By Raina Burusnukul
Page Editor
The Amarillo College Advising Department is rolling out a new advising and registration software designed to simplify the course selection process and help students stay on track toward graduation.
According to Senior Director of Advising and Completion, Ernesto Olmos, the department’s adoption of the upgraded software is an exciting improvement and a significant step toward a more streamlined and simplified advising process.
“The Registration Hub is a state-of-the-art, student-centered registration and academic planning tool,” Olmos said. “It combines degree planning with real-time course scheduling to help students efficiently register for the necessary classes while staying on track toward their educational goals. It ensures students only register for courses that count toward their program, reducing wasted time and financial resources.”
The focus of this upgrade is to make the overall advising process more efficient, manageable and accessible on the student’s side of things: reducing the overall time spent on course selection and ensuring students graduate in a timely fashion.
Utilizing analytics from its database, Registration Hub identifies trends in scheduling to efficiently address barriers to student success. Additionally, the software clearly outlines how a student’s choices affect their path to graduation; showing students the consequences of changing their major or dropping a class.
Olmos said this will help students take an active role in their academic planning, providing a clearer understanding of their degree path.
“While advisers are still available for support and guidance, students can confidently explore and independently register for classes. This self-service capability reduces bottlenecks during
peak advising periods and ensures faster resolution of student needs,” he said. Associate Director of Advising Melodie Graves said the new software allows advisers to better prepare students for their goals by maximizing their time and resources at AC.
“We are always looking for ways to help take care of the processes so we can interact more and build relationships with the students, and make them more independent,” Graves said. “What happens when they transfer to another university is that the university requires them to be independent and flow on their own. So if we can equip them with the skills they need to do that, we can better ensure their success after they transfer.”
Although testing and soft-launches of the software have already begun, the new system will be fully implemented for Summer and Fall registration on April 7.
“Students can meet with Advising to learn about Registration Hub, map out their academic plan and get the greenlight approval for registration,” Olmos said.
“Once Summer and Fall registration opens, students can log into the Registration Hub to select their course preferences, such as class times and modality (online, in-person) and complete the registration process. Advisers will then monitor and approve changes, ensuring the student stays on track,” Olmos said.
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