LATE REGISTRATIONHOW LATE IS TOO LATE?

LESLIE QUINN, ED.D.REGISTRAR

JOHNSON COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE

LATE REGISTRATION AND ITS RELEVANCE

• At the heart of competing agendas: enrollment, completion, quality, student satisfaction

• Multiple stakeholders: students, faculty, community, staff

• Vulnerable populations often come late to the process: first generation, minority, underprepared, unaware, undecided

• Strong voices from leaders in higher education are calling for abolishment of late registration and assert that it is harmful to student success (Obanion, Rouche & Rouche, Crisp & Hatch)

RESEARCH ON LATE REGISTRATION

• Definition of “late registration” and “student success” varied greatly

• Mixed methods, mixed results

• Qualitative vs quantitative

• Focused primarily on differences between the outcomes of students who enrolled early or on time vs students who enrolled late

EARLY OR ON TIME REGISTRANTS

LATE REGISTRANTS

RESEARCH SUMMARY

• Most found that students who enroll early or on time have better outcomes than students who enroll late

• Confounding variables (personality traits, financial factors, first time in college, etc.)

• Faculty often perceive late-enrolling students to be disruptive to their classes and the students who were prepared on time

• Advisors have expressed strong sentiments that students who enroll late are less likely to succeed

• Qualitative studies found that students enrolling late were often unaware of the process

• What is missing in the research is a study of the effect of abolishing late registration on the population this policy change intends to help

INTERESTING STUDIES

• Maalouf (2012) – students who enrolled on time had a higher course mean than students who enrolled late

• Tompkins and Williams (2013) – registration timing not a strong predictor of success in courses

• Moon and Illingworth (2005) – behavioral measures of procrastination predictive of student academic performance

• Schwartz (2010) – colleges who had abolished late registration had a lower mean fall-to-fall retention rate (IPEDS data) than colleges who still engaged in the practice

• Fobbs (2015) – expanding enrollment period had no effect on the number of late registrants

LATE REGISTRATION STUDY AT JCCC

• Fall 2008 - Late registration was allowed for one week after classes began

• Fall 2009 – No late registration was allowed. Students had to be enrolled no later than the day before the class began.

• The study sought to determine if abolishing late registration made a difference in student academic outcomes.

• N = 5811 grades (3872 in 2008; 1939 in 2009)

• Only focused on the population of students who enrolled during the first week of each semester.

RESULTS OF STUDY

1. DID ENROLLMENT BEHAVIOR CHANGE?

Yes

• Course adds were reduced by 50%

• Enrollment was shifted to late start courses (from 21% to 64%)

• This shows the new policy was enforced and waivers by academic departments were rare

2. WAS THERE A CHANGE IN ACADEMIC OUTCOMES?

No

There were no statistically significant differences in:

• course grades

• drops without a W

• withdrawals with a W

3. WERE THERE IMPROVEMENTS FOR SPECIFIC TYPES OF STUDENTS?

First time in college (FTIC)

Continuing students

Transfer students

Students only making a schedule change

Students who were enrolling for the semester for the first time

No statistically significant difference for any group.

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Create late start course schedule options that have been coordinated among departments to afford the best opportunity for students to enroll in courses appropriate to their skill level and fit together in a coherent full-time schedule for students enrolling during the first week of the semester.

2. Create late start learning communities for students enrolling during the first week of the semester to provide additional engagement and support of these students.

3. If late registration continues to be restricted, consider only restricting enrollment for students who are new registrants for the term. Allow students who are already enrolled to make necessary schedule changes with instructor permission after classes have begun.

4. Require advising and orientation for late-enrolling students to provide a more robust understanding of college policies, a more appropriate selection of courses, and an opportunity to explore options for majors that support their career goals.

5. Provide follow up touch points with these students to check on their progress and offer information on available resources (tutoring centers, counseling, financial aid, etc.).

QUESTIONS?

The Impact of Policy Changes Restricting Late Registration in a Large Midwestern Community College

https://www.bakeru.edu/soe/dissertations-he/

Leslie Quinn, Ed. D.RegistrarJohnson County Community College913-469-2332