As we all know (at least the Institute of Computing students), the University of Southeastern Philippines tapped our two instructors last semester to build a new enrollment system for the university. They both unloaded their subjects to focus on building the new enrollment system. I heard that the said project was quite urgent that is why the two instructors namely Engr. Cagape and Dr. Mercado drop all their subjects and distributed it to other Institute of Computing instructors except for one subject each. They only have one semester to do the said project which I guess not enough for the said system was quite huge but then again I was happy that they were able to do everything on schedule. The system was tested last summer 2009 and as expected lots of problems was encountered during enrollment. Some students have their own share of problems during enrollment period for the summer 2009. Some had their courses wrong, name, subjects and lots of errors found during testing. Though it had given some problems to some students, it was a good move to have those errors fixed in preparation of the enrollment for the school year 2009-2010.
Some of the very evident preparation made by the university is by providing tarpaulins all over the campus illustrating how the enrollment process goes. It was the first time since I entered the university to have a thing like that maybe because of the new enrollment system (I’m talking about the program itself) that is used for this year’s enrollment or maybe they just felt like they have enough money to fund such tarpaulins. Now it’s time to evaluate if the tarpaulins or illustrations provided really did help during the enrollment.
The new enrollment system based on the tarpaulins given has this following flow
Enrollment Procedure for old students
· STEP 1 – STUD ACCTS.
o Check students’ accounts.
o Check balance.
o Clearance signing.
· STEP 2 – COLLEGE
o Advising / Pre- Registration
o Payment of other fees (Local Council fee , Obrero Campus Student Council fee, Collegiate headlight fee and Insurance).
o Encoding.
o Assessment of fees.
o Temporary Certificate of Registration Printing.
· STEP 3 – STUD ACCTS. (Scholars Only)
o Submit Temporary Certificate of Registration.
o Posting of Accounts.
· STEP 3 – CASHIER (Paying Students)
o Submit Temporary Certificate of Registration.
o Payment of Matriculation.
o Official Receipt Printing.
· STEP 4 – REGISTRAR
o Present Clearance.
o Present Official Receipts (Tuition and other fees).
o Printing of Official Certificate of Registration.
Enrollment Procedure for New students and Transferees
· STEP 1 – UNIVERSITY GUIDANCE AND TESTING OFFICE
o Encoding of Student Information.
o Identification No. Assignment.
· STEP 2 – OFFICE OF STUDENT SERVICES (Scholars Only)
o Scholarship Application.
o Releasing of Scholarship Card.
· STEP 3 – ROTC/CWTS
o Registration and Sectioning of ROTC/CWTS.
o Releasing of ROTC/CWTS slip.
· STEP 4 – COLLEGE
o Present enrollment requirements.
o Advising / Pre-Registration.
o Payment of other fees (Local Council fee, Obrero Campus Student Council fee, collegiate headlight fee and Insurance).
o Encoding.
o Assessment of fees.
o Temporary Certificate of Registration Printing.
· STEP 5 – STUD ACCTS. (Scholars Only)
o Submit Temporary Certificate of Registration.
o Posting of Accounts.
· STEP 5 – CASHIER (Paying Students)
o Submit Temporary Certificate of Registration.
o Payment of Matriculation.
o Official Receipt Printing.
· STEP 6 – REGISTRAR
o Submit enrollment requirements.
§ Form 138 (High School Card).
§ Photocopy of NSO Birth Certificate.
§ USEPAT Entrance Exam Result.
§ Admission Slip.
§ Medical Certificate.
§ Certificate of Good Moral (Original).
§ 2 pcs. 2x2 recent ID picture.
§ Prospectus of the enrolled course.
§ 1 pc. Long brown envelop.
§ Official receipt of tuition and other fees.
o Printing of Official Certificate of Registration.
Enrollment Procedure for Shiftees
· STEP 1 – STUD ACCTS.
o Check students’ accounts.
o Check balance.
o Clearance signing.
· STEP 2 – FORMER COLLEGE
o Request to shift.
o Recommendation to shift.
· STEP 3 – NEW COLLEGE
o Acceptance of Shiftee
o Advising / Pre- Registration.
· STEP 4 – UNIVERSITY GUIDANCE AND TESTING OFFICE / OFFICE OF STUDENT SERVICES
o Student Profile Updating
· STEP 5 – NEW COLLEGE
o Payment of other fees (Local Council fee , Obrero Campus Student Council fee, Collegiate headlight fee and Insurance).
o Encoding.
o Assessment of fees.
o Temporary Certificate of Registration Printing.
· STEP 6 – STUD ACCTS. (Scholars Only)
o Submit Temporary Certificate of Registration.
o Posting of Accounts.
· STEP 6 – CASHIER (Paying Students)
o Submit Temporary Certificate of Registration.
o Payment of Matriculation.
o Official Receipt Printing.
· STEP 7 – REGISTRAR
o Present Clearance.
o Present Official Receipts (Tuition and other fees).
o Printing of Official Certificate of Registration.
Enrollment Procedure for old students:
· Honestly speaking, I really don’t think that the tarpaulin provided was really needed. I asked some of my friends in the university that are from different colleges if they even had to look for the illustration provided and I got the same response from them, “NO”. Old students (at least the once that I know) from the university already knows how the enrollment system in the university flows. I, myself don’t even noticed the tarpaulin that was posted near the Engineering comfort room during enrollment. Though the system was new, as students nothing is new, we still do the same as what we did last semester. I mean, we are not the one operating the system though we are the customers we are not the users so I don’t think that the tarpaulin was really needed. And for those who looked at it (I’m talking about the old students) it may confuse you a little bit. As I was looking at the illustration I noticed that the scholarship card validation which takes place at the office of the student’s services was not in it. We (scholars) cannot have our Pre- Registration form encoded not until we can have our scholarship cards validated. Considering that almost half of the students of the university are scholars I guess having an error like that may cause some problems during enrollment.
Enrollment Procedure for New students and Transferees
· It was three years ago when I entered this university as a freshman. I know how it feels when you are in a new environment. On the transferees and new students’ part I guess having this illustration for the enrollment procedure is a very big help to them. It adds to your confidence if you know what to do, I know that and I know you know that too. It is really a must to have an illustration for new students and transferees but then again the illustration given was not accurate enough at least for those transferees. Not all transferees has to take up ROTC/CWTS course, they may have already took it up on their previous school. Transferees I guess (I’m not sure) needs to have their subjects taken from other school validated here if the course or subject description is the same so that he/she don’t have to take it all over again here. And for the requirements in the registrar’s office, the form 138 (High school card) is that really needed for the transferees? I guess they have to submit their TOR or transcript of records from their school though I’m not that sure I guess that’s how things work on transferees. And lastly transferees has to pass a certificate of good standing I guess (not really sure) and unfortunately it was not on the list.
Enrollment Procedure for Shiftees
· First things first, the word “shiftees” or “shiftee” doesn’t exist (I guess it’s a slang word? What do you think?), I tried to search it at dictionary.com and all I got was the word shifter which means “One who, or that which, shifts” I guess it’s the right word but I guess that word is widely used even I myself use it often I just realized it doesn’t exist because Microsoft word don’t recognize it. So much for that, shiftees or shifters are also considered old students in the university. But since they shifted they have to do additional steps to complete their enrollment. The illustration maybe needed but I guess it is not a must if you have bigger budget then I guess you may provide one. Same thing goes for shiftees or shifters they have to have their scholarship cards (for scholars only) validated before the encoder encodes their subjects enrolled.
To summarize everything, the illustration given was a big help for transferees and new students but then again they should have separated the illustrations for the two because new students and transferees has different business or at least made their illustration more versatile and accurate because it is really a big help for transferees and new students. In the case of the old students and shiftees or shifters I guess the illustration provided was not really needed though the system changed the old students still know what to do during enrollments because the steps or procedure doesn’t changed that much. The purpose of the illustrations was to help the students during enrollment especially those who are new and not to confuse them. But then again, it was way better compared to those bond papers posted on walls with very confusing steps which was used for the past years. It is clear, big and understandable compared last semester. I appreciate the efforts of those people who are behind this very big improvement for the betterment of the services that they can offer to the students.
If I were to be tapped by the university to evaluate the new enrollment system I would be very honor to do it. Imagine you’re just a student and you are tasked to do such thing. I would probably base my comments and suggestions on my own experience. I would talk as a student and not as anyone else. As a student my only concern is I can enroll easily. Now, my comment about the system (I’m talking about what Engr. Cagape and Dr. Mercado made) would be nothing. Honestly speaking I haven’t even seen the interface of the program and I don’t know if it is harder or easier to use compared to the previous system.
The only thing change in the new system is that the encoder only gives us two copy of the certificate of registration which is called temporary certificate of registration based on the illustrations above and the other two copies will be printed again in the registrar which is called the official certificate of registration. Now as to the reason why it is done that way don’t ask me because I don’t why but still I have my own little analysis on why it is done that way. The old system needs those papers that have holes on the side, sorry I don’t know what it’s called and I heard that those papers are ordered from a supplier and it costs more than the usual white bond paper. In case that those special kinds of paper runs out, the school will find it hard to print Certificate of Registration forms. Those special kind of papers are printed on a dot matrix printer which takes longer compared to those ink jet printer that are used now. Maybe, they made it like this to save money because of the budget cut on SUCs and I guess to have a faster printing time though you have to wait again while the registrar prints the official Certificate of Registration. Now my only concern is that I am happy I have clearer Certificate of Registration now because the Certificate of Registrations are directly printed on an ink jet printer not like the past Certificate of Registration which are carbon copied only.
To the enrollment system as a whole, I guess this semester’s enrollment system was better compared last year. The university was more prepared comparing it to the previous enrollments. I remembered the university tried to change their system that when you have your documents on the cashier or students account they will be the one to bring your documents to the registrar and all you have to do is to wait when you will be called. But then it was not a successful move because they have to do it by batch which means the documents say student 1 to student 25 will all be passed to the registrar at the same time which is unfair to students 1 because he/she has to wait the same time with student 25 even though he/she passed his/her documents ahead of time. I don’t like that system, I don’t like waiting in vain, you don’t know until when you will be called and I hate it. And again, now they somehow revised their system.They deployed guards on the cashier and registrar’s area. One entrance, one exit wow that was quite cute... (hehehe). They are more organized this semester, and I salute the University for such a Great Improvement. The registrar has new windows; I guess 8 windows (not so sure) open to serve the students. They also made every window available for every college in short no matter from what college, institute or school you are from you may be served by any registrar compared last semesters that each college has its own registrar and take note no windows so we really have to get inside their office to have our Certificate of Registration validated. Yes, it was messy compared this semester, though the new system in the registrar’s area was disadvantageous to us (students of the Institute of Computing) because we have to follow the long line to registrar compared last semester the line for the Institute of Computing was short I am still happy for the changes that was done.
Other parts of the enrollment process like OSS, Cashier (not so sure, I never went to cashier because I’m a scholar), Student Accounts, Colleges and so on seems like no changes happened at least changes that are evident enough for us students to feel it. As usual, the students account area still has a long line but then again more organized because of the guards that are around. The OSS area was still the same, no changes at all. If I would rate this semester’s enrollment it would be a B, there are still rooms for improvement and I hope that every semester we’ll achieve it one by one.
As to my suggestions, the university should have provided more electric fans around the cashier and registrar area. All the students look messy, haggard and look tired. We are all sweating while waiting in the line. The area where the cashier and the registrar were too small for their purpose. Imagine all the students from the seven colleges, school and institute of the university meet there to pay accounts, validate everything or any other transactions that is done there. The area was too small; they should have transferred to a bigger area, more conducive for us students.
One more thing, during the payment of the Local Council, OCSC fee, Headlight fee and other fees I think it was too tiring. First the Local Council Office, Headlight Office and OCSC office are on both ends of the campus, the students have to walk a long distance just to pay and finally to have a piece of paper that are called receipts and we have to walk back again to our respective buildings and then back again to the OSS office for scholarship validation and then go back again to the college for encoding and finally to the cashier and registrar. Imagine those things that the students do in order to enroll himself/herself to the university. I really don’t think that the proper positioning of the offices was planned very well. It gives us lots of stress and makes us tired just by going through each office. The university should have foreseen that and made a move to solve the problem. They may rearrange the offices put it all on one building or rearrange the order of enrollment. We are their clients and like what I always said we deserve to have the best. The OSS, UGTO, OCSC, Clinic, Headlight offices are on the other end of the campus and its very hassle in our part to go back and forth their not just once but thrice in my case just to have myself admitted in the university. I know the construction of a new building for the offices to be all in one building which are not far from the other buildings would cost much and the university doesn’t have the necessary budget to fund it so I guess they have to think of a way to minimize to one the back and forth that we do during enrollment. Like what I said they may rearrange the order of enrollment process.
Lastly, I would just like to say that I’m not discriminating or something; I’m just expressing how I feel about the enrollment system. I guess it’s a healthy practice that the university should sometimes listen to their students because the point is we are not on the same shoes no matter how they analyze how we feel if this thing is implemented they will never feel like what we feel. I am a student and I feel what my co-students feel, we share the same sentiments and I guess at least half of the students of the University of Southeastern Philippines feel the same way as I do about the new enrollment system. I was just hoping that the improvements that are happening now may continue until everything will be close to perfection.
Thank you for reading this very very very long post. I hope I don’t sound like anyone who acts like he/she knows everything. I hope I am not talking crap things and make some sense. Again thank you for giving me your time and for reading the post.
