MacInsiders Logo

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Another vent on Mac's administration drew4008 Academics 44 08-25-2010 07:05 PM
Solar Registration Dates goodnews.inc MacInsiders Announcements 19 06-14-2010 11:06 AM
University VP Administration Departs From McMaster Chad MacInsiders Announcements 0 06-16-2009 11:50 AM

Petition for Administration Performance Improvance During Registration Dates

 
Old 08-11-2008 at 12:14 PM   #1
aviaf
Richard Cioci
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 245

Thanked: 46 Times
Liked: 50 Times




Petition for Administration Performance Improvance During Registration Dates
Petition for Administration Performance Improvements During Registration Dates **

Today I went onto MUGSI and SOLAR at 7:45 in the morning to get ready to move my timetable around. At 8:00 am the undergraduate course selection was still unavailable (contrary to the way it should have been according to McMaster university). At around 8:35 am, I succeeded in entering the now available course selection only to be stopped by a technical problem at the Financial Offices which read the last date the payment agreement was confirmed instead of the first.

I then had to wait until 9:00 for the registrar's office to open to inquire about this because the student liaison office had no answer. Then I was directed to the Financial Office which openned at 11:00 am. After talking with them I checked SOLAr for the next hour to see whether the manager had fixed the date problem with the payment agreement.

Although I managed to move around almost everything I wanted, I am appalled with the registration system put in place by McMaster University. Beside the technical problems with a late SOLAR and Payment agreement problems, the day was stretched even more by scattered openning times at offices.

This petition is for McMaster to realize that it must improve its registration process. I and the undersgined believe that McMaster should:

- Increase server capacity for MUGSI/SOLAR either indefinitely or during registration times
- Have all needed or involved offices open at the same time registration and course selection changes are scheduled to begin, in this case, 8:00 a.m.
- Have all online services functionning at the promised times

If these changes were made, course changes, registration, and timetable conflicts could be resolved quickly and efficiently.

Please add a Thanks or post here if you agree with this petition.

Last edited by aviaf : 08-11-2008 at 12:16 PM. Reason: mispelled title :P
Old 08-11-2008 at 12:21 PM   #2
Chad
MacInsiders Founder/Admin
Chad is online now
MacInsiders Staff
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 7,120

Thanked: 1,203 Times
Liked: 1,731 Times




Hi Aviaf,

I recommend not using the MacInsiders forum, only registered members can post here. Instead, you can setup proper petitions on various websites such as here or here and link to it.
Old 08-11-2008 at 12:34 PM   #3
HeatherH
Account Disabled by User
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 273

Thanked: 10 Times
Liked: 10 Times




I agree. If you make the petition on a petition site or something, I'm sure TONS of people would sign it. I will for sure.
Old 08-11-2008 at 01:20 PM   #4
jhan523
Moderator
MacInsiders Staff
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 12,484

Thanked: 1,629 Times
Liked: 604 Times




And once you do you should post the link here.
Old 08-11-2008 at 01:55 PM   #5
ferreinm
Elite Member
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 1,218

Thanked: 176 Times
Liked: 120 Times




I understand that you're all frustrated with SOLAR. I am also irritated with it. However, you (I use the word you in the general sense and I am not directing it at anyone) need to understand that sometimes you need to be patient. Sometimes servers aren't strong enough. SOLAR isn't made to have thousands of students go on at once. Think about it, with the exception of when we choose our courses and drop them are you really on it all that much? Learn when SOLAR hours are not at their peak times and access it then. There are worse problems in the world that require petitions than not being able to access SOLAR when it's most convenient.
Old 08-11-2008 at 02:09 PM   #6
samantha__
Elite Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 418

Thanked: 74 Times
Liked: 9 Times




I agree with Nicole.. but at the same time, maybe they really need to get a new server.. I mean it's a bit ridiculous that we all need to wait while other people steal spots in classes that we want! If the problem has been persistant over the years, I think it's about time Mac started using our tuition fees for SOLAR and MUGSI, something we ALL use, over a new football field or athletic centre (Not that they're not fab ).
__________________
Samantha Asare
Honours Economics IV & Minor in Business

Old 08-11-2008 at 02:24 PM   #7
kokosas
MacInsiders Staff
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,707

Thanked: 213 Times
Liked: 23 Times




Yeah I'm with Nicole,
It's frustrating I know, but it's gotten a lot better in recent years. SOLAR, Grades, Timetables, Payment Agreements, everything used to be on one server and it was insane to get on to do anything. Consider yourself lucky.

But our tuition fees don't go into the football stadium, the atheletic center, etc, that's done through sponsorship and donations. Nor do our tuitions pay the wages of staff employees. What a lot of students don't realize is that our tuition fees don't cover half of what it actually costs to educate us. The school gets money from the government for Canadian citizen students, which is why International Students pay almost double if not more of what we do.
__________________
Sabrina Bradey
Hon. Classical History and English Language and Literature


Last edited by kokosas : 08-11-2008 at 02:27 PM.
Old 08-11-2008 at 02:43 PM   #8
davey
Elite Member
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 394

Thanked: 44 Times
Liked: 14 Times




Quote:
Originally Posted by kokosas View Post
which is why International Students pay almost double if not more of what we do.
almost triple. =]
Old 08-11-2008 at 04:26 PM   #9
kokosas
MacInsiders Staff
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,707

Thanked: 213 Times
Liked: 23 Times




You must be international dvy88?
__________________
Sabrina Bradey
Hon. Classical History and English Language and Literature

Old 08-11-2008 at 09:06 PM   #10
samantha__
Elite Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 418

Thanked: 74 Times
Liked: 9 Times




Oh thank god, I thought we paid for the Athletic Centre lol. That would be quite unfair, even though I used it quite a bit last year.
__________________
Samantha Asare
Honours Economics IV & Minor in Business

Old 08-11-2008 at 09:17 PM   #11
Leraison
Member
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 66

Thanked: 6 Times
Liked: 0 Times




I agree with Avaif. I completely understand that a massive number of students are trying to log on at one time, which would undoubtedly slow down any server, but the main problem I face is the lack of communication within McMaster. If students are having these problems, if students are EXPECTING the server to come to an abrupt halt year after year, then McMaster should be prepared to tackle these problems. Why are we directed from one individual to the next, to the next just to hear that there is nothing they can do?
Old 08-11-2008 at 09:23 PM   #12
samantha__
Elite Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 418

Thanked: 74 Times
Liked: 9 Times




Well said Leraison. Another thing I personally don't like is how they make our timetables for us.. to be honest here, it's not HARD to figure out how your timetable will look. You are given the tools to see it before you officially recieve it -- master timetable, download a Word doc that looks like a timetable (like the one we have on MacInsiders).. it's simple. If it wasn't simple, schools like Guelph wouldn't be allowing their students to do timetables themselves. If we had done our timetables ourselves, we could have had them ages ago... My friend that goes to Guelph had/made his timetable in like June.
__________________
Samantha Asare
Honours Economics IV & Minor in Business

Old 08-11-2008 at 09:30 PM   #13
kokosas
MacInsiders Staff
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,707

Thanked: 213 Times
Liked: 23 Times




Yes I would like it if they let us pick tutorials and make our own timetables instead of being slotted into the ones they have a computer generate.

And I agree that the administration doesn't seem to care often. The only thing I will say in their defence is that I can understand how you stop caring after your 30th call that day asking the same question. Part of that is probably the confusing information that is often given out, the other part is students not taking the time to read the information they're given.

I've come to accept the fact that this time of the year is crazy, I just try not to lose my cool on some poor desk clerk who's probably having a shitty day too. Although there was one time I got into it with someone at the registrar's office and told her she was incompetent. It was satisfying at the time but it didn't solve my problem, I had to call back later and hope that I got someone else.
__________________
Sabrina Bradey
Hon. Classical History and English Language and Literature

Old 08-11-2008 at 09:41 PM   #14
jhan523
Moderator
MacInsiders Staff
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 12,484

Thanked: 1,629 Times
Liked: 604 Times




Quote:
It was satisfying at the time but it didn't solve my problem, I had to call back later and hope that I got someone else.
It's probably not very funny for you, but it gives me a slight chuckle. It also raises my curiosity... Did you get the same lady?
Old 08-11-2008 at 09:47 PM   #15
kokosas
MacInsiders Staff
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,707

Thanked: 213 Times
Liked: 23 Times




Well now I look back and kind of laugh at myself. And no, I didn't get the same lady thankfully. She probably would have hung up on me. I'm not sure if she has hearing problems or what but she kept saying things that I had never talked about and I had no idea what was going on. It was when she said something about changing my registration status to part time student that I lost it on her.
__________________
Sabrina Bradey
Hon. Classical History and English Language and Literature




Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off



McMaster University News and Information, Student-run Community, with topics ranging from Student Life, Advice, News, Events, and General Help.
Notice: The views and opinions expressed in this page are strictly those of the student(s) who authored the content. The contents of this page have not been reviewed or approved by McMaster University or the MSU (McMaster Students Union). Being a student-run community, all articles and discussion posts on MacInsiders are unofficial and it is therefore always recommended that you visit the official McMaster website for the most accurate up-to-date information.

Copyright © MacInsiders.com All Rights Reserved. No content can be re-used or re-published without permission. MacInsiders is a service of Fullerton Media Inc. | Created by Chad
Originally Powered by vBulletin®, Copyright © 2019 MH Sub I, LLC dba vBulletin. All rights reserved. | Privacy | Terms