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University Daily Kansan Thursday, May 9,1963
Pre-Enrollment: Key to Reduction of Red Tape?
(The second of a three part series) Bp. Kui, Lunxi
By Kay Jarvis
One possible answer to KU's enrollment problems — closed classes, congestion and clerical details — might be found in a completely new process, pre-enrollment.
This system's greatest advantage, according to Registrar James K. Hitt, is that it would allow the University to adjust the number of classes to meet the demand of the students and alleviate the problem of closed classes.
PRE-ENROLLMENT would take place several months before the beginning of classes.
Under the present system, the demands of students must be adjusted during enrollment to conform to the schedule of classes.
Under a pre-enrollment system, enrollment would take place in time to allow adjustment of classes to meet the demand.
The number of prospective students for each course is estimated before enrollment. If the actual demand exceeds this estimation, the class is closed and some students must make last minute decisions on a second choice.
A plan which would allow only seniors to pre-enroll is advocated by some people. Seniors would then be assured of meeting graduation requirements and the number of students on the pen floor during regular enrollment would be reduced by the number of seniors.
THE PROBLEM is further complicated for seniors who must meet certain requirements for a degree within one or two remaining semesters.
EITHER pre-enrollment plan would allow a longer period of time for the actual enrollment procedure and diminish congestion at the Union
"We cannot do it in two days forever. We must break out into a longer time or a bigger place," he said.
A pre-enrollment system would also allow the Registrar's office more time to complete the mechanics of sorting students and classes.
"WE DONT NEED the extra time, however." Hitt said. "We can easily complete the job during one weekend, as we do now."
Gilbert Ulmer, assistant dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, sees no need to spend more time on the enrollment process.
"We haven't seen that there is a let to be gained by enrollment in the spring instead of the fall," Ulmer said. "We feel it is better done in the shorter period of time."
ULMER FEELS it is best to postpone freshman enrollment until the latest possible moment.
"We want them to attend the general meetings held in the fall before they make their decisions on courses," he said.
Some universities enroll freshmen in the summer,when KU is having freshman previews.
"This doesn't allow the student much flexibility in planning his program. They decide which curriculum the student will enter and he enrolls in a fixed program," Ulmer said.
AT KU, a student may express an interest in a specific field but he is not encouraged to make a commitment to a major until his junior year.
"We try to make the whole procedure more general and let the
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"ADVISING IS considered so important that the deans in charge of advising feel we should adopt the system that allows the best advising," he said.
Hitt said the question of when advising is best done controls the enrollment situation.
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He said it is done in the fall primarily for three reasons. This allows the maximum amount of time and information for the student to decide on courses, the faculty advisers aren't busy with classes just before enrollment, and it has always been that way.
The registrar pointed out that one of the difficulties in the pre-enrollment system would be identifying three months ahead of time who the students will be and what courses they wish to take.
Hitt said the difficulty lies in getting the faculty and courses to stay constant.
"WE. OF COURSE, would run the risk of adjusting the supply and then nobody showing up." Hitt said. He thought, however, the changes made just before classes begin would
tend to cancel each other out to a certain degree.
"The success of such a system assumes that one could get all the students to make up their minds and not change them." he said.
One of the largest stumbling blocks in enrolling students so far ahead of time would be projecting the class schedule.
IT IS MADE UP of information from the departments and schools, and compiled by the Registrar's office.
"If enough people wanted to, we could put it out soon enough," Hitt said.
"As it is, it's hard to get schedules
out of the departments very far ahead of time." Hitt said.
Pre-enrollment would demand a permanent schedule to be issued at least one month earlier than the present tentative one comes out.
"Advance enrollment can be done earlier if there is a good reason," Hitt said.