Northeast Texas Community College is gearing up for the fall semester, which begins Monday, Aug. 24. Due to issues stemming from a recent student information software conversion, online registration is currently unavailable and students will find wait times to be longer than usual.
"When a college replaces its administrative software systems, there are always challenges. Our staff is doing everything they can to ensure that each student is taken care of," Dr. Brad Johnson, NTCC President, said. "Unfortunately, the process will take longer than usual this semester. We are sorry for the frustrations, but know it is impossible for the college to move forward without going through this step."
New generation software systems are highly integrated, meaning a problem in one area may affect other aspects of a student?s enrollment. The software conversion affects financial aid, scholarships, student billing, and many other areas. Two groups of students being most affected at this time are students who enrolled last April/May and students who are applying for financial aid. The first group of students are affected because their information was imported into the new system and there are bugs to be fixed with those records. The second group are affected because of the sheer volume of students who are enrolling at the same time, placing stress on the enrollment process.
"What many people may not realize is that financial aid is essentially a federal government program. As such, the process can quickly become complex and frustrating for reasons the college does not directly control," Johnson said.
In order to avoid waiting in lines unnecessarily, students are encouraged to visit www.ntcc.edu/faq for answers to the most common issues students are experiencing. In some cases, you may be able to take care of your issue without waiting in line.
Dr. Johnson explained that he has been in correspondence with several other colleges who have undergone similar software projects. Their reports would suggest NTCC is experiencing a typical level of complications with its conversion and conditions should begin to improve soon.
"Our number one priority right now is to get students enrolled and to get financial aid processed. We apologize for the long lines and delays. We value each and every student and hope that they will be patient with us as we make this transition," Johnson said.
NTCC will be open from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Aug. 22 to assist students with finalizing registration for the Fall semester.
