This petition is to call upon the American University of Beirut to increase class capacity during the Summer semester of 2020 for the following reasons:

- Numerous professors often do not reply to their emails and especially emails regarding capacity; consequently leaving students incapable of registering to courses with limited seats. 

- The option of meeting professors in person to ask for capacity is currently not accessible due to COVID-19 thus making it difficult to register for courses.

 

- Some families are still capable of paying their tuitions now; however, will not be able to do so as the economic crisis worsens and escalates. Increasing capacity would then give students more opportunity to take courses now and decrease the economic burden on their families by taking less courses in the future when the situation worsens.

- We are not physically attending university which removes the obstacles that are physically present. (Classrooms, tables, etc.)

 

- Since courses are online, there is not much interaction during sessions making it appropriate to have larger classes since the idea of “smaller classes for more interaction” does not apply. 

- Up until now, we do not know what the future holds and whether or not countries will be able to open their airports and allow international students to return to AUB next semester (Fall 2020). Thus, increasing capacity would assist students who are unsure of their return to Lebanon to be able to continue doing courses online. 

Possible solutions:

- Larger classes

- Force-Add Button.

- Petition to be added to classes.

- Increasing sections.

 

We hope that this petition is considered since it could be of great assistance to numerous students in urgent need of taking summer courses, yet struggling with the aspect of class capacity.