SAD 2 - Assignment 1

The Enrollment System

Before a student is able to be called an official student of the university officially first thing he/she should do is to undergo the enrollment process of the university. In my whole stay in this university (University of Southeastern Philippines) I always hear so much complains from students (including me) during or after enrollment. Most of these complain are on time consuming processes, long line-ups on different offices and much more. In my own experience when I am enrolling, it always take up to one whole day or 2-3 days at worst and it is not really convenient at all. In this assignment I would talk about my experience on this semester’s enrollment system and have some commentaries on it. In this university a new applicant specifically those new students and transferees could be able to identify the process of the enrollment by the diagrams of the enrollment process found on different parts of the university. If I’m not mistaken these diagrams are printed in tarpaulins (one located at the cashier/registrar) papers located on different walls of every buildings of the university. The location of these diagrams is somehow fine but it could be better if it would be placed on bulletin boards with large prints which are noticeable by people passing by or maybe the same tarpaulin near the gate where all people who get inside the library could see. By this new applicants would be guided all along the enrollment process.

(credits to the owner of the photo )

Enrollment Procedure

After talking about the locations of these diagrams, now I’ll be talking of what these diagrams are. Basically the diagrams are the enrollment procedure to be followed by the applicant to finish the enrollment process. These contain where the starting point is or the first thing to do and what follows after it until one will be officially enrolled. I have appreciated the tarpaulin because it shows three different steps o follow, one for new students and transferees, one for old students and another for shiftees. In this manner applicants have less confusion and will easily comprehend o the diagram because if I where a new student I’ll and it easy to know what are the procedure for it is separated for the procedures of old student and shiftees. 

(credits to the owner of the photo )

Diagram of Enrollment Procedure for New Students and Transferees

(credits to the owner of the photo )

Diagram of Enrollment Procedure for Old Students

(credits to the owner of the photo )

Diagram of Enrollment Procedure for Siftees

Since I am an old student of the university, I’d be talking about each step or process and try to give some comments and suggestions as a student of this university based on what I have experience on the enrollment in the first semester. 

1. Pay other fees

First step during our enrollment for this semester is to pay the Headlight and OCSC fees on their respective offices. For this semester we only paid two out of three supposed to be since there is a problem on our Local Council but tough two fees means two different places to pay for it which could take time and efforts for us. I think it would be better and would be much convenient for us student to pay those fees together with the accounts to be paid in the cashier. In this way it would lessen the time and effort of the student as well as those students who are in charge of collecting these fees whom should also be taking the same enrollment procedure as mine instead of collecting those fees which I hope is always in god hands. Lol

2. Advising and Encoding

After securing the payment for other miscellaneous fees, an old student is now all set for advising which requires the receipts for payments and the students’ passbook and clearance for the previous semester. The adviser will look up the grades of the student and see his/hr standings and secure a PRF (Pre Registration Form) for the students. During the advising IC students were crowded because there were I think two advisers for all year levels which really took much time and made the students as well as the advisers very exhausted. To make it more convenient I think there would be one adviser per year level or if possible one adviser per section so that the advisers could focus on one group which lessens their effort and confusion.

After advising and filling out the PRF it is ready for encoding. Just like the past years there are always problems regarding the number of encoders. It would be better to have a few more encoders’ o IC so that encoding would be faster.

3. Student Accounts and Cashier 

This step has two different methods, has for scholars and non-scholar. The scholars direct to the students account and account their scholarship and the non-scholars pay the tuition fee to the cashier. Since I am not a scholar I pay the amount on the cashier and what I have observed is there are few windows available for payment and windows for the scholars as well which is somehow time consuming. It would be better to have a few more windows and I think it is a good practice of separating the scholars and non-scholars window.

4. Registration 

The registration is the last step to be officially enrolled in the university. It’s like the final step of reaching your destination.  The registrar requires the receipts for payments and tuition, a copy the student’s clearance on the previous semester/the blue card for scholars (not sure). In this process I think it has the same problems for the cashier which has fewer windows to accommodate enrollees. Another thing is that there are no separate windows for ever college which I think would be better and I have experienced this o my first year I think. For me I is more convenient to have separate window for every college because it would be organized and take us less time for waiting on lines. 

5. Library Card Validation 

The validation or the library card is really not included on the diagram but is still part of the enrollment process. There is no problem with validating the library card in terms o time because it just take a few minutes to be done. I just came of wit the idea based on my experience just a few days when I wanted to utilize my hours in the virtual library or my assignment. I though I could directly access my account but instead I have to again validate my account before I could utilize my hours for the virtual. I think it would be better if the validation for the virtual library use will be included or be part of the validation for the library card. 

Overall the enrollment system for this semester was a little better that the previous year maybe it is just because I enrolled on the right day of enrollment scheduled for us in which there are fewer enrollees. The main problem I think in whole the enrollment procedure is the time hic I think most students would agree. It takes long time for enrollment because of some factors that affect the enrollment process like lack of person to entertain students and resources which results to unorganized enrollment process and inconvenient complaining students. I hope by the next years to come, there would be noticeable improvement on the enrollment system of the university to invite more students to enroll. I look forward for a smooth and uncomplicated enrollment system by the next years for the university.