I went into a class today and there were empty seats, but the instructor said he/she couldn’t add anyone. Why not?
Each course is assigned a maximum enrollment cap (the maximum number of students to be enrolled in a class). This cap is determined to maximize student learning and is based on a variety of factors, such as the type of instruction (e.g., lecture, seminar or laboratory) offered, and the kinds of assignments that will be required (e.g., intensive writing, lab sessions). Also, classrooms are often allocated on a space-available basis, so large rooms may be given to courses with smaller permissible enrollments. An additional and equally important factor that affects classroom seating is that each classroom has an official occupancy limit, set by the fire marshal, which may not be exceeded. Physically moving additional seats into a classroom may not be permissible, even though the room may appear capable of accommodating more.
