“ ») UNIVERSITY COLLEGE
of the FRASER VALLEY

Volume 12, Number 6

February 10, 1998

Admissions & Registration
taskforce seeks to eliminate

student hurdles

Students go through many steps as they
negotiate the sometimes complicated
process of gaining admission to UCFV
and registering for their courses. Help is
available, but they aren’t always aware of
it. General studies students in particular
(those who are not attached to a specific
program) can encounter difficulties
making their way through the system.
\.dding further complication to this
Situation is the fact that as UCFV has
rapidly grown and evolved over the past
six years, the admissions process has
become increasingly decentralized, with
individual departments taking more
responsibility for admitting students to
their programs, and advising them about
their course selection and program plans.

In response to this situation, and in an
attempt to improve the admissions and
registrations experience for students,
UCFV struck an Admissions and
Registration taskforce in December 1996:
The taskforce recently brought its report-
to the UCFV Board, and it will be
working on implementing
recommendations in the near future.

“The goal of the taskforce was to
strengthen the admissions and registration
process,” says Dean of Finance and
Administration Norah Andrew, who
chaired the taskforce. “We tried to look at
our procedures from the point of view of
students and potential students, and to
look at ways we could make things easier
for them, such as adding sections of

high-demand courses, or helping them get
the courses they need.”

Andrew notes that the taskforce
review was “extremely beneficial”,
particularly because of the broad
perspective it started with. “Admissions
& Registration and Counselling &
Advising are two areas that have been
rather isolated in the past. Once we
brought everyone else in we were able to
look at things from a much broader
perspective. We really found the process
to be extremely helpful and beneficial.”

Asked what surprised her about the
taskforce’s findings, Andrew replied, “I
was surprised that for so many students
the initial contact is the frontline
registration staff. This is sometimes the
only contact. They don’t always go to
orientation, or to see a counsellor or
advisor. So our frontline people play a
pretty important role for them.

“I was also surprised at the large
percentage of our students who are
identified as General Studies. We need to
figure out ways to support them as well
as we do program students.”

The taskforce membership included
representatives of each instructional
division, Student Services, the University
College Council, Admissions and
Registration, and Community Relations,
as well as a student rep.

The task force invited presentations
from across the UCFV community, and

Please see next page

Fashion students Anna Hubert and Ria
Dunn model outfits designed by Fashion
Design alumna Angela Morrow, of
Uncommon Threadz. See these and other
designs at the Fashion Design
Alumni/Faculty show, Fri. Feb 20.
Tickets are $20. For details call

Judy Hurley at 4573.

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