Here I am, registering as a special student in a creative writing course, summer session. I have an existing three-year BA from Carleton, having graduated in 2004. I first started courses in the mid 1970s, so my original student number is an “historic” one – it didn’t start with 100. A few years ago, my number was challenged in the registration office because “there weren’t enough digits.” That’s a euphemism for “you’re old.”
I start by parking near the Robertson building, wrongly thinking that I could register for my course like in the old days, when it was the administration building. I was informed that registration for me was at the Tory Building (I’m thinking “Huh, Biology?”), but OK, it makes some sense to move the work more centrally.
The helpful folks at Tory begin the process, realizing that what I need to do is re-activate my existing student number. This takes a little while because we have to work through the complications of me being a graduate setting up for special student status. But it doesn’t take long. Almost too easy.
So, re-activated ID in hand, I try to log into Carleton Central from the (get this!) computer in the admissions office in the Tory Building. Can’t do it. I need an officialMyCarleton e-mail account authorized by Carleton first. I can register at home without it, but not at the Carleton admissions office!
Suggestion here from the Admissions folks is to run down to the library and get them to get me online status there. OK, but let me get my Carleton U multipurpose card first (you know, the one for buying stuff, photocopying and so on.) I am told to go over to the UniCentre for that, so off I go.
I line up for my card, get up to the counter. Sorry sir, you need to register for a course before we can issue you a card. That makes some sense. After all, why would a student without a course want to buy something on campus or photocopy something in the library? You need to go to the library for this, he indicates.
Things are pointing consistently to the library. If you want to register at Carleton, you go to the library. OK, got it. So I wander into the library and am pointed to the IT desk.
I let them know what I need to do. I need computer access so I can get into Carleton Central so I can register for a course —yes, I know I can do this from home, I tell them, but heck, why not just register at the university itself, just for fun? And besides, heaven forbid, what if there were unforeseen complications?
The young fellow says he can give me a temporary “day access” username and password to “get in” and then do my thing. But, silly me, I say: Well I noticed other people got in without a temporary user ID, so it must be possible to get a real ID, without it being only for the day?
He calls over one of the senior guys. This new guy says I should be able to get in with a “newuser” ID, as instructed on the homepage there on the monitor. So we try that, and wait and wait and wait. We get in, but then a screen comes up and says I’m logged out. The IT guys figure maybe it’s the wireless access, too slow, time expired kind of thing. So I move over to the wired computers, try the same thing, wait some more, same problem.
“Oh, I bet you can only use the ‘newuser’ access name for fall sessions.” Yep, that’s probably it, and the other guy agrees. “We should change that.” (So at least I’ve contributed to a solution here. I’m thinking and feeling it’s all been worth it. I’m even feeling like a guinea pig, a beta tester, hell: a Troubleshooter!)
OK, I say, then give me the single-day access userID and password; I’ll try that, as you guys suggested the first time. Bingo, I’m into Carleton Central. Can’t find the registration page, just some odd screen images of all the hard drives on this computer sitting inside the Carleton template. Weird. But the IT guy shows me where to find the registration link (definitely not self-evident). He agrees with me that these pages are not very well set up.
I’m feeling a little excited now, the end being near. I type in the course number. The course appears, but, but, but … I can’t register because my student number hasn’t been given the go-ahead by the instructor yet. OK, maybe an honest mistake somewhere in the loop. I had received access to the course by e-mail from him. Is it possible that my student ID number, the historical one, didn’t work, or he forgot to enter my ID? Who knows? Fascinating question, but my parking time is about to expire, and I’m out of there to avoid the $30 ticket.
So I’m back home and while I’m waiting for further confirmation from the instructor that my ID has been fed into the system, I start to get prepared to register.
When I (finally) find the registration page for summer 2009, I’m informed that I should follow the four-step program, starting here: http://www.carleton.ca/summer/registration/step1.htm. The page instructs me to “Begin by clicking on STEP 1.” But this is step 1, and there is no “step 1” to now click.
I’m looking through the steps again, and see that none actually moves you through registration. Rather, they tell you HOW to register. I want to “DO” registration, not learn how.
Next day, I get a friendly e-mail from the Registrar’s Office, offering the actual URL for the login page. Now it seems we’re on the right track. I can get in directly (something I had eventually figured out for myself after a few hours work), but my course is still in such a state that I cannot register for it (it still needs “permission”).
So I go through the ropes online and send a “please release me” note internally to the registration folks through the Carleton template, indicating that I’ve done everything right that I know of, but the course still appears inaccessible to me.
I get a friendly e-mail back from some new guy who writes “Hello Robin, I have been unable to lift the restriction in ENGL 3502 that will enable you to register because the system does not recognize you as a student. Would you please contact the Registrar's Office to find out why this error is happening? Thank you.”
OK, the Registrar’s Office should be able to help me. I know these guys, we’ve met, bosom buddies almost. But first, I send an e-mail back to the new guy because he had the course wrong. After this progress, we wouldn’t want him to release me into the WRONG COURSE, would we? I clarify. He notes a slip of the pen. We’re back on track.
I send an email to the Registrar’s Office asking them to figure out why they have me as a person and an ID, but not as an official student. I bet it’s because I HAVEN’T BEEN ABLE TO REGISTER IN A COURSE! So, I guess I can’t register for the course because I’m not registered as an official student because I’m not registered in a course. Just a second, now . . . isn’t that called a circular argument or a solipsism or something?
At any rate, the Registrar’s Office gets back (quickly I must admit). She says, and I think with some regret:
“I am unable to retrieve your personal student account details because of the origin of your e-mail. In accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA), we cannot respond to e-mail requests unless they are sent from yourMyCarleton (@connect) e-mail account. Please re-send your request, along with your student number, through your MyCarleton account. If you do not have a MyCarleton account, you can call us during our working hours . . . ”
So I phone the registrar folks, get on to another friendly voice. She figures the problem is that the department hasn’t released the course to me yet. That should happen soon, just be patient. The oceans will open up and the sun will shine. I await their authority, transfixed.
Meanwhile, I ask her if I can get an internal e-mail account at Carleton, so that next time I can email them properly without violating the PRIVACY ACT. She gives me the URL: portal.carleton.ca. I go there, put in my student ID and password, hit enter (it’s a PC), and wait, and wait, and wait . . . message across the screen reads: “If you need assistance, contact your system administrator.”
No chance. I’ll just keep watching the screen.
Thankfully, the course I’m applying for is a creative writing workshop, and all life events are fodder for good stories. So, thank you, dear alma mater. Thanks for the fodder.
To be continued….