I have been a graduating senior at CSUN for the past three semesters. My major is biology and unfortunately, throughout my enrollment at CSUN, I have repeatedly come across a major loophole in registering for classes through the Solar system. I have come to notice, that if a transferring student from any community college is trying to register for a class that has certain pre-requisites, and those pre-requisites have been taken at a community college, the Solar system will not recognize those classes. Hence every time I have to go through the biology department either in person or over the phone during their office hours to have my pre-requisites checked and rechecked in order to be given a permission number for enrollment in that particular class. If there is an opening, but the office is closed its just tough luck for me. Although I have tried to bring this issue up on several occasions, but the matter is still unresolved.

I do understand due to the cut back in the school budget CSUN cannot afford to offer all the classes listed on their schedule, and that some classes are only appropriate for certain semesters. Still I see the need in expanding some of the classes or at least adding additional classes that meet that particular section of course-requirement. Recently I have received an e-mail from the biology department announcing they have added some new classes, but not to my surprise none of the classes offered were falling under the category of ‘Ecology and Environmental Biology.’ This means no help to me, or anyone in my position.

Once again today I faced the same old problem with registering for a certain biology class. Having checked the night before there were several openings in different classes I need to graduate. But since I couldn’t register for these classes due to the FLAW in the system, I set my alarm for 8:00 am, so I could call the biology department to get the necessary permission numbers. By the time I called the department, all but one of the classes were full again, and the one class that still had one opening did close right away, since the department was running a thorough background check, as if it was the FBI.
Anyone with half the brain would know that the glitch in online registration process can simply be solved by just inputting the data (previously taken pre-requisites at community colleges) by hand and save it there so there won’t be a recurrent problem. But why didn’t anyone think of that? I have heard enough apologies from each person in the advisement center and the biology department staff, but what good is an apology to me if I am to become a graduating senior for the fourth semester?

This complaint may or may not do any good. As a matter of fact, I am sure it will be ignored, but it’s worth a shot that maybe in the future a student with similar problems won’t have to suffer as much as I did. I’m simply tired of begging teachers to add me in their classes each and every time, not knowing for a week or two whether someone made it in the class or whether he/she has to stay another semester is agonizing and rather frustrating. I do not want sympathy; I just want what is rightfully mine.

Sincerely
Shahin Hajizadeh
biology major