In an effort to simplify the registration process for upcoming semesters, the Office of the University Registrar launched the University’s new registration system, Student Planning, on Oct. 5.
Student Planning will integrate previously separate tasks, including degree planning and course registration, into one online system combined with Eagle Finance, the University’s student finance self-service system.
“It’s like night and day,” School of Public Affairs and College of Arts and Sciences junior Matthew Wilson said. “With the last system, you were self-reliant in piecing together your schedule. This new way is much more visual. I know a lot of students in the past have resorted to using online schedules and making an excel sheet. AU didn’t facilitate any of that until this new system came out.”
Student Planning, available via the Eagle Service link in the Academic tab of the MyAU portal, is the product of feedback from administrators and academic advisors. The system allows students to drag and drop courses, filtered by day of the week, professor, location and time of day, into a proposed schedule.
Students can also track progress toward achieving their degrees by building a four-year degree plan without leaving the module. On registration day in early November, students will be able to click “Register Now” to register for classes based on their proposed schedule for the upcoming semester.
According to University Registrar Doug McKenna, one change to course registration is that students will be given a set registration “start time” during the day instead of the old midnight registration format.
“Previously, registration kicked off at midnight so there was nobody around for students to ask questions,” McKenna said. “One of the main recommendations was to move registration to the daytime so that students gained access to the system in their initial registration time while people are around.”
The registrar’s office will be briefing faculty on the changes in “start times” for the new registration process on Student Planning. For students in class during their designated registration time, McKenna recommends communicating with professors about stepping out of class to register. His office has also made an effort to make Student Planning accessible on mobile interfaces such as smartphones and tablets.
“Students can register at any point after their registration appointment time begins. The numbers of students who gain access in each 30-minute window is very limited, so even a delay of an hour or more will not significantly disadvantage a student who is attempting to register into specific sections. ” McKenna said. “Having a schedule planned and being able to click ‘Register Now’ will be very helpful as well.
Launching Student Planning has been a multi-year project. Provost Scott Bass approved the creation of a Student Planning Project Team in March 2013 based on the recommendation of a task force composed of approximately 25 administrators from different departments, though it did not include students, McKenna said.
The registrar’s office has released tutorials online to help students transition to the new system prior to registering for classes.
“I'd recommend that students who have questions about their course schedules that they go ahead and start scheduling appointments,” CAS Director of Advising Marla Boren said. “Read the information that the office of the registrar has sent out, do the tutorials, and if there are questions to check in with their advisors.”
Students are able to begin planning their schedules now and will be able to officially register for classes using Student Planning in early November.
