Business School Switches to Online Advising System

Business students are now using a new online advising system to register for classes and many do not see the benefits.

Deciding which classes to take is a headache for any student and it may be an even bigger hassle for business students now due to a new advising system.

Unlike the traditional advising system most of the schools at Ole Miss utilize, the School of Business recently implemented a new online advising system and many students are expressing concerns that it may actually hinder progress rather than help.

The OAS was put in place three years ago to allow students the option to create their own schedules without making an appointment with an advisor. Now, however, students are being required to first complete an OAS application before registration can begin. This application outlines the student’s proposed schedule and is sent to an advisor to await approval. Business school officials believed making the online advising system a requirement would alleviate wasted time and pointless face-to-face meetings. Instead they found themselves backlogged with too many OAS applications to process.

“We had a whole pile of these applications and we simply couldn’t handle it,” said Dr. Tony Ammeter, Associate Dean of the School of Business. “There was no way we could get them done in time before the first priority registration windows opened.”

Ammeter said the problem they ran into was that students weren’t familiar with the process and therefore didn’t complete their OAS applications in a time. This resulted in students facing delays when it came time for them to register.

“My window opened for me to register but I didn’t actually get to until almost a week later,” said Scott Brady, a business student. “By the time I got to register I had to be waitlisted in all the classes I needed. I still might not get in them.”

Other students are upset because they weren’t allowed to schedule an appointment with advisors until it was too late.

“I was considering changing my major,” Amber Goodwin said. She didn’t know what classes she would need or if changing was even possible. “It’s too late now. I could have done it had I known then, but classes are already full now.”

Ammeter says he believes this new system will work if they can convince the students that it’s a good thing. Getting the students motivated to turn in their applications on time might be difficult; however, Ammeter says that if they can pull it off everything will run a lot smoother.