JHU course verification now online

On Nov. 30, Johns Hopkins University students were able to check Spring and Intersession course confirmations through the new Web registration system accessible on the Registrar's homepage, http://www.jhu.edu/registr/.

The system's creation was a collaborative effort between the Registrar and Hopkins Information Technology Services (HITS) to give the students more online services. Senior System Analyst Alex Gogue of HITS wrote the majority of the application.

"The people who are most responsible for the system being written are the students, who have wanted - and deserved - Web services for a long while. The Registrar was the students' advocate in this regard, and the administration supported their request in the form of funding," said Interim Director of Student Systems Alice Brainerd.

"Hedy Schaedel spear-headed the development of the design from a business perspective. Joe McFarland managed the project and Alex Gogue wrote most of the application. He had very short deadlines and had to balance other responsibilities but was extraordinarily dedicated to delivering the system on time," said Brainerd.

Approximately 93 percent of seniors, excluding those who are on early graduation tracks, used the new system Nov. 12-16 to register for Spring semester courses. The Registrar limited the new system's use to seniors in order to test it and make necessary changes and improvements before releasing Web registration to all undergraduates.

"It was very fast and very easy to use for everyone," Schaedel said.

"Essentially, there literally have been no problems associated with the web registration process. It went very smoothly. That is pretty much the characteristic response," said McFarland.

Though the new system's registration capabilities will not be accessible to all students until the beginning of Spring add/drop period on Jan. 28, Spring and Intersession registration confirmations are now available. Though the system is accessible only from 7 a.m.-9 p.m., some students are still impressed with its convenience.

"It was really convenient. I was glad that I could check before the semester even ended if I got the courses I needed," freshman Lisa Bisers said.

Student suggestions from the Nov. tests asked for a solution to the problem of registering for permission-required courses.

"We gathered suggestions from the early group and via email. They have been incorporated in a list and prioritized," McFarland said. "Problems encountered were with permission-required courses and the need for a printable weekly schedule for each student. We will be working with HITS and the academic departments to find solutions.

Spring course changes are now being entered online [in red] and are immediately available to students when the access course schedule information," Schaedel said.

The Registrar and HITS hope to solve the problem involving permission required course registration by April for 2002 Fall semester registration.

In addition, committees have been formed to discuss the feasibility of incorporating the other University divisions into the current Web registration system.

"We are talking with the other schools regarding their registration needs. Some will elect to use Web registration with minor changes, and we will try to deliver the application to those schools as quickly as possible," Brainerd said. "Delivery dates depend on how different the application will be for each of the other schools, but we will try to keep changes to a minimum and offer expanded services in the spring."

Another component of the new online system is grade display. Beginning the last week of December, the Registrar will mail grades to students as well as make grades available online through the Johns Hopkins Enterprise Directory (JHED). The grade display will include this semester's grades as well as a student's previous classes and grades. For freshmen, the grade display option will only include Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grades. Students will be emailed by the Registrar confirming when this function will be available and how to use it through JHED.

"The new grade display will be available this term and will show immediate updates as grade entry is completed by the Registrar's office. The grade display function will also include a history of the student courses and grades," Schaedel said.

Some students were impressed with this new online service.

"I think that will be really helpful. I know the mail service is really slow, so I will definitely check my grades online," Bisers said.

Other students, however, have mixed feelings towards the Web system , believing that if the school provides such online services, free Internet service should also be provided to all students. In addition, because the system is only available by logging in with a student's JHED LID and password, students who do not use JHED will not be able to access the Web registration system.

"I think it is a good idea, but for the people who don't use their JHED accounts regularly, they will have no clue as to what's going on," junior Harrell Lightfoot said. "If [the University] is going to make this information available on the web, they should give [Internet access] to us free of charge."

Students are still encouraged to submit feedback through the online registration Web site.

"We want everyone, including students, advisers, and faculty, to give suggestions and feedback in order to improve the system," McFarland said.