Students will get their first look next week at a new registration system for Fall 2025 when the course schedule goes live on Monday, April 21.

The system is part of a new student portal that will combine class registration, financial aid awards and other self-service tools, as the Chronicle previously reported. 

We are eager to see the new system and to test whether it’s easier to build a schedule through the shopping cart feature. While a mobile application won’t be ready until the fall, we also are looking forward to seeing if that is accessible and easy to use. 

The changes to registration are long overdue. 

Students have complained for years about the registration system, which has been plagued by technical issues. 

We still aren’t clear whether the new system will help students who need classes to graduate. Registrar Ruben Picazo said the new system will allow the college to create levels of prioritization. But that won’t be in place for fall semester registration. So there still may be some challenges for graduating seniors.

Under the current system, popular courses can fill quickly, and students who need them for their major aren’t always prioritized, although it varies by school. Instead, prioritization is really based on your registration time, meaning that students with the most credits, usually seniors, can grab classes first.

Because the new Columbia student portal is being rolled out in phases, students also won’t automatically see how their registration impacts their advising guide because that will remain on the old system. 

We will be waiting anxiously for the portal to be in place entirely so we can test how it works and offer feedback.

After a year of challenges, including faculty who were laid off and programs that have been cut, the college needs a win. Let’s hope this delivers one.

Copy edited by Patience Hurston