Gausman.