Campus activities may be affected by the new registration schedule
ANDREW SOUKUP
News Writer
The registrar's decision to move registration times could make a variety of weekend events significantly more complicated for students taking part in everything from athletics to practice MCAT exams.
Students who are unable to register via computer during their rescheduled registration time Friday or Saturday were encouraged to either have friends or parents register in their place or call the registrar's office during the scheduled time with the course call numbers, said University Registrar Harold Pace.
But various leaders of campus organizations acknowledged that altered registration times would impact events already scheduled for the weekend. Exact numbers of students from different organizations affected were not available, however many juniors said they had conflicts with the rescheduled times.
Pace encouraged anyone with registration problems to contact the registrar's office, adding that the office would be open additional hours Friday and Saturday to assist with any registration problems students might experience.
As soon as Pace made the decision to postpone registration, his office contacted at least three major groups — the band, which scheduled a weekend tour to Detroit and Windsor, Canada, the organizers of the Rebuilding Together Now service project, formerly called Christmas in April and the organization that runs a practice MCAT test — to work out arrangements so students could register.
Jenny Monahan, an assistant to the vice president of Student Affairs and the coordinator for student involvement in Rebuilding Together Now, said she had spoken with the registrar's office about possible alternatives that would enable students to still participate in the service project and register during their time.
"I think they're trying really hard to make it as accommodating as possible for the students that are working," Monahan said, adding that students could call from a cell phone from the site they were working at to register if necessary.
When Chris Karnilowicz, manager at the South Bend Kaplan Center, learned of the change from the registrar's office, she sent an e-mail offering two options to students scheduled to take an 8-hour practice MCAT exam Saturday. Either they could take the test Saturday, leave when their registration time arrived and return to make up the time during a scheduled break or they could take a make-up exam Sunday.
University Band Director Kenneth Dye said he was attempting to make accommodations for 12 students who would be taking a trip with the concert band. He said he told students who could not do what the registrar suggested that they would either try to find an Internet connection on the road or have someone back in South Bend register for students.
"It's just another thing to have to deal with," Dye said, "and we'll try to use whatever technical avenues we can to make it up."
All News Stories for Thursday, April 10, 2003
