If you wanted to take tai chi this quarter, you were out of luck. The class as well as weight training and yoga classes were cancelled for spring quarter at Shoreline Community College.
The tai chi class has been cancelled the past couple of quarters due to low enrollment, giving fewer opportunities for students to explore new subjects while financially hurting instructors.
“As an adjunct faculty member having a class canceled brings financial hardship including losing pay and medical benefits,” said Stacie Attridge, the intramurals coordinator who teaches weight training and yoga. “It also loses momentum for the following quarters especially for in-person and hybrid courses.”
The physical education (PE) department reports directly to the director of athletics and physical education, Cameron Dollar. “Although it has been disappointing not to be able to run tai chi despite our multiple attempts, we are thrilled to see other courses thriving and their enrollments increasing. Our pickleball class, for instance, reaches maximum enrollment every quarter and has become one of our most popular in-person offerings,” Dollar said.
Part-time faculty members are employed on contractual basis, which means they are not eligible for salary or medical insurance during periods without active work assignments.
“Full-time faculty are guaranteed the workload, and by contract the College may reassign to them the courses originally assigned to part-time instructors,” said Ben Weng, the vice president of instruction.
While the administration recognizes that running under-enrolled classes may contribute to a budget deficit, they have continued offering such courses to support students’ timely graduation.
For students in programs with low enrollment, the admin prioritizes their ability to complete their studies as scheduled. Each course is unique, and deans advocate for their classes based on specific needs.
A Course Adjustment Meeting is held one week before the first day of classes, during which deans and I review under-enrolled courses to determine the best course of action, said Weng.
There are many reasons for the cancellation for these courses. The rationale for most cancellations of courses are low enrollment and funding.
Since the pandemic, some PE courses have struggled with enrollment for in-person courses, particularly since Running Start students returning to campus often prefer online courses and are not required to attend in person, unlike international students.
SCC used to offer two in-person classes of weight training and two in-person sections of yoga per quarter, and they would all run. Tai chi, which was offered until the beginning of winter and spring 2025, had low enrollment.
As a result, emails were sent at the start of each quarter encouraging individuals to enroll in alternative courses, as tai chi would no longer be available. Despite active promotion and efforts to boost enrollment, the continued decline in student participation ultimately led to the cancellation of these courses.
“Additionally, our in-person yoga and weight training classes have consistently seen high enrollment over the last two years. Additionally, our online courses in yoga, stress management, and weight training have consistently high enrollments with no cancellations.” said Dollar.
The administration regrets any inconvenience for students and part-time faculty, said Weng. It’s a difficult choice to decide when exactly to cancel the course. Since decisions are made close to the start of the quarter, there’s never an ideal time to cancel a class. Whether canceled early or right before classes begin, the financial and emotional impact on part-time faculty is acknowledged.
“Low enrollment is everyone’s challenge, from administration to departments. Departments conduct annual program reviews to address challenges such as low enrollment or lack of student interest. Their deans assist and support them in combating these challenges,” said Weng.
