EPCC
registration is opening up almost a month earlier than normal to improve
the quality of the registration process.
The change is the “result of years of recommendations by students,
faculty, staff and different student bodies,” said Daryle Hendry,
the director of admissions and registrar’s office.
The whole idea according to Hendry is to give students time to plan
ahead for their work schedules or family related activities, like
daycare for their children.
This change will also prevent “wipeout,” which happens
when a student registers for classes and is unable to pay for them
resulting in a complete drop of all the registered courses.
EPCC
students are already taking advantage of the earlier registration
period.
Photo by Cesar Sierra
This
is the first semester in which students can register for summer and
fall at the same time.Usually the registration process was designed
in three parts: an early registration stage, a regular registration
and a late registration. They each had their own deadlines and wipeouts
along with the “add and drop” period.
This time around, there will only be a single registration period
combining early and regular registration. There will also be a single
payment deadline 10 days before the first day of class.
This will be followed by a late registration period, that starts a
week before classes, in which the student must pay on the same day
he/she registered or the classes taken will be dropped, giving opportunity
to other students to get those classes along with an add/drop period
consisting of the first days of class.
According to Hendry this will improve the registration process for
students and staff alike. Hendry called these changes the first “baby
steps” to a bigger plan.
The plan that EPCC currently has, is the new standard. EPCC plans
to release a school catalog along with a class schedule for the entire
year. This will allow students to register up to a year in advance
with the opportunity to follow a more precise plan.
This should also eliminate unnecessary trips to financial aid and
counselors, making it a once a year trip. For now, EPCC began early
summer registration via web and telephone on Feb. 12 and ends May
16. Early registration for the fall 2007 semester began March 19.
Summer registration has already started. This is the first time EPCC
has combined summer and fall registration.
Hendry pointed out that “most students will disagree with this
plan, because they don’t see the big picture.”
