Next year’s registration time to shift

Students may be able to hit the snooze button a few times before registering for class next Fall. The Office of the Registrar is looking into moving the registration start time back two hours to 7 a.m.

According to Registrar Kay Anderson, student feedback pushed the idea of a time change, although the change has been considered before.

“We’ve been looking at the 5 o’clock time for a while,” Anderson said. “At the end of every registration cycle we do a survey of the process so we added some questions about if you could change registration time; by far students’ top preferences were midnight and 7 a.m.”

The 5 a.m. time period was chosen back when the registration process took longer. It guaranteed students would have plenty of time to complete registration before 8 a.m. classes. Anderson said the time stuck even as technology evolved and registration took less and less time. The 5 a.m. time also prevented any conflicts between going to class and registering.

“We generally know that (registration is) generally really quick,” Anderson said. “Almost all of our registration is finished in five to 10 minutes.”

Anderson feels that a 7 a.m. registration is a better choice to avoid problems with the system.

“At midnight we don’t have any (Information Technology) service so if something goes wrong there would be no one to be here,” Anderson said. “The difference at the 7 a.m. time is that some of our IT people get here as early as 4 a.m. It would really shorten that time frame if (students) had problems and when they could get help.”

Anderson said the Office of the Registrar would open at 7 a.m. on registration days. She also thinks other offices around campus would open early for students with registration difficulties.

According to Anderson, the only concern with a 7 a.m. time is the students that will be involved in off campus activities for cohorts. However, many of the cohorts are structured so that members do not select their own classes, meaning that they’re not competing for seats with other students.

The time change is a topic of discussion among students. The change is either a positive or negative depending on the person.

“It’s too early. 7 a.m. is better, I guess,” said freshman undeclared major Mary Frances. “I would rather have it at night because I don’t have any early classes.”

Freshman undeclared major Erin Gammage agrees there should be a later option considered, but is happy this change is being made for next year.

“I feel like it could be at a later time and people could still register before class,” Gammage said. “7 a.m. is better than 5 a.m.”

Other students don’t know why the registration is so early.

“I think it’s terrible; mainly because I don’t understand why it’s so early,” said senior English major Eden Teague. “I would like having it at night because I’m a night owl.”

Anderson said the Office of the Registrar just wants to simplify the registration process.

“In the end what we’re trying to do is make the registration process a little easier, a little less stressful, less intimidating, less frustrating for our students,” Anderson said. “We want to make (the time) change so we can make that happen.”

The earliest a time change would be in place is next Fall. This semester’s registration time will remain at 5 a.m.

“We’re still looking into it,” Anderson said. “We’d like to implement it next Fall unless we hear very strong objections.”

Posted by Matt Chambers on Mar 10 2011. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.