By Grace Newton
I’m not sure who said it, but I was recently reminded of the saying, “If it were easy, everyone would do it.” This saying has repeatedly popped into my head over the last few months as I’ve tried to register for upcoming classes at Texas A&M-San Antonio. And if being a college student were easy, everyone would do it.
When I recently began the process of trying to register for upcoming classes, I had to ask myself, “Why is this so difficult?“
Spring 2012 was my first semester at A&M-San Antonio and my experience in my classes was great. My professors were very knowledgeable in their respective fields and they were all more than willing to share that knowledge with their students.
It’s obvious to me that A&M-San Antonio has gone to great lengths to hire the best instructors, and as a recipient of that knowledge, I am very grateful for the time and care they have invested in selecting the best.
However, based on my recent experience with trying to register for upcoming classes, that seems to be where the quest for excellence ends.
My experience goes something like this:
I enrolled at A&M-San Antonio and began my spring semester. I was accepted under a “temporary acceptance” because I was missing an official transcript from a previous university.
I ordered the transcript and would check in periodically with the Welcome Center about the status of that transcript, but I was repeatedly told that it had not been received.
I ordered and paid for another transcript and again periodically checked in with the Welcome Center, and again, I was told that they still had not received it.
I confirmed with my previous university that the transcript had been sent so my next visit to the Welcome Center was to insist that they locate my transcript. They found my transcript in a stack of “unmatched” transcripts. They said it would take 1-2 days to input those classes into the system.
Fast forward. It’s now time to register for summer and Fall classes and I attempt to see an academic adviser.
My first two attempts were met by a locked door and a sign that read, “Will be back at 2 p.m.” Thinking I had just caught them at the wrong time, I made additional attempts over the following weeks, only to be met by the same locked door and sign.
Because most of my classes are at the Brooks City-Base Campus, it wasn’t always easy to make these trips.
I visited the School of Arts and Sciences to inquire about the missing academic advisers, and I was told that they were closed every day from noon-2 p.m. for lunch and meetings.
Unfortunately, this same time is the only break I have between classes. Do any of the other nontraditional working students find it a little odd that the advising center would close during the lunch hour since that’s when we can typically arrange with our employers to make a campus visit?
So, when I inquired about making an appointment, I was told that they were only accepting walk-ins.
It has now been seven weeks since the transcript issue was cleared up and I’ve been trying to see an adviser. I decide to arrive by 8:30 a.m. the following morning in order to be the first walk in.
Luck! I get in, but am advised that I can’t be advised because my transcript information is not in the system. You know, the information that I was told would take 1-2 days to input (seven weeks ago.)
Back to the Welcome Center I go. After a few phone calls to the registrar’s office, I’m told, “We have your information, but it will take 1-2 days to get it input into the system.”
Really? Is this a joke?
I am also informed that I have holds on my record. One hold is for an official transcript. You know, the one they received two months ago that sat in the “unmatched” pile. For some reason that hold remains on my record.
And I also had holds for completion of the new student orientation and MAPPS test, both of which I have completed. None of these holds should be on my record, but since they are, I am unable to register.
I’m told I have to visit yet another office to request that those holds be removed. I head back up the stairs to that office where I’m told, “The person that does that is out for personal reasons and we don’t know when she will be back. Check back with us in a few days.”
I am now going into finals week and I’m still waiting for everything to be resolved so that I can finally register for my classes.
Is this incompetence and run-around really what the A&M-San Antonio experience is all about? I would hope not. It’s been 12 years since I attended college and maybe I just don’t remember there being so many obstacles in my path; or, maybe I’m just older, crankier and less patient. I’m not really sure.
Now that I’m feeling completely frustrated, drained and out of patience, the only thing I can say is, “If it were easy, everyone would do it.”
So there it is — my experience. I’m interested in yours, plus a response from the administration and staff who can hopefully clear this up and explain, from their perspective why it isn’t easy.
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Grace Newton is a full-time student and mother of four children. She has 20 years work experience in the public relations sector, most recently at Palo Alto College.
