With registration changing during the most recent cycle, many students are concerned as to how these changes will affect their ability to take the classes they want.
When speaking to Registrar Lane Buchanan, he first outlined the registration changes and process, “New registration process isn’t a big change. Most undergrads have mandatory advising, especially those on the main campus. In the past the mechanism to ensure that was the PERC number. Grad students still use the PERC number but for undergrads the process has changed to a hold that only prevents registration.”
This hold differs from the PERC number as it allows students to go in before they register to fill out their health insurance, contacts, and other important information that they had to wait to do previously. These steps were not available due to a software change. That software change did, however, also allow the advising hold process.
In terms of whether students are struggling to use the system, it does not affect graduate, pharmacy, or law students, and Buchanan states that, “There have been slight confusions as it is new but it has been well received by advisors and is seeming to be relatively seamless for students.”
The other big component of these changes is the alteration of priority registration. To provide context, Buchanan elaborated, “These conversations started several years ago when advising was still done by faculty, 2017 or so this changed for the startup of the professional advising center; prior to that the priority groups had priority within their classifications. A senior with priority goes ahead of all seniors and so forth through all classifications, which helped facilitate advising appointments for advising staff. The main reason this is the way it is is for advising ease. The system of balancing appointments is more equitable when using this process.”
The previous priority registration process was being seen to put too high of a workload on advisors, especially when students needed to schedule things last minute. The new system allows for more balanced appointments while also streamlining how students are prioritized.
In terms of backlash, Buchanan added, “There have been questions. Through the years I have talked to a lot of students along these lines and I haven’t spoken to anybody this semester but I would. A common question is a student is worried they wouldn’t be able to get into a class they need to graduate. If it comes to that point when it comes time to register they can reach out to their advisor and if it is a class they need they can reach out to the department or that instructor as well. I certainly tell people to put themselves on the waitlist as well. The vast majority of the time there are seats available and the classes don’t close as often as maybe the feelings or thoughts are that they would be. There are popular classes that students cannot get into but when I am working with them I always just encourage them to schedule those advisor appointments as soon as they can.”
Buchanan encouraged any and all students who have registration concerns to reach out to him and his office as well as their respective advisors.
When asked about any concerns he might have, Buchanan said, “There have been some concerns but until we get through the whole semester I won’t have a sense of if there will be any problems. We just haven’t gone through the whole cycle yet.” While also adding, “It wasn’t simply my decision on this. We worked with the Provost’s Office, the managers of the respective advising offices, and the Office of Student Success: to talk about how best to serve students on this and to make this change.”
Ultimately, they feel they made the right call, and want students to contact them with concerns, as “Student outreach for future changes adds another important layer of conversation.”
