University evaluates registration process

A sense of urgency typically characterizes the class registration process at USC. In anticipation of her fall 2012 registration appointment, Liz Wolfenden asked a friend with an earlier appointment date to “hold” a certain WRIT 340 class for her.

This emerging practice involves students with earlier registration appointments holding classes only to drop them when their friends are able to register and pick up the newly dropped classes.

“I heard the WRIT-340 classes fill up very fast so I asked my friend with an earlier registration date if she could fit one into her schedule temporarily and then drop it when I became eligible to register,” said Wolfenden, a junior majoring in natural science and mathematics. “I’ve heard a lot of people talking about doing this for each other over the past few weeks.”

USC has implemented a cap on the number of units students can register for to prevent students from holding classes for other students.

KC Peterson, director for information technology and development for the Office of Admissions and planning, said students can register for a maximum of 20 units, and the university will determine whether to reduce the maximum units to 16 at the culmination of the fall 2012 registration process. Previously, students could register for 24 units.

Associate Registrar of Registration and Scheduling Frank Chang said he is concerned with the trend of students holding classes because it creates an uneven playing field.

Registration appointments are based on students’ class standing, which is determined by the number of units they have completed. Chang says that holding classes for friends threatens the driving philosophy of USC’s web registration system: access and equity.

“Our system is a meritocracy in the sense that students who have more credits are entitled to earlier registration times,” Chang said.  “It’s dishonest and no longer fair if you have someone who has more units adding a class they don’t plan on taking just to save that space for you.”

The loophole that students have discovered is possible because of Web Registration’s flexible design, Chang said. Though the majority of students take 16 to 18 units per semester, the system allows them to register for up to 20 units. Chang said the university does not know what students’ true scheduling intentions are until the third week of the semester.

Currently, there is no school policy that prohibits students from holding classes for each other. One possible solution is restricting the number of units that students can add to 16 or 18 unless students obtain clearance, Chang said.

Chang, however, added that lowering the registration threshold would not be worth the added inconvenience to students who legitimately want to take more than 16 units.

“USC has a broad curriculum and students are encouraged to choose classes with breadth and depth,” Chang said. “It would go against the philosophy we have as an institution to restrict students in that aspect. At this point we are not planning on making the system less flexible.”

Chang noted the increasingly popular trend of holding classes can be attributed to a misinformed urgency during registration time. He said departments are mindful of enrollment in their courses and make enough classes available accordingly, and he advises students to contact the professors of closed classes in order to be accommodated.

“If you want to take a certain class, the majority of the time the instructor will approve your request,” Chang said.  “People who resort to using others’ registration times are gaining an unfair advantage.”

Peterson said her department will continue to look into students holding classes and possible solutions to mitigate the practice.

“We can encourage professors to create official waitlists for their courses so if someone drops the class that spot will be given to the next person in line,” Peterson said.  “We will have to look at the symptoms further and make sure there are no bugs in the system.”

Rebecca Southern, a freshman majoring in biological sciences, said she can relate to students that hold classes, but she also said students that hold classes are abusing the system.

“It can be difficult to get the classes that I want, so I understand why students would do this,” Southern said. “When people hold classes for each other, they are getting around the system that has been put in place to maximize fairness. Students should not be manipulating the system, but this goes to show that there are some issues with the registration process.”