Some fortunate souls will never experience the agony. They will be spared the long lines, the endless hours of waiting, the chagrin of being “closed out.”
The students of Engineering and the few who managed to follow their flowcharts will never share in our despair. But they are the select few, the minority, a rarity of the La Sallite breed, if you will.
Enrollment. The La Sallite shrinks at its mention. Why?
A Brief Background
Exhaustive research yielded few results. Memories of the computerized system’s infancy are scarce and far-in-between.
According to College of Computer Studies Associate Dean Remedios Bulos, the man responsible for the core of the system is a certain Ver, now in Saudi Arabia (perhaps hiding from the ire of furious students). The program was written in COBOL (Common Business Oriented Language), the fading business language standard, using the infamous PDP-11. Representative of the height of computer technology in the sixties, the defanged number cruncher is not exactly your super-computer.
The system was implemented in 1981. Its functions were modified every term as deemed by the Enrollment Committee. With its multi-sectoral representation of administrators, students, and registrar staffers, the body is supposed to be the conduit of complaints, favorable or otherwise.
The complaints, University Registrar Roberto Borromeo assured us, are in no great shortage.
A Cacophony of Complaints
Enrollment, being one of the more dreaded trappings of La Sallian life, has gained a sour reputation. Every student seems to have a spiteful word or two about the system.
Gonzalo “Jiggs” Galang, former La Sallian sports editor and a veteran of eight enrollment periods, finds many points amiss. “Not in discrimination to lowerclassmen, upperclassmen should enroll ahead; it is them who have less options in case some classes are closed.”
He adds, “There is so much red tape! For instance, I don’t think it’s convenient to come here one day to get your PEF (pre-enrollment form) and verify the next day.”
Another, who requested anonymity, said in disgust: “It just escapes me—there are 20 terminals in (the) Benilde Computer Services Center, yet only five or so are used during enrollment.”
In defense, Borromeo said that they can only use a maximum of six terminals since any more would only bog down the computer, to the detriment of all enrollees.
With deference, a Computer Science major familiar with the PDP-11 states that an additional terminal or two would not present any problem, processing speedwise.
“Ay naku, napakagulo talaga. Isang linggo na ako nakapila, hindi pa rin ako enrolled,” said Illie Germanil, a Commerce junior.
Bernardo Madrasto described it in a word: “Yuck!”
The May 1987 Delay
“It only happened this term. Maybe there was something wrong with our projections. The students were insisting on accommodation. They, too, contributed to the delay.”
The last enrollment period was especially notorious among the students, more so with the upperclassmen. One of the longest, the whole period spanned nearly three weeks, from May 15 to June 3.
The enrollment preceding this term was comparably smoother. “The lines at the Registrar’s then were manageable. The problem was with the Cashier’s office,” Borromeo added.
After realizing the need to improve the “cashiering function,” they endeavored to modify the system.
Yes, the lines were now shorter at the Accounting Office, many will concede to that. However, it seems that the lines at the Registrar’s office have lengthened.
Primarily, the fault was the students’. “They were persistently haggling for accommodation which was meant only for graduating students,” is how Borromeo sees it.
Also, there was no pre-enrollment prior to the enrollment proper. As to why, Borromeo offered no explanation.
Now What?
Surely, there would be a new round of system modifications. Policies will be reviewed and another set of standard operating procedures will be issued.
Borromeo’s only appeal to would-be enrollees is that they acquaint themselves with the enrollment procedures. He says that a sizable amount is allocated every term for the purpose of information dissemination alone.
A word of warning, though. Starting next term, class accommodation would definitely be limited to students graduating that term so as not to delay them any further. The forty-student limit will be inviolable. Borromeo said that no amount of haggling will dissuade the registrar from reconsidering. Of course, exceptional cases will be entertained. The trouble is, when enrollment time comes, everyone thinks that this is an exceptional case.
This article was published in The LaSallian‘s Archives 2024 special. To read more, visit bit.ly/TLSArchivesSpecial2024.
