I visited a friend of mine two years ago at Penn and was in awe of his Penncard — the I.D. card he can use to buy just about anything on campus. I believe in some cases it's even been known to do laundry.
Then, as I toured his dorm room, I saw him filling out a Web-based form. Curious, I asked him what he was doing. "Registering for classes," he replied. "Online?" I asked. "Yes, online — you don't have online registration?" I bowed my head sheepishly and told him we still filled out bubble forms. He laughed. A lot.
My embarrassment speaks volumes about my irritation every time I have to go to West College to handle some academic administrative business. I have to go there to pick up a transcript? Fine. I have to make a personal appointment for an exam change? Fine. But at a University where undergraduates are each worth approximately $780,000 in endowment money, don't we have the resources for online registration and schedule alterations?
This issue struck an ever deeper chord with me after reading last week's front-page article that recounted the investigations of University personnel into broadening the functions of our I.D. cards. Yes, it was a wonderful development when we no longer had to carry prox cards and I.D. cards separately. But how about condensing the U-Store card and our I.D. cards? And while you're at it, why not let me use it to buy a Whopper?
The University faces similar hurdles in instituting online scheduling — it must first develop the appropriate technology and methods to make it feasible. This cannot be too difficult a task because universities far larger than ours have already adopted this system. But there are other issues as well. The bubble forms still enable University administrators, especially residential college staff, to monitor the academic well-being of their students. Online registration would eliminate advisor involvement, freeing students to simply type in their class choices and send them off. Juniors and seniors, most of whom are aware of their departmental and certificate requirements, really don't need a signature — their departmental representatives should trust their judgement.
This is Princeton, where courses such as underwater basket-weaving and cheese appreciation are not offered. Perhaps University administrators should let students choose whichever courses they want and trust their choices. I would imagine most students pick the appropriate combination of required courses, courses they are interested in (if these two fall under different categories) and gut courses. If students need help, they can feel free to ask administrators or advisors for guidance, but they should not need their signatures.
In another, more selfish vein, I simply find the schlepp out to West College positively annoying. If I'm going to trek up there from Scully, I might as well have to pick up my mail, deposit a check, buy some school supplies and get my watch fixed too. Plus, especially around registration deadlines, online registration would completely eliminate the long lines that form outside the building. If we can check grades online, search for classes online and register for limited enrollment classes online, why can't we register normally online?
Finally, those bubble forms are evil. Do you realize how much paper we'd save if we could just fill out a virtual box on the University website?
Perhaps if the University put a little faith in its students — I hope that by admitting us, at least someone perceived us as determined, ambitious individuals — then we could stop waiting in lines. I mean really, if Penn can do it, why we can't we?
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Progressives failed a lesson in free speech
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Campus through a lens: Announcing the ‘Prince’s inaugural columnists
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Reading a series of columns by the same author is seeing things through the writer’s lens — it’s looking at campus through the ‘Christofer glasses’ or the ‘Eleanor specs.’ This is the thinking behind having named columns.
Bring back the course packet
Abigail Rabieh“With the recent news that Labyrinth Books will no longer supply the coursebooks for Princeton classes, we are facing a new era in which all readings will only be accessible by some digital medium, whether that be via Course Reserves or online ordering from faraway publishers. While some may see this as a step in the right direction of modernity, the increasing digitalization of our scholarship hurts our learning.”
“With the recent news that Labyrinth Books will no longer supply the coursebooks for Princeton classes, we are facing a new era in which all readings will only be accessible by some digital medium, whether that be via Course Reserves or online ordering from faraway publishers. While some may see this as a step in the right direction of modernity, the increasing digitalization of our scholarship hurts our learning.”
