As the fall semester begins, issues with course enrolment are at the forefront of some students’ minds. Struggles navigating York’s multiple-website system, and frustrations with seat reservations can add unnecessary stress to student life. Excalibur reached out to undergraduates and academic advising staff to get their perspectives on the Fall/Winter enrolment experience.
Film production major Maisha Kabanga summarizes her enrolment for second-year courses as “frustrating,” pointing to her struggle with finding general education credits. “I was unable to gain a seat in any HUMA or NATS course. The [enrolment module] states the courses are either prioritized for first year students, or that I have to contact the course director to see if there are any other available seats.” Other students also faced similar hurdles in their course enrolment due to restricted courses that are either reserved for first-year students or require departmental permission.
Gilles Thibodeau, Director of Academic Services at Glendon, confirms that this challenge is commonplace. “Off the top of my head, [the most common issue students come to our department with] is probably permissions. Students need to contact the actual department responsible for the course, but they often call or email us first.” Thibodeau also remarks that “in August and September,” students seeking help with their course enrolment is “a daily occurence.”
While Kabanga found enrolling in her major courses to be “a much easier process,” her general education requirement remains a concern. “If I am unable to enrol by the start of the school year, I will have no choice but to find alternative options to make up for the credits.”
York prioritizes new undergraduate students by both reserving seats and granting early access times. The enrolment of continuing students is based on how many completed course credits an individual has. While the system ensures that first-year students have a pleasant experience, it can feel counterintuitive to some. Because general education courses are usually at the 1000- or 2000-level and required for all undergraduates, it can become a challenge to find seats in upper years. York recommends taking them in the first or second year of study. Kabanga believes this prioritization should be adjusted. “I fail to understand why upper years are given a significant disadvantage as our need for these specific credits gradually become more time-sensitive,” she states. “I personally feel a first come-first serve tactic is an equitable way to choose general education courses.”
The interfaces that students use to enrol in their courses can also add friction to the task. Screenwriting second-year Daniel Wilson points to the Visual Schedule Builder (VSB) as one such case. “The VSB, which York recommends, was my primary tool for figuring out my courses next year,” he explains. “However, the website frequently misrepresented the availability of courses.” For Glendon students, the VSB presents a major inconvenience. “Glendon Core Curriculum courses do not appear on the VSB for some strange reason,” Thibodeau mentions. “A ticket is open, but currently unresolved.”
Despite the problems of some, other students found the enrolment process to be entirely successful. Petru-Andrei Enea, who is entering the computer science program, encountered no issues of note. “Overall, my course registration experience went very well,” he says. “The Program Checklist was very clear and helped me understand exactly which courses I needed to take.” Enea also appreciated the VSB. “Having my courses pre-filled and being able to compare schedules, instructors, and class times made the planning process much easier.”
The majority of positive feedback came from first-year students like Enea, many of whom shared sentiments of being glad to have chosen York. In contrast, feelings of frustration were more frequently shared by upper years. The correlation may speak to shortcomings in York’s services for continuing undergraduates. Wilson supports this pattern, remarking that this year’s process “definitely contrasted with my experience from first year, in which everything was pretty well laid out and easy.”
For students feeling frustrated with their enrolment, Thibodeau recommends seeking out their faculty’s advising office, as well as York’s web resources. “Come talk to us – we can help! We have drop-in hours for advising and helpful personnel at the counter.”
