Anne Arundel Community College raises minimum class size for automatic course approval

Anne Arundel Community College is raising the number of students needed for a class to run without being reviewed.

"Beginning this fall, after the annual review of multiple years of enrollment data and trends, 15 is the class size that results in an automatic run for that section," a spokesperson for the college said in a statement to WJZ. 

The college said it is routine procedure to make decisions each semester about which classes will run and which will be canceled. This decision was made by the administration and Board of Trustees, and did not require a vote for approval, according to the school.

Administrators evaluate sections for class size, available seats, timing, student needs and other factors to create a schedule that gives students opportunities and supports a positive learning environment.

"Our goal has been and continues to be course schedules that are both effective for students and an efficient use of college resources, including time and money."

While the automatic run number has increased over time, the college said the review process remains the same.

"Deans, assistant deans, directors and academic chairs evaluate the schedule and make decisions based on multiple factors," the college spokesperson said.

Those factors include whether a class is required to graduate, whether the course is essential for completing a degree or part of a required course sequence, and whether the course will be offered again later in the academic year.

Administrators also consider whether other sections or alternatives are available to students and if there's still enough time for enrollment to increase.

"For example, we have programs and courses that are limited by lab size, which means that some programs or courses consistently run with 10 or 12 students in the cohort. Faculty seeking an exception can work with their deans."

As of last Friday, the college reported a preliminary cancellation rate of 9%.

"While this doesn't include data for our eight-week classes that start in October, this number indicates a trend toward efficiency. In 2024, the rate was 13% and in 2023, 16%," the spokesperson said.