Whitman news since 1896

Whitman Wire

Vol. CLIV, Issue 6
Whitman news since 1896

Whitman Wire

Whitman news since 1896

Whitman Wire

Students, administrators feel mixed about waitlist process

Josh Goodman December 9, 2010
First-year Nilce Alvarez had a smile and a sense of relief on her face last Monday, Dec. 6—she had just received an e-mail saying that she'd made it off the waitlist and into the section of Chem 126 that she wanted. That notification ended her month-long, stressful experience with the waitlist—a stress many students and some administrators believe is more pronounced with the college's recent decision to no longer use electronic waitlists. Since the Registrar's decision to end electronic waitlists for the fall 2010 pre-registration period last April due in part to the increasing complexity of allowing registration for closed classes through the college's Datatel registration software, all waitlists have been kept by faculty. Previously, some faculty had opted to keep their own waitlists, but most courses had electronic waitlists. While removing waitlists from Datatel allows faculty to select which waitlisted students get into their class, and therefore give priority to students who need the class for their major or are especially interested in the class, it also adds a layer of complexity to the process. Previously, if a class was full, a student would electronically sign up for the waitlist and know their place on the waitlist queue. If a student was first on a waitlist and a seat in the class opened up, the student received an e-mail and could register in a matter of minutes.
Load More Stories

Comments (0)

All Whitman Wire Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest