Seton Hall University students will now be able to add, change or delete their majors or minors independently through Banner, the university administrative system. Senior Associate Registrar Autumn Bucior explained the new procedure in an email.
“[Banner] routes the student’s request electronically to all of the appropriate offices for signatures. And once fully approved and processed, the student receive[s] an e-mail notification from the Office of the Registrar alerting them that their academic record has been updated,” she said.
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Photo by Kiera Alexander/Asst. Photography Editor Banner now allows students to change their major at anytime.[/caption]
According to Bucior, the Registrar office created the new procedure after the success of changing the university’s grading procedures.
“The implementation of that on-line tool was well received by the faculty and resulted in grade changes being processed in a more timely fashion with both the faculty member and student receiving an e-mail notification once the change had been entered into the system,” Bucior said.
Students had mixed feelings about the change in the system.
Ingrid Quintanilla, a freshman who changed her major from nursing to biochemistry, was skeptical of the idea.
“You may have students making changes frequently,” she said. “It has been done with an advisor right with you and if you’re switching majors, you see what flaws your major has and what benefits another one does. I don’t think it’s a great idea, but if no one is worried about the times someone switches their major, then I guess it’s fine. But I feel like an advisor should always be there helping students making that big step.”
Gianna Barone and Chloe Whitewater, both juniors, also found that there could be benefits, but that there were areas of concern as well.
“I would say I don’t think it’s the best idea because I would say you would want your advisor to give advice about whether it’s a good decision to have another major or minor,” Barone said.
“If you’re going to change your major and get into a different program, you need to be aware of what the criteria are for your new minor or major and the only way to really know that is if you’re sitting down in a meeting. The minor I can understand but I think with a major being in person would be more beneficial,” Whitewater said.
Karl Hendela, a mathematics major, found that the decision would be best for students who are changing their majors to one in a similar discipline.
“That’s a major decision for people to make,” he said. Sometimes changing one major to another major can be easy if it’s similar in subject area, like if I change from math to physics that would be easier than math to journalism.”
Bucior also mentioned that students can make time talking with professors more worthwhile with the new program.
“It eliminates the need for department chairs and program directors to fill out paperwork,” she said. When those individuals meet with students potentially interested in joining their programs they can instead focus their time discussing the course requirements or how this major/minor fits into the student’s plans for the future.”
Kaitlyn Quinn can be reached at kaitlyn.quinn@student.shu.edu.
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