The priority registration period for the Spring 2024 semester concluded last Tuesday, November 7. In the intervening period, our academic advising team has been diligently working with students to guide them through the registration process. This effort is pivotal in ensuring that students are enrolled in the appropriate courses, thereby maintaining their progress toward timely graduation.
Amidst the backdrop of our current budget constraints, the imperative to optimize our class offerings has never been more pressing. It is essential to ensure that all students are registered for their spring courses as soon as possible. This approach is not only fiscally responsible but also aligns with our commitment to delivering a robust educational experience to our student body. As such, a comprehensive review of our current registration status is now underway to assess our readiness for the upcoming semester and make any necessary adjustments.
One thousand and seven College of Journalism and Mass Communications undergraduate students are eligible to register for spring courses. As of Sunday, Nov. 12, 87.7% (884) have registered for spring classes, while 12.3% (123) students have not.
By Major
Journalism has the highest registration rate, with 95.2% (268) students registered and 4.7% (6) students not registered. Sports media and communication has the lowest registration rate, with 83.5% (268) registered and 16.5% (53) not registered.
Students are counted by primary major.
By Year
Seniors registered at the highest rate, with 92% (219) registered and 8% (19) not registered. Sophomores registered at the lowest rate, with 85% (202) registered and 15% (36) not registered.
Unregistered Students
There are currently 123 eligible students who have not registered for spring. Sixty of those students have no hold on their student account and can register now. These students will be the top priority for unenrolled outreach by our academic advisors starting next week.
For those students who have a financial hold (Student Account>$200 Delinquent) the average amount they currently owe the university is $5,428. The smallest amount is $562, and the largest amount is $16,647.
Students who are unregistered have a lower average term attempted hours. This means that, on average, these students enrolled fewer credit hours during the fall 2023 semester than students who have registered. The average term attempted hours for registered students is 14.1, while the average for unregistered students is 12.
Additionally, the average cumulative GPA for unregistered students, 2.47, is lower than the average cumulative GPA for registered students, 3.28.
Admission Type
How a student is originally admitted to the university can provide us with some additional insight into the probability of their enrollment in future semesters. The admission types included below are self-explanatory.
Students who are admitted as international exchange students, international transfer students and visiting students have the highest rate of registration at 100%. This isn’t surprising given the type and low numbers of students in these categories. Of those students who are admitted as freshmen, those who are international students (90.6%, 11) and those who are admitted with some college credit (90.16%/339) are more likely to register than traditional freshmen, who are admitted without credit (88.8%/430).
For students who are readmitted, those who left the university of their own volition without being dismissed (57.4%, 8) are less likely to enroll than those admitted as freshmen but more likely to enroll than those who are readmitted after dismissal (0%).
Transfer students (81.5%, 84) are also less likely to enroll than traditional freshmen.
In future semesters, examining students' term attempted hours, cumulative GPA and admission type can help us target proactive outreach to students and increase the proportion of these student groups that enroll.
Unenrolled Outreach
Beginning this week, our academic advising team will begin outreach to unenrolled students. Each student will be contacted a minimum of three times to provide assistance with spring registration. Students without a current registration hold will be contacted first, followed by students with larger barriers to enrollment. Advisors will also track successful enrollment and document reasons students choose not to enroll and/or leave the university. This information will also provide insight into actions we can take in the future to maximize enrollment and retention.