No late registration policy will continue: IVCC officials
By Kassie Kallner
IV Leader Staff, Feb 15, 2007
Students will not be allowed to register after the first
class meets for summer or fall classes, making the no late registration policy
that began for this current semester permanent.
Although students will still have to register by the first
day of classes, some changes associated with the policy will be made for future
semesters. Among these changes is adding more classes that start later in the
semester to give students more options when registering.
The success of the policy in its first semester, said Tracy
Morris, the director of admissions and records, is a key factor in its
extension. “It seemed like students got the message that they needed to register
on time,” said Morris.
She attributes this to an awareness campaign by the IVCC
Community Relations Office who made tee-shirts, buttons, magnets, banners and
radio and newspaper advertisements to promote the new policy. Some students were
allowed, however, to change classes because the skill level of the class was not
appropriate for that student.
Also, students who attended the first day of class but found
out they were not registered through computer error, were allowed to register
for that class. Overall, the policy is aimed at student success.
Morris said that studies have shown that students who are not
present for the first meetings of a class have a higher chance of withdrawing of
failing that class.
“The first meetings of classes are crucial,” Morris said.
That is when important information is given that is vital to the success of the
student. “It took the pressure off faculty,” to be able to know that new
students would not be entering their classrooms later than the first date.
Having students not withdraw or fail classes could also
benefit the college, which has to report the student population at midterm to be
eligible to state funding. “It’s not about the money though,” Morris said. “It
is really about the students—seeing them succeed, I believe at the end of the
semester we will see that more students did better, and that’s what this policy
is about.”
Morris also urges students to start preparing for summer and
fall registration by making appointments with counselors. Summer registration
begins April 3 and fall registration begins April 16.