For this semester’s group of students registering for classes in the spring 2014 semester, there were over 1,000 more students enrolled within the first 15 minutes of registration compared to last semester.
Director of Application and Computer Engineering Services (ACES) R. Terry McGhee described this year’s registration process as “the smoothest, fastest registration we have ever done.”
McGhee stated what contributed to this is that “we have a lot more flexibility than we have had before.”
Since 2011, 90 percent of the equipment used to regulate the speed and efficiency of class registration has been virtualized.
This means that the process is not run by physical hardware on computers, but by memory in computers.
With this change, McGhee said, “Everything is working at the speed of light.”
Around 75 percent to 85 percent of the students eligible to register do so within the first 15 minutes of registration.
For the first day of registration this semester, over 600 students registered within the first 15 minutes for over 2,600 courses. Over 700 juniors registered within the first 15 minutes for over 3,100 courses. Over 700 sophomores registered within the first 15 minutes for over 3,100 courses. Over 850 freshmen registered within the first 15 minutes for over 3,600 courses.
If adding up the number of students who registered within the first 15 minutes of each day’s opening for registration, 3,357 students for classes in the spring 2014 semester.
Despite over 1,000 more students registering for classes this year, this year’s registration process still remains the fastest, according to McGhee.
Any issues regarding the registration process for students can be foreseen, McGhee stated. He said that by 5:58 a.m., two minutes before registration is open, that “We can forecast whether it’s going to be a success for registration or not.”
Despite this, he added that at that point, rather than be able to solve every problem that arises, ACES can only “manage how bad it would get.”
“It really is more like a rocket launch,” McGhee said.
During registration, eight staff members in the Information Technology Systems department work on computers to manage the database, the memory, the network and more, to ensure a smooth registration process.
McGhee stated that the last major issue with the registration process occurred two years ago in the spring 2011 semester and affected seniors the most.
The complication was due to a software issue after changes occurred to Banner from its vendor. Banner is the software that allows students to register on the myLongwood portal.
A hardware issue had also pertained problems with the number of students registering and not being able to be processed. After the first day registration opened, ACES had to order new hardware overnight to process the high number of students for every upcoming day that registration opened to students.
Now, by not relying on physical hardware in computers, but on virtualized equipment, McGhee said, “We are skipping most of the mechanics.”
McGhee stated that he does not expect any further problems to occur with class registration in the future.
One change that is expected to occur within the registration process is the creation of a mobile app that will allow students to register on their phones.
McGhee predicts the app to be finished and in use within a year’s time, adding, “We think it would be easier for students.”
This semester’s first day registration opened on Nov. 4, which allowed seniors, honors students, graduate students, athletes, students in ROTC and students approved by disability services to register.
Juniors were able to register Nov. 7, Sophomores were able to register Nov. 11,the final eligible group, freshmen, were able to register Nov. 13. Non-degree seeking students could not register until after Nov. 15.
Each day that registration opened occurred at 6 a.m. McGhee said, “Nothing is bigger to us than class registration. Our total credibility is class registration ... That is us serving them immediately.”
