Registration policy proposal affects UNC student athletes

A proposed change in the registration procedure for freshmen at orientation has some administrators worried it will prevent student athletes from being able to register for the right courses.

Members of the Student-Athlete Academic Initiatives Working Group met Monday to discuss, among other things, a change which would require freshmen to register for all of their courses online before coming to orientation. The working group, which is led by Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Jim Dean, is examining all UNC processes related to athletics.

Some group members are worried this will limit the amount of one-on-one time athletes have with their advisers before registering — which member Deborah Clarke said they need.

“(The proposal is) assuming students can intuitively pick those skills up, and the assumption is that students have access to a computer,” she said.

Sociology professor Andrew Perrin said athletes normally receive the highest priority during registration due to their practice scheduling needs. Perrin once served on the Priority Registration Advisory Committee, the group that determines which students receive the earliest registration times.

Perrin said typically there is a quota of about 15 percent of priority students that can be in a course.

“Sections can’t fill up with students through the priority registration process,” he said.

The group also explored issues surrounding financial aid for student athletes. Athletic Director Bubba Cunningham said he wants to see additional aid for athletes that attend summer school, because it could increase the four-year graduation rate.

Cunningham also said the rules for applying for aid, such as signing a letter of intent, are strict and do not allow athletes to transfer easily.

“Everything’s predicated on admission to the institution,” he said. “When you sign a national letter of intent, you’re bound to the institution.”

The group also continued its discussion of admissions standards for athletes from its Nov. 4 meeting.

Dean said there is a clear learning gap between certain student athletes and the rest of UNC’s population.

“I think we all accept that we are taking some risks with student athletes,” he said.

Vice Provost for Enrollment and Undergraduate Admissions Steve Farmer said there are currently 100 readmitted former student athletes who did not finish their degree when they were originally enrolled.

“After all that a student’s contributed, and all that a student’s paid, it’s a really small investment in the grand scheme of things to get someone to the finish line,” he said.

Perrin said he hopes the working group will be able to bridge the divide between student populations.

“If we know who these students are when they come in the door, if we know six months before, we can prevent that outcome.”

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