The recent delay in spring registration has left Howard students grappling with complex reactions. Although no formal announcement has been made yet, administrators said that modifications are underway to address the campus’ evolving needs.
Spring registration was originally scheduled to begin the week of Oct. 28. However, many students have received messages from their advisors explaining that registration has been pushed back.
Oliver B. Street III, the associate vice president of enrollment management, said there is an expected outline to share information directly.
“Our plan is to send communication out either today [Oct. 25] or tomorrow [Oct. 26],” he said. “Explaining the modifications to the academic calendar.”
He encouraged students and faculty to “consult about evolving situations on a regular basis.”
“The academic calendar always has updates that are made to accommodate evolving situations at the university,” he said.
The Hilltop reached out to the student affairs director at the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Bradley S. Green, the College of Arts and Sciences student affairs office and the Office of the Registrar. They all declined to make a statement until an official address from the university is made.
The delay in registration has sparked mixed responses among students, with opinions ranging from positivity to frustration. Some students were aware of the delay, while those uninformed expressed greater disappointment.
Students like Matthew Mead, a freshman finance major from Houston, said it is vital for Howard to be consistent with the timelines they announce.
Mead sees both a silver lining and a disheartening reality – extra time to seek advising, yet another instance of administrative promises slipping through the cracks.
“I think [the delay] is more positive for me,” he said. “It gives me more time to get advising, but on the flip side, I think it’s very unprofessional.”
Other students, however, find the delay to be a poor representation of the university.
Jazmine Sawyer, a sophomore elementary education major from Newark, New Jersey, expressed a letdown by the lack of timely action from those in leadership positions.
“I want for this school to be a place that I can look up to,” she said. “But when I look and see people like me in positions of power, nothing ever gets done on time.”
Sawyer communicated the need for improvement in institutional processes to fulfill the expectations of students and to uphold the university’s reputation.
“Why would you think this was acceptable?” She said. “For this to be ‘the’ Howard University and all these delays, I shouldn’t be advocating for myself the way that I am, as much as I am.”
Although the delay sparked disappointment from some students, such as sophomore finance major Christopher Cowell from Roselle, New Jersey, have taken this opportunity as additional time to better prepare for the following semester.
“I think it’s helpful because it gives students time to get their classes together and really prioritize how they want to spend their next semester. I think it makes sense,” he said.
Students are encouraged by the Office of Enrollment Management to be patient as they await further information regarding the delay in spring registration and administrators’ communication about it.
Copy edited by Camiryn Stepteau
