Comments on: Office of registrar back-ups are inexcusable

By: A

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 16:29:13 +0000

I’d like to know why I can’t view an unofficial copy of my transcript online for free. They expect me to purchase an official copy and open it. Ridiculous.

By: instate

instate — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 20:15:36 +0000

ECR, you are not alone. I came from a different state. I have been paying MD tax, I have a job here, rent a house here and even receive state benefits from the governor of MD such as MD food stamp, health insurance. But you know what, it’s been three semesters that they rejected to consider me an in-state student. They said the fact that I am considered as an in-state resident by the State of Maryland doesn’t relate to the status of an in-state “student.” I don’t know how they classify an in-state “resident” and “student”.

IRH, I transferred credit for SOCY 3xx from CCBC. Artsys says SOCY 3xx meets social science requirement, but UMBC catalog states that SOCY 3xx is a general elective for major. It doesn’t meet any GFR or GEP. So, I talked with the registrar’s office and it’s been more than a month now, but they haven’t given me credit for social science requirement yet.

So, for both of the above cases, I’d like to assume that UMBC has a higher authority than the state and also the University system of Maryland.

By: RAH

RAH — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 04:16:57 +0000

I’m glad you wrote this piece. Do you think this is a registrar issue or a departmental issue? So how did you hear about the class if it wasn’t on the class list? I wonder how many other ‘lost’ classes there are out there…

By: Ulrich

Ulrich — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 00:27:34 +0000

@ IRH Sometimes the number includes credits that don’t count towards the academic total (i.e. the pointless phys ed class). Maybe?

Same thing’s happened to me, only it was in the middle of the semester and fortunately only one class. I guess you could print or save a copy of the schedule, and if anything happens at least you have proof. Although, if “the system” is dropping your classes for you, I don’t know how much that would help.

FWIW, none of the staff or faculty I’ve talked to like the new system either.

By: RVB

RVB — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 19:51:42 +0000

UGH. UMBC actually “LOST” a $1,000 scholarship from my job AND my loan information, and then charged me late fees for having to re-apply for the loans (late, obviously, because i thought it was taken care of.) I visited the Financial Aid office probably eight times within two weeks trying to get everything cleared. Even after everything was paid off, they still didn’t let me register for classes until I fought with the Student business office for hours. Now I’m on the wait list for a Bio class that I need to take practically every other requirement in my program.
They’re still claiming they don’t have my AP test information, and I have a semester’s worth of credits cleared by those test scores.
I don’t know what this school’s problem is, but I’m working really hard and paying a lot to be here, and they’re just making it more difficult than it needs to be. UMBC, get your act together. Spend a little less on renovation and a little more on education.

By: IRH

IRH — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 16:34:51 +0000

How about this one…

At the beginning of the Fall semester I had 102 credits so I had signed up for 19 credits. I would have a total 121 so that I could graduate. While waiting for my grades to come out I noticed that I now had 99 credits. How can you lose 3 credits??? Anyway I wrote the registrar’s office but its been 2 weeks now and they still have not figured it out.

By: Richard

Richard — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 03:03:43 +0000

@Corey – Quick question: Did that sports writing class actually have a confirmed classroom? Because one of the reasons that a lot of classes that people think are being offered aren’t online is simply because there is no available classroom at the requested time.

@Everyone – If you have any questions/concerns with the Registrar, feel free to email them to umbcoaa@gmail.com. We are currently in active discussion with the Registrar about some of these issues, and we want to know what else is going on. If there is an issue that you think is a widespread problem (and not just a singular incident), please let us know! Let’s work together toward a solution.

By: Q

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 01:24:04 +0000

ECR,
I moved to MD when I got married a few years ago and immediately enrolled in UMBC. They told me it was pretty pointless to apply for in-state status at that point and told me I might have to wait a year. They were pretty worthless in what they told me at the time. After I had to borrow money on a private loan at the end of the semester to cover a shortfall so I could register for the next semester I found out via some higher ups in admin (after mentioning it at a transfer student dinner with Hrabowski there) that I could apply for in-state right away and explain the situation. I got the forms done and processed and paid in-state the very next semester (which was still less than a year.)

Did they even mention the in-state forms to you?

If I remember correctly they initially charged in-state and then changed it later when it came in. They do the change at the USM Regents Office down in College Park/Adelphi and then tell UMBC.

By: ECR

ECR — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 18:36:05 +0000

I recently (last semester) became an in-state resident. I rent a house here, own a car here, have a job here, pay taxes here, etc. When I went through the process of changing my address with the registrar’s office I was concerned that I would be charged out-of-state tution and wanted to know what processes were in place to prevent that from happening by mistake. Their answer? “You just have to wait and see”. So you’re telling me I have to wait to find out if you are going to charge me an extra $10,000 this semester? I think not. I STILL have my fingers crossed on this one. They need to get their act together.

By: MDDP

MDDP — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 18:07:22 +0000

On the subject of mistakes with the new system. I was registered the Fall for 9 credits. Last week started getting loan repayment notices saying I withdrew from the university on 9/1/09. Checked the NSLC via the Verification Link and sure enough the university sent notification in November that I had withdrawn. Email the Registrar and they sent a correction but I wonder how many others may have been reported incorrectly.