Final Fall Quarter Finals

I know, its the topic we all love to hate.  FINALS.
But this year finals are a little different because it is the final fall quarter for RIT.  As we transition to semesters next year, we will have two semester: winter and spring.

But for now we are still on quarters and students are still learning the system and where information is in the system.

So how do you find your finals schedule in Student Center?

1. Log into your Student Center.

2. Click on Enroll.

3. Click on the tab that stays term information

4. Click on the link that say "View my Exam Schedule"

5. You can see this in list form or click on the Weekly Calendar View link to see it in calendar form. 

It is important to note, you can not see your final exam schedule in the weekly calendar view on the main page. And in the final exam weekly calendar view, students will have to type in the week students want to see or scroll to the Finals Week on the calendar. 

In order to see the class title on the calendar view, students need to select the box "Show Class Title" and refresh the calendar.

Finals are fast approaching, make sure you know exactly when your exams are.
Good Luck!

Why now?

We have noticed a lot of student concern regarding us launching an "unfinished system" and that we are using this as a trial on the entire student population. I would like to stress that this is in no way true.

The system that is launching is fully functional and complete as is. The reason that we are collecting feedback and prioritizing future changes is because we know that there will always be room for improvement. We are being cautious with this first launch, making sure students will be able to get help on campus during enrollment day and leaving extra time for students to learn the system. The technology of the old SIS was 40 years old, it needed an update.

So,

...why now? When the decision was made to convert to semesters, RIT found that it would take more resources to retrofit our old system instead of implementing a system with current technology. RIT had known for a long time that they wanted to update this technology, so this appeared to be the perfect time to commit to the switch.

...why not wait until semester conversion? Best practice is to change the system with information that RIT is familiar with, and we need to have a year in the new system before the change to semesters. Not only this, but students will experience many changes in the coming years, this will give you time to become proficient in this new system before the quarters change to semesters.

...why limit customizations? Every customization of the system will need to be addressed every time the system upgrades, which will require more resources, not only now, but also in the future. The first focus was on functionality, feedback is being collected and prioritized to make sure that student concerns are being addressed accurately.

...why are you making me use IE?! Oracle PeopleSoft only officially supports these browsers. The system is still functional in other browsers, but just know that IE 7, 8 or 9; Firefox 3.5, 3.6, and 7; and Safari 3, 4, and 5 are the only browsers that are officially supported. Personally, we have used the system successfully in other browsers.

Why do I need an Enrollment Appointment?

Let me start by clearing up some common misconceptions: your enrollment appointment is when you can begin enrolling-not a time slot you need to enroll during, NTID and Honors will still register early, and if a class fills up before your appointment begins, you can still go see an advisor or academic department for help.

At a university as large as ours, it is easy for the system to become overloaded during registration morning. With the old SIS, we are very familiar with the negatives this brings, such as the very unhelpful countdown, the constant refreshing, the many tabs and multiple browsers. There is a solution, however: stagger when students can begin enrolling. For this first go round (fall enrollment), students will be able to begin enrolling in 30 minute intervals starting at 7 a.m. and going through 5 p.m. This is to ensure that if you run into any problems that the institute will be staffed to help assist you. The times are still split by year level, like they are now, but within that the order will be determined randomly. Yes, we know this isn't ideal, but it is the fairest way for the RIT student population as a whole. Also, most other universities our size use enrollment appointments successfully.

The Genesis team looked into deciding this order by credits, GPA, or by other criteria. The issue with doing this is that it will often be the same students that are getting priority registration. What if you're the student who messed around freshmen year, got bad grades, but now you want to be a serious student? Why should that student continually fall towards the bottom? At the end of the day, random was the most fair to the entire student body.

Will enrollment always work like this? Not necessarily. This is our first launch of the system, feedback is being collected and changes will be made once all information is prioritized. We also are being extra careful not to overload this system for the first enrollment, so the amount of students per appointment may change in the future.

This is a big change for RIT, and honestly it will make RIT a little more of a real tech school. Give the system a chance, in the long run this will improve student's lives. Having all services use the same system will reduce confusion and create a better system for overall student profiles. If you have any questions or feedback, feel free to leave your input in the comments. RIT is doing its best to make this transition as smooth as possible, and we, student co-op's, are here to help in any way we can.

R.I.P. RIT Registration. Long Live Enrollment

Jump by Van Halen screams out the lyrics...."You've got to roll with the punches to get to what's real"

Everything is constantly changing in students lives, and we as students love to complain about it.  Facebook is the best example, there are constant layout changes made, some major some minor, and possibly the biggest one yet is coming to us all today, Timeline. As students we go along with the change and forget the older system within a day, but not before social media is blasted with the change.

Now, RIT students, staff, and faculty are preparing for a year of changes some of which will go unnoticed and others that will make a big impact. Registration is the first of many changes that will impact students but one that is concerning to students.

The RIT GeneSIS project has instituted the new system and has given students a way to communicate their feelings, questions, concerns, and feedback.  The project team wants to know what students like and dislike about the system so that they can make future changes.   

But how do you connect with students and get them the information out about important dates, changes, key information, what should you do....the only answer: SOCIAL MEDIA.

RIT Enrollment GeneSIS project key places for you to find out the information:

Facebook: R.I.P. RIT Registration. Long Live Enrollment
Twitter: @RITEnrollment
Blog: R.I.P. RIT Registration
Reddit: RITEnrollment_Court and RITEnrollment_Laura

Coming soon: YouTube: RITEnrollment with funny videos and short training videos

So RIT students "Might as well jump."

Get to know: Courtney Tennant

Hey RIT community, my name is Courtney Tennant and I transferred in enough credits coming out of high school in 2010, that I am currently a 4th year new media marketing in Saunders College of Business with a mass media communications minor.  I will be graduating next May (a year early) and continuing on with the

4 + 1 MBA program.

I am currently on Co-Op with the RIT GeneSIS project working on the social media and training campaign to get the word out to students about the new Enrollment system that is being put into place for Fall Enrollment (registration).

I have been working with Twitter (@courtnettennis) for the past few years but began using it on a daily basis when I came to RIT because as anyone in SCB knows any Social Media is crucial in the business world.  I am also on Facebook and LinkedIn: Courtney Tennant. You can also check out my personal blog: Just Do It. 

I came to RIT in I guess a non-traditional RIT fashion because I went through the college selection process with basketball on my mind.  As the time came to choose a school I looked at schools from the academic standpoint and where I would be happiest if I didn't have basketball, RIT was the place for me.  On my 2nd visit on accepted students day, RIT became the clear choice for me from the moment I stepped on campus.  I could really see myself growing as a person and in the 2 years I have been here I have changed and grown into the more adult version I strive to be.

 I am originally from Cortland, NY so just about two hours down the highway but for me that distance was perfect because my family and I are extremely close and they are still able to attend most of my games and be my biggest support system when the stress of RIT arises. 

I am a really excited about helping you learn all about the new SIS system and hope to make your transition to the new system a smooth one. And as I learn new information about the system (which becomes available everyday) I will pass it on to you.