Pictured Above: Schedule planner was formerly an integral part of USF students’ preparation for upcoming semesters.
Courtesy of USF
By Edyn Gottlieb
As students prepared to register for summer and fall classes, many were shocked to discover the schedule planner had disappeared.
According to USF’s website, the schedule planner gave students the ability to plan coursework for the upcoming term(s), by providing various scheduling options and the ability to block-out times for desired breaks.
These features were meant to help busy students with outside responsibilities find a schedule that works for them and allows them to succeed.
USF’s contract with schedule planner ended March 31, and the renewal of the contract would have required an annual fee of over $80,000.
“After a survey of students about their registration experience in 2019, the Office of the Registrar, in consultation with academic advising representatives on our scheduler planner quarterly planning team, decided that it was in the best interests of the university to non-renew our contract, and the vice president of student success endorsed the decision to replace it,” University Registrar Catherine Mund said in an email to The Crow’s Nest.
Students were caught off guard by the sudden removal of the schedule planner and felt that, with the cost of tuition, the service should continue to be provided.
“It’s one of the worst things USF has ever done and that’s saying a lot,” USF student Taylor Burton said.
The university has no plans to replace the schedule planner and will continue to use the self-service student information system, OASIS, for class registration.
“We are targeting to implement a significant upgrade of self-service in 2022, which will provide students with an updated look and functionality enhancements on registration and other services,” Mund said. “Until then, the Office of the Registrar has created written and video tutorials on its Registration page to help students with the transition.”
