Karen LazzariDr. R. PinderEnglish 10221 June 2018Significant Changes at UCCIThe registration process at UCCI for adult employed students is a constant struggle at the beginning of each school year. For this reason I can confidently state that UCCI must improve in the areas of registration, online payments for convenience, and unaccredited pre-requisites in order to meet the needs of adult employed students.
Imagine having to work all day and then having to drive through traffic to the University campus, before closing time, only to have to choose a number and then waiting for a long period (it could take up to a couple hours) in order to go through all the different booths for this process to be completed. Even though it is a hassle, this option seems to be the only one that is currently available at the university. There are students who even have to take off a vacation day from work to attend to this matter.
These issues are a source of aggravation and diminish student satisfaction. According to Victoria and Aylin, both are students at UCCI, they have been faced with this challenge of long lines and waiting periods “it took around five hours to complete the registration process” they both stated. The registration process at UCCI at the beginning of the school year can use some major improvements. Currently, the process is very tiring and time consuming. The system is not logically designed.
Hundreds of students have to take a number and wait in long lines to go through the various booths in order to register for the semester. There is long waiting periods for each booth. It is very inconvenient for students with jobs, as they usually have to take off the day from work to attend to registration needs.
One possible solution is online registration. This will be more efficient in that it will alleviate the burdens from the UCCI personnel as students can easily register from home or work. Another suggestion is that the Dual Enrolment students should be registered on a separate day. You may ask, “What if a student does not have access to a computer at home?” The local or campus libraries are always accessible to the public. The UCCI library, in particular is open on weekends for the convenience of students who do not have access to Internet and a computer at home, or do not have time during the week.
The other option is that the university can continue providing both the current services and the Internet services for students having access to the Internet. This is a favorable situation for all who are interested in pursuing an education.The fees for Caymanians and Qualified residents are very reasonable per semester. The cost varies based on the degree program of study.
This information can be obtained on the campus website (http://www.ucci.edu.ky/admissions/tuition.shtml). The students have the options to pay in installments if they are unable to pay in full. This allows the opportunity for all Caymanians wishing to pursue a higher education to be able to afford it. Therefore, if students truly want to develop and improve their situation in life, they have the avenue to do so.
Presently, students have to go on the campus to pay for the fees or fill out paperwork in order to use their debit cards to have the funds withdrawn on a monthly basis from their account. All this process could be avoided with online payments. What about the fees for non-Caymanians? Considering that education is very expensive, the fees are very reasonable and they have the option of studying a chosen career with a payment plan that is affordable without having to travel overseas. They too, like the locals can make their dreams become a reality by working in the day to make a living, and studying at night, pursuing a degree to become more marketable in the business world.
In regards to entrance requirements, it is very disappointing that students have to do an entire semester of English and Math 99 without receiving any credits for them, yet they pay the full payments for these classes. I feel like this is a waste of time and money without any credits given towards the degree pursued. An option is that students either sit a challenge exam or they continue with the pre-requisite required by the university; but credits be given towards their degree program. The time that is invested in these pre-requisites can be used to work entirely on a degree, reason being is that the majority of applicants that require the pre-requisites are adult workers that are already developing in the professional world and want to advance their education, so doing these courses bring on additional expense, stress, and pressure that could be taken into consideration. Considering all of the above points, and after reading an article written in the Cayman Compass in connection with UCCI making steps to offer US University courses “Technology makes partnership possible”1 in the article some statements are used to highlight the effectiveness of using technology as a means of innovation in the educational process, this article was written in 2015 and in the article UCCI President Roy Bodden, called the partnership a “historic moment”. This moment as we see today at UCCI is still not complete and effective when it comes to enrolment and the limitations that we experience for not being able to effectively integrate technology in the registration process through online payments. “This is the future,” he said.
“The use of technology is evolving in education to the point where you can sit in the comfort of your kitchen or your living room and get a world-class education.”This is also an experience that the working students are longing for in regards to the enrolment process. The ideal for the society we live in is that we spend less time in long lines and useless waiting periods by integrating processes that are time efficient and that provide a secure and efficient service.
Mr. Bodden also stated that “Technology is bringing accessibility which was hitherto not available.” This he stated in 2015, and I can safely say that such accessibility is still not available.Sources:UCCI studentshttp://www.ucci.edu.ky/admissions/tuition.shtmlwww.caymancompass.com/2015/11/03/UCCI-to-offer-US-university-courses
