Class sizes in the College of Education have experienced steady growth over the past three years.

Although class sections haven’t been cut, classes that normally hold 20 to 25 students lately have been holding 30 to 35 students, said Christine Sorensen, dean of the College of Education.

Class growth may be attributed to an overall growth in students to serve as well as the restrictions of hiring more faculty, she said.

The increasing number of students presents a problem because the college cannot offer more sections, Sorensen said.

“There is more demand than we have the capacity for,” she said. “Almost all of the programs have been growing.”

Restrictions on class additions are related to the budget, Sorensen said.

“There are only so many people you can hire, and we make cutbacks in other areas including reduced support because we try very hard to keep classes open for students,” she said.

The special education department has had the most growth over the past three years.

Because of a severe shortage in special education teachers, the department of special education hasn’t been limiting enrollment as long as qualifications are met, said Nina Dorsch, special education department chair.

Students haven’t been shortchanged because of larger class sizes, but to compensate for the growth, the department had to employ new instructors to add to the regular faculty, Dorsch said.

“If the budget doesn’t allow us to replace faculty, we may have to rely on master teachers in order for students to get out in four years,” Dorsch said. “This also might cause classes to be held during the evening because they are busy being master teachers during the day.”

Larger classes pose a disadvantage for both students and faculty because they prefer the individual attention attributed to smaller class sizes, Sorensen said.

Overall, students in the College of Education continue to receive a quality education, Dorsch said.

“In an era of budget constraints, there may be some hard decisions, but meanwhile, teachers keep teaching and students keep learning, and we’re doing just fine,” she said.