The geniuses-that-be have done it again. It was registration time and that is always a nightmare from which one can barely recover. We have, for the last nine years, done what is called "mass registration" where we sit like targets behind a long row of tables and wait for the student to approach.
Now, normal schools would have students show up with degree maps filled out, a selection of classes and codes that they need and are running at times that they have chosen, and financial aide papers completed.
Notice the use of the word "normal".
Our students have shown up, year after year, with none of the aforementioned papers. They sit down with the papers handed to the by the Regsitrar and then push the papers across the table to the poor advisor and say "Uh....Here". Many just take the papers and hand-hold the student, asking them how classes are going, what they think they need, if they want this class or that, and what days & times they'd like to attend. So many times, I would say "Hey! Why haven't you done this? Why am I supposed to be more interested in your future (and finances) than you are?" and I would slide the papers back to them and tell them to go pick out what they need and I would double-check it to see if they did it correctly.
Many many (many) schools have moved to phone-in or online proccesses and yet we still do it with face-to-face meetings and hand-holding. This semester, the College decided to divide up all of the students by the number of faculty and assign us each a group. We were given the list of names March 7th. Registration was to now work as follows: Email the students that registration has begun, they need to print their own degree map and fill it in, and then select classes. They were to email back and set up a time to meet so that I could verify that all papers are correct. They had from March 13th until April 10th to do this. I had 31 students which whom I had to meet.
I heard from five and met with three. What happened to the others? I don't know. I sent out three emails detailing times, dates, and procedure to expedite the whole thing and I got NOTHING in return.
What were we told last Monday? Take all remaining students who had not registered from our groups, fill in the degree map for them, look at their previous schedules to see if they have taken summer classes or not, and then register them for summer and fall classes, respectively.
So we just took all ownership out of their hands completely? They had to do NOTHING to continue their future as I had to be considerate of it for them? Are you kidding? And we had until that Friday to submit all of the papers. It took me ten........................yes 10.............hours to do all of them by myself.
So much for making the students responsible. I guess we showed them!
