As you know, Film Production, Film Animation and Film Studies undergraduate programs are going through a change. Us, students of the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema, have been informed of their reshaping and restructuration, in an email mentioning the fact it was only concerning students entering in Fall 2020.

However, many of us have been affected by the issues encountered in the courses' registration. Next year's programs ask for new prerequisite courses that we don't need to complete. Nevertheless, at some point, MyConcordia blocked access to our registration for an amount of time, asking for these new prerequisites.

The purpose of this petition is to convey our concerns by enumerating several problems encountered by students in their registration, before suggesting solutions that we could discuss and negotiate.

1. As you know, an IT malfunction due to next year's changes to the program blocked our registration. It did not respect the enrollment appointment dates to this extent. We ask for the restoration of an equal choice in registration.

2. Many of us managed to build a schedule by default, registering wherever we found seats, with no consideration of our choices. For Film Production students, it is notably between the proposed Filmmaking II sections: FICTION / DOCUMENTARY / EXPERIMENTAL.

     2a. Beyond our taste, their approaches and backgrounds are pretty different (E.g.  each of them does not require the same time and implication in the pre-production, production and post-production stages).

     2b. Education's purpose is to get you ready for the professional field. Being that constrained in your studies is questioning, to us, the very purpose of them. Considering the investment that it involves, it is a misconception to place the simple completion of credits above the accomplishment of an academic career.

     2c. Being forced to choose a class regardless of our choice is more than demotivating, and we hope you understand how it could affect our academic success.

3. Several students did not pass their enrollment appointment date yet, while the classes they selected were already full. Without having a chance to register in them, it is more than unequal to decide students' field of study this way. We consider being in a selective program that should offer the same opportunities to anyone accepted into it.

4. The number of students accepted in the Program change according to the years. The number of seats does not. Easy calculation.

5. Many classes offer a single time slot. It restrains the courses' choice for the building of a consistent schedule.

6. Change to the Program also means updating the Undergraduate Calendar. Here is an example of the gap between it and courses available for FMPR courses:
FMPR 335 Acting and Directing I (Fall only, two classes): FULL (on the 16th March)
FMPR 341 Writing Film I (Fall only, two classes): FULL (on the 16th March)
FMPR 343 Production Design: IS NOT OFFERED
FMPR 350 Ways of seeing in Film Production: IS NOT OFFERED
FMPR 435 Acting and Directing Acting for the Screen II: IS NOT OFFERED
FMPR 442 Optical Printer Practice: IS NOT OFFERED
FMPR 336 Introduction to film Producing (Winter only): ONE CLASS (at night)
FMPR 444 Expanded Cinema (Winter only): ONE CLASS
FMPR 398 Special Topic in Film Production: SUMMER ONLY
https://www.concordia.ca/academics/undergraduate/calendar/current/sec81/81-60.html

7. Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema's strength resides in its efficacy to prepare for the work environment. Nevertheless, it appears that the registration system does not meet this same effectiveness and would need to be improved, notably by taking into account students' choices.

8. We are facing a lack of advising resources other than the Department office and the Faculty of Fine Arts' registration service. In comparison to other Fine Arts Departments, Mel Hoppenheim School of cinema saturates with students' advising and registration requests. Combined with the absence of a Cinema Student Association, the lack of resources often concludes in advisement oriented toward the most straightforward administrative tasks.
http://www.concordia.ca/students/registration/advising/finearts-advising.html

We claim to offer every student an equal position in the process of registration. Over time, it means:

A. The reasonable adaptation of classes' size to their number of demands. Letting a decent amount of students register to the courses they chose when it is impacting their field of study itself.

B. To give a priority in registration to the crucial choice between Filmmaking II sections (FICTION / DOCUMENTARY / EXPERIMENTAL).

C. The polling of students' choice before registration, to adapt to the best classes' size to their demands.

D. A full clarity in the requirements and prerequisites of the courses, as well as in the necessity of written permissions from the Department.

E. The creation of waitlists on courses that do not offer this option.

F. The development of full and cooperative advising resources.

But now it means:

G. The opening of new seats in classes with high demand.

H. Further consideration of our choice between Filmmaking II sections that are not decided by default by technical problems.

I. The tangible polling of students and consideration of their preferences.

J. The correction of the Undergraduate calendar on courses available. It would also mean mentioning when a class is offered only once per year.

K. The immediate creation of waitlists on courses that do not offer this option and with high demand.

We are conscious of the number of requests both the Faculty of Fine Arts and Undergraduate Department of Cinema must have dealt with. We have been surprised to witness how much the task has been tremendous for them, and we wish to find solutions to make everyone's life easier.

We also know that registration can not promise seats to the total amount of students in every single class they ask. However, we expect to reach an amount of satisfaction among students, that is, at least, acceptable.

Thanking you for your consideration, we look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Film Production First Year's Students
petition.cinema2019@gmail.com