Registration for spring semester starts Monday, Nov. 16 and with it comes student questions regarding the process and how they can ensure to register on time.

Registration runs through Dec. 4, and time slots are assigned based mainly on the number of credits a student holds, but there are other factors that also apply.

Outside of these credit ranges, registration slots could be affected if there are any outstanding requirements, said Terry Lynn Eggert, operation manager of the Office of the University Registrar.

The only current outstanding requirement is that students must declare their major when they reach the 60-credit range. Students who fail to declare on time are then dropped to the bottom of the registration order of their academic year standing.

Computer competency requirement dropped

In years past, not completing the computer competency requirement also affected a student’s registration time slot. This requirement was dropped this year as university officials decided that students enter school knowing how to use computers effectively.

After the credit range and any outstanding requirements have been addressed, students are then randomly assigned a time slot within their credit range. Murphy Online can only handle 100 students per registration time slot.

Each credit range has two days for early registration, and within it students are assigned time slots based on the number of credits they have. Post secondary education options, advanced placement and International Baccalaureate credits can give students an earlier registration than other students in the same credit range.

“There are a lot of people concentrated, which is why we say it’s randomly assigned,” Eggert said.

Freshman David Moser took a couple of advance placement courses in high school to save some money on his college tuition. Until he got his registration time for spring 2009 and compared it to his friends’ times he didn’t know that extra credits could give him a head start on registering.

“I had no idea but it’s pretty nice,” he said. “I can have first choice.”

Academic holds can delay registration time slots but do not have an effect on the random time slot. Eggert and the Registrars office advise students to take care of these holds early to ensure their registration goes smoothly.

Skipping adviser meetings, not paying tuition put holds on registering

The checklist of possible holds for students include a required adviser meeting, having tuition accounts up to date, have a signed payment agreement on file in the business office and having a health immunization record on file with student health services.

If these requirements are not completed before the given registration time slot Murphy will not allow students to register until the holds are dealt with.

The most common issue that the registrar’s office comes across with registration is students who come feel they have the wrong time slot assigned to them.

Often times this is a result of students having some sort of hold or having not declared a major when they have 60 credits or more. If somehow the office makes a mistake then a revised registration time will be assigned but in most cases nothing can be done for the current registration period.

“We really believe we give plenty of notice,” Eggert said. “We do bulletin notices … we send e-mails, and for declaring a major if you have 48 to 60 credits we send an e-mail letting you know you need to declare.”

Brian Matthews can be reached at bsmatthews@stthomas.edu