SCORE will allow students to register online for spring courses

Beginning Nov. 25, forget pencils and manila course cards. For the first time, students will be able to register for spring courses online.

This change is part of the Student Course Online Registration Engine (SCORE) software, which was launched this fall.

After posting course offerings on the Office of the Registrar's homepage approximately a year and a half ago, the University made the transition to putting registration online.

"The old system had several deficiencies," said Joseph Greenberg, University registrar.

Primarily, the system of course cards was cumbersome for both students and departments, he said.

Greenberg said he hopes the new system will ease access for students and add flexibility for departments in regulating course enrollment.

The change will certainly cause adjustments both in the registrar's office and in the ways students and departments operate, Greenberg said.

"Responsibilities will be shifting [in the registrar's office]," he said. "The kinds of work will be more involved in fielding questions . . . than in actual presence."

Students will no longer need to get course cards initialed by departments, which can grant permission electronically.

But advisers will continue to approve course selections before students can register online. Each student must print out his course selection and obtain his adviser's signature. He must then bring the signed form to his residential college or department. If students do not get their advisers' signatures, they will be marked "Adviser Hold" and be unable to register.

Changing grading options will also remain manual, with students submitting the same forms they do now.

"It definitely sounds like an improvement if it can keep me from having to wait in line at the registrar and run around to departments to sign up for precepts," Scott Sherman '05 said.

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Departments will be able to monitor enrollment more closely because the new system mainstreams the process of enrollment, Greenberg said.

Previously, students could get into courses in a number of ways — such as through web bidding and limited enrollment. With SCORE, the various application procedures will be synthesized. In addition, Greenberg said SCORE allows departments to set limits, features and requirements.

Susan Lehre, art and archaeology department manager, said she is sure the system will be beneficial in the long run, but using it the first use could be difficult.

"It's about time, as most universities have already done something like this. The first time is just the hard one," Lehre said. "Once everyone knows it, it's going to be wonderful."

In preparation for this transition, the registrar's office has worked with both the OIT Help Desk and residential computer consultants. In addition, a training room has been organized in the Armory and will be available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays.

Most other universities have had online enrollment for some time, Greenberg said. Stanford and Northwestern universities even use the same software that runs SCORE.