Online registration in Salve’s future

By: Jessica Pezzone
Posted In: News

Are you tired of waiting in long lines for registration? Are you frustrated each semester by full classes and red tape at the registrar’s office? Have you found yourself confused by the process and thought that there must be a better way?

Salve’s Registrar’s office, in partnership with the Office of Information Technologies (IT) and the Student Government Association (SGA), has expressed an eagerness to implement online registration here at SRU. The University is now ready to administer a “test-run” of this software, and if all goes well, there is a possibility of campus-wide online registration for the fall 2006 semester.

Ty Brennan, director of information technologies, and Dr. Jim Terry, registrar, attended the Oct. 11 SGA meeting, and described the advanced software package that would be used in implementing online registration. In addition to allowing students to pick and hold spots in their courses via the internet, this model has the capabilities for majors to see what courses they need, to point out time and class conflicts, to note class size and prerequisites, and reflect in real-time what classes have been cancelled or filled up. This software package has been used in universities all over the country, and the Technology Department has taken special measures to see that the software will not crash or be overloaded.

The general response to online registration is a very positive one, with most students thankful to avoid the process of manual registration as it stands now. Some Senators were concerned with the confusion this may cause for some students, but it was assured that steps would be taken to educate people on how to use the program – some ideas brought up were an informational session on online registration, very detailed directions through email or Salvetoday, or simply allowing students to register the old fashioned way if they wished. It is important to stress also that students will not be “all on their own” to choose their classes online; students will still meet with advisors, who will approve schedules electronically so that students do not enroll in extra classes.

Terry and Brennan were quite responsive to the suggestions of the Senators, and many issues were debated during the Oct.11 meeting. There is a question of whether students should all be allowed to register at once (regardless of alphabetical order), or if specific times for registration should stand online as well. The Senators on Student Government were very eager to talk about the ins and outs of the new online registration, the meeting running well over the original time allotted for it.

There were many Senators who took part in testing the prototype for online registration, and everyone was quite pleased with the user-friendly nature of the system. In this very first test-run, Senators tried out the many facets of this new software by pretending to register their own classes for the spring 2006 semester. Although they encountered some minor problems, these specific issues have been brought up to the program manufacturer, and will be addressed before registration goes campus-wide. The testing experience was definitely extremely successful from the standpoint of the Student Government Association, and the Senators are thrilled that the product is so accessible and so advanced in many of its components.

Terry has sent an email to just over one hundred and fifty juniors, asking them to participate in the first real test of the online registration system. Those who are interested will respond to the registrar’s office and receive a packet detailing how to choose their classes online, and will actually be allowed to register in their time slot over the internet. The registration of the junior class will truly be a testament to how well the new software works – if all goes well, there is a definite possibility that campus-wide registration in the spring for fall 2006 will be a success.

The SGA technologies committee is working closely with the IT, and is quite interested to see how the junior class registration goes. Although there are always situations to be worked out once the software debuts, the IT and Registrar’s Office have both done an extraordinary job planning for such an overhaul of the current system. Their proposal has been met with enthusiasm by the Senators and students, who look forward to seeing online registration implemented in their time at Salve.