By W.C. Lawson |
With registration starting on Nov. 5, many students are preparing for stress as they plan their schedules and hope there will be room left in their desired classes.
In hopes of making registration a smoother process, the University has implemented a few key changes.
First, students will be notified via email of any holds on their accounts no later than a week before fall and spring break, giving students more time to clear their accounts, ensuring they will not be prevented from registering for classes.
Next, the period for registration will begin on the Tuesday following a break, rather than a Monday, and no deadline will occur on a Friday for registration forms except for the last day to add or drop classes.
“In the past we had a case scenario where one student needed one more record on file for shot immunizations and the student couldn’t register for their classes on time,” University Provost Thomas Greene said. “We don’t want to create a snowball effect where students can’t register for classes based on extraordinary circumstances.”
Students will also now be allowed to drop their courses even with holds on their accounts. This does not apply, however, if the hold is for a library, parking, residential housing or other behavior related fine.
“This is a serious priority,” Greene said of registration. “And the priority here is getting the students into the classes they need to be on track to graduate.”
Greene notified students and faculty of these changes via email at ASUP’s request. Students had complained in the past to ASUP about difficulties with registration. Last May, ASUP President Quin Chadwick and Vice President Elvia Gaona, juniors, proposed these changes to the registration policy to the Board of Regents, and set a meeting with Graduate School Dean and University Associate Provost Matthew Baasten, to collaborate on a solution in the fall.
“This is all about students receiving information,” Gaona said. “We want students to know what to do prior to registration so that scheduling for classes is at ease, and they can get the classes they need for the following term.”
In Greene’s email, he also laid out a step-by-step timeline starting in October as a guideline for students to be on track to have a smooth process through class registration.
“I remember having difficulty with registering for classes when I was a freshman,” said junior environmental ethics and policy major Kyle Corso. “Now I have gotten used to it, but it was definitely a process to transition into.”
These changes will be implemented next term, except the Friday deadline change for registration forms. That portion of the new policy will be implemented next year.
“I think the email Dr. Greene sent out was very helpful,” junior civil engineering major Tyler Rockhill said. “I feel these changes will help us be on top of things we need to do before registration.”
Currently Greene is working on implementing a software program on campus called “Degree works” that will track students’ progress and show what classes they need to enroll in to be on track to graduate. Right now, faculty members are beta testing this program. Greene hopes the program will be ready by January.
“This will create a huge impact on on the registration process. Students will be able to easily look at the classes they need to take the following term with their advisors,” Greene said. “We want to wait to install this program when it is fully ready to go, with no technical difficulties in the system.”
