University Registrar Bruce Cunningham and Head of the Student Information Services and Systems Office, Kathy Pfeiffer, spoke to the Duke Student Government Wednesday about the upgraded ACES system and early problems encountered by students attempting to sign up for classes. Although they highlighted specific problems, both emphasized the success of the system for the majority of users.
Cunningham reviewed the problems encountered during the graduate, senior and junior registration windows, which included problems with the "bookbag" function and actual server failures during the beginning of each registration window.
He downplayed the number of people affected by pointing to the system's new "queuing" function, which maintains the order of students in line even when the system temporarily fails.
Several DSG senators expressed frustration with the difficulties they encountered using the ACES system to register for classes during the current registration period. Many of the juniors and seniors present confirmed the problems mentioned by the speakers or introduced other examples.
Cunningham emphasized the need for students to call the OIT help desk for help if registering is problematic and noted that not one call had been received after Monday's registration.
Senator Avery Capone said although he encountered a problem Monday, he did not call the help desk because he thought that by the time an error was fixed, he would have already been severely disadvantaged.
Pfeiffer spoke about the work her office had done over the summer to allow students to "move around the registration system a little more easily." While she said she was excited about many of the upgrades--including better course searches based on multiple requirements--she noted that her office was behind schedule in replacing all the functions of the old ACES in time for registration.
To ensure that ACES would be ready for the current registration period, Pfeiffer said the course evaluation function was given a back-seat in favor of more basic aspects of the system necessary to facilitate registration.
IN OTHER BUSINESS:
DSG approved a resolution presented by the Facilities and Athletics sub-committee on transportation to open gated parking lots, such as the Card, Biological Science and Physics lots, for seniors living off-campus. While the gates will remain down at all times in the proposal, eligible students will be able to raise them during the weekend or after 5 p.m. weekdays using their DukeCard.
The Senate also passed a resolution calling for an improved and differentiated product line in the store behind the Beanery in the McClendon Tower of the West-Edens-Link.
Senator Paige Sparkman said the location of the store benefits residents of Edens and the WEL, but currently carries only specialty items and not the "basics," like school supplies and staple food items.
DSG voted to accept the charter of the Student Advocates of the Arts, an organization started at Columbia University that is dedicated to representing the arts through education initiatives and event programming. The Senate also approved the budgets for three student groups--Generation HIV, Students to Unite Duke and Fine by Me.
DSG Vice President for Academic Affairs Avery Reaves presented a number of goals for the upcoming year, including promoting the Community Standard, improving pre-major advising and starting an American Studies program at Duke. He also outlined more specific plans, such as calling for an e-mail "spam" filter from OIT, arranging a "walk-through" of the public computer facilities to look for problems and pointing to library renovations that would most benefit students.
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