In-person appointments no longer the only option
Zeina Yusuf
Contributor
Starting in September, course enrolment for first-year fine arts students will be done online, rather than in in-person enrolment appointments.
Earlier this year, Tina Pietrangelo, coordinator of administrative services at the Faculty of Fine Arts, began to work on making enrolment a less complex experience for students.
Barbara Sellers-Young, dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts, says that creating an online option in place of the course enrolment appointment was done to make access easier for students.
The change to the enrolment process is in the best interests of both incoming students and individual departments, says Lynda Tam, director of academic affairs at the Faculty of Fine Arts.
“Individual departments know beforehand how many spaces to reserve in various classes since enrolment is completed earlier,” says Tam.
She adds that some students were not able to take away critical points from the PowerPoint presentations given at the in-person enrolment sessions.
“What we realized is that not all students are visual learners; some [students] would forget important tips. Going online allows them to revisit information and highlights critical resources for students,” says Tam.
Usually, students enrolling in June would have a wider course selection than those enrolling at the end of July and online enrolment eliminates this disadvantage, Tam says.
With the help of Fine Arts Students Ambassadors and Mentors (FASAMs), five instructional videos were created to make online enrolment easier for new students.
Along with support via email and phone, the Faculty has set up an e-chat hosted by FASAMs every day of the week for students who have questions during the enrolment process.
Sellers-Young says that there are still many avenues for students to meet face-to-face with an advisor or student mentor.
Pietrangelo says next year, she is determined to begin the enrolment process even earlier.
“We were well ahead of the university curve in terms of enrolling students this year, but we would like to start even earlier next year, and it is possible,” says Pietrangelo.
