Spring Break
SJSU hangs up on enrolling via phone
Michelle Ochoa
Special to the Daily
- Page 1 of 1
The Interactive Voice Response telephone registration system is being closed down because of cost, lack of overall use and because the PeopleSoft Internet registration system offers more features for students, said Marilyn Radisch, who works in Common Management System Project Student Administration Project Management.
"First of all, there's a cost involved with maintaining (the touchtone telephone registration) system," Radisch said.
The cost in manpower and the time it takes to keep the telephone registration system current with the Internet system were factors considered, Radisch said. Every time an update was made within the database used for registration it had to be carried over to the telephone registration system, she said.
"Only about 3 percent of the students use it exclusively," Radisch said. She also said only 5 percent of the total registration comes from these students.
"(Interactive Voice Response) can only handle a small amount of the information we make available to students via the MySJSU portal," Radisch said in a prepared statement. "We want to encourage students to check the portal regularly, especially now that faculty and staff will be able to leave messages for them online."
Radisch was referring to the new feature that will be added to which would allow students to send and receive messages between faculty and staff directly through MySJSU.
Another feature that will be available is general education progress tracking, Radisch said. Current features include financial aid information and grades from previous semesters, she said. Students said they had mixed reactions to the telephone system's closing.
"I would stick with the Internet," said Sam Ghebru, a graduate physics major. "Computers are everywhere, Internet access is everywhere now." Rozina Kifle, a senior industrial technology major said both the PeopleSoft and the phone system had their advantages.
"I think (the Internet system is) faster," Kifl e said."If you're not at home, touchtone is easier."
Other students see no problem with eliminating the telephone system.
"I find it to be easier," said Daniel Cuellar.
Cuellar also said he had problems at first with the PeopleSoft registration system.
"At first I didn't like (Internet registration) because it was kind of complicated," Cuellar said. However, he said he has been using Internet registration exclusively since it became available.
"There are a lot of other things you can see," said Cuellar about the advantages of the Internet system.
"I didn't know there was (a telephone system)," said Tristan McHenry, a freshman industrial design major. He said he uses the Internet because it's more convenient.
Katie Voegtle, a freshman environmental studies
major, said she believes the Internet system is
good. She said she never used the telephone system
and did not see a major problem with its closing.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
anonymous852
anonymous852
posted 12/08/04 @ 12:05 AM PST
The telephone system takes too long; thus, many would rather use the Internet system. I think the reason why only a very small percentage of students use the telephone system is because they don't have Internet access or barely do. (Continued…)
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