Groups: Low funds fault of new system

During the days of walk-in paper registration, when students convened in one location to register for classes, student groups could easily promote their organizations to registering students by lobbying around that location. With today's computerized registration program, which students can complete from home, these groups do not have the same promotion ability they once had. \nInability to sufficiently promote their organizations might be why some of these groups are now suffering from decreases in students checking their boxes in the optional selections list. However, many of these groups, including the Arbutus Yearbook and the IU Student Association Rape Crisis Fund, claim the logistics of the program hinder the check-offs, and the results shouldn't be attributed to a lack of promotion. If fewer than 10 percent of the student body check the boxes, they can be removed from the system. \nPrior to the installment of PeopleSoft for registration in fall 2004, students had to indicate "yes" or "no" to each optional selection before completing registration. Now the program requires students to check each box they wish to contribute to and click "save \nselections" before clicking "continue" and finishing registration.\nDave Adams, director of IU student media, said students might not always check the boxes or indicate "save selection" because they think PeopleSoft is already difficult and time-consuming. \nAdams said he thinks the new registration program is the cause of the decrease in Arbutus Yearbook sales. \n"We pretty consistently had 3,000 sales ... two-thirds (came) from optional selections," he said. "Nearly 40 percent of Arbutus' budget vanished because of (the program)."\nIU Student Association President Alex Shortle said the current registration program arrangement has also hurt the Rape Crisis Fund. Since less than 10 percent of students checked the program's box, it is in danger of being removed from the process. \nHowever, IU Registrar Roland A. Coté said the new registration program is not actually hurting these organizations. Coté said in an e-mail that the greatest decline in check-offs occurred between fall 2002 and fall 2003, before PeopleSoft's implementation.\n"In fall '04, the decline was less severe," he said. "In fact, there was a significant increase in students checking off IU Dance Marathon (which increased by 76 percent). In fall '05, there was a significant increase in the football check-off, while others declined, with the except of the Rape Crisis Fund (which had no change)."\nShortle said the fact that the IUSA Rape Crisis Fund box received no change in its check-offs from fall '03 to fall '04, indicates "that support hasn't decreased, but the switch (to PeopleSoft) had a huge affect on check-offs."\nCoté added that the registration program has not changed much since the removal of INSITE.\n"The optional selections page is presented in the same relative location within the registration process," he said. "In fact, the page also looks very similar to the way it appeared when we registered through INSITE."\nDean of Students Richard McKaig said there needs to be further discussion to decide if the registration process should be modified.\n"I think there are conversations within the pockets that relate to the specific fees," he said.\nMcKaig also said University Information Technology Services acknowledged that technology can be adjusted in any way desirable, and that UITS has people looking into changing the program.\nHowever, Julie Wernert, communications specialist for the Office of the Vice President for Information Technology, said the optional selection organizations are not facing technological issues.\n"We stand behind what Roland Coté has indicated," she said. "This is not a technology issue. We will continue to work with registration to affect the changes that are required."\nSteve Veldkamp, assistant dean of students, said while the program might be confusing, the organizations that receive more check-offs are the ones that are promoting their organizations better.\n"While the new system might be a bit more challenging for students to access, it appears that student interest (is) still driving the check-off system," he said. "Marketing looks like the main factor in who is receiving more responses."\nIU Dance Marathon President Josh Wendahl said he has noticed that fewer people are checking the IUDM box, but he did not know the IUDM numbers at this time. He also said Dance Marathon makes a conscious effort to publicize its box.\n"When people register, we try to promote that 'check my box,' so people look for it," he said.\nShortle said he plans to take a look at what other organizations have done to promote their boxes before ruling out removal from the system altogether.\nBut he said in an e-mail that although he does not attribute the entire problem to PeopleSoft, he does think something can be done about the registration process.\nShortle said he would like to see all the boxes checked, forcing students to uncheck the boxes they don't want.\nMcKaig agreed that the program could be changed.\n"I think I'd like to see a system where, at least once, (students) make a decision on each fee," he said.