Longer registration gives PBSC students more time for advising
Palm Beach State College students will now have more than twice as much time to register for their fall classes and be able to complete the process before they head off for the summer.
The College is moving up the first registration date to April 22, which will increase the fall registration window from the current seven weeks to 18 weeks. In the past, students could not register until July. The registration period for the Summer Term also will be moved up to begin March 11.
“About 8,500 students don’t attend in the summer but return in the fall,’’ said Chuck Zettler, dean of enrollment management. “The change gives them an opportunity to meet with an advisor and get their schedule set prior to the summer break. This also will help high school students who are used to being able to set their schedule before they leave for the summer. They will be able to plan their fall schedule before the end of the high school year.”
PBSC Student Trustee Keneisha Dale supports the change. “Many of [the students] are not here in the summer, and they forget they have to register. Then the classes fill up, and they are stuck with courses at times that may not be good for them.”
Depending on their status, most current students can begin registering for the fall April 22-25; new and returning students will begin registering April 28. Registration opens May 6 for high school dual enrolled, non-degree seeking, non-credit and transient students.
The longer registration periods are among several initiatives underway to enhance service to PBSC students and provide more time for advisors to meet with them, particularly those who are in college for the first time or returning after an extended period.
Zettler said the additional time also is necessary because of last year’s sweeping legislative changes to developmental education in the Florida College System. The changes, which can significantly impact students and their success in college, make it imperative that students are properly advised.
Previously, students who did not score high enough on the Postsecondary Education Readiness Test (PERT) in English, reading and math were required to take prep courses to prepare for their college-level courses. However, under the new law, students who graduate from a Florida high school with a standard diploma no longer are required to take prep courses and cannot be required to take the PERT. The legislation also applies to students who are on active duty in the military.
The new legislation will impact the majority of PBSC’s first-year students. In the past, approximately 60 percent of students who took a college placement test have been required to take at least one prep course because of their test scores.
Academic advisors will need to spend more time reviewing students’ high school transcripts and grades to determine whether it would be beneficial for students to take developmental education courses in English, reading or math. “The additional registration time is going to be good for the students and the staff,’’ Zettler said.
Although students will register for fall courses during the Spring Term, they will not be required to pay for their courses until August. When students register, they will receive an estimate of their tuition and fees. The actual tuition and fees will appear on their PantherWeb account after the start of the new fiscal year, which begins July 1.
