by Gabrielle Shields
“I’ve stood in this line three times already today.” A sophomore at SUNY Old Westbury complained to the student assistant behind the counter. Registration for next semester is underway and so begins one of the busiest times of year. Lines in front of the Registrar’s Office during any time of the day, form down the hall. “Between this and Bursar, I’m always running around.” Many students find themselves running the same circle in order to complete their registration.
According to Ann Stewart who is in charge of Graduation, Enrollment Verification and Veteran’s Affairs, in order to make things easier know where to register. “A big misconception of what we do is registration. We definitely don’t. You register on the website and then come to us if you need help with it. We can add or drop classes with signed permission from a dean, but you must register yourself.”
In order to make things easier, simply set up a date with your advisor. The advisor will let you know what classes you need to take. At the end of that session, they will give you a pin number, which you can use immediately afterward to pick the classes you want. There is also an option to pay your bill by simply clicking the tab.
It also helps to know with whom to talk. There are eight Registrar staff members, each assigned to help students with specific tasks. Pat Smith and Geraldo Espinal are the Registrar and Assistant Registrar respectively. Pat Smith is the only person allowed to change grades or give out medical withdrawals. Anne Silverman processes requested transcripts and Anthony Nurse maintains and updates the CAPP website which is the student portal for registering.
