Carrie Burke, psychology sophomore, has never used a seat card before this semester. Little did she realize that the pink slip would be her key into the course.

Changes came about in response to Student Success Summit suggestions that the university should consider eliminating the use of seat cards entirely.

In a letter sent on Sept. 3 by Kathy Gros, director of student records and registration services, changes were outlined.

Gros said Loyola faculty and staff have changed the waitlist and seat card process in order to make the system more efficient.

“In past years we would have at least 150-200 seat cards. This fall semester it was around 75,” Gros said in her Sept. 3 email.”While I realize that we cannot eliminate those new seat cards, we can make improvements on the way we handle the wait list and these cards.”

The greatest impact on students may be seen in the way faculty chooses to use seat cards, Gros said.

The new change suggests faculty only issue new seat cards to students under extenuating circumstances. The student’s extenuating circumstances should then be verified by the faculty member, student’s adviser or department chairman or chairwoman, Gros said.

Stephanie Magid, biology sophomore, said she has used seat cards in the past for required classes to graduate.

“If you’re a senior or junior, you can’t mess around. And I needed the classes,” Magid said.

Old Testament as Literature is an example of a course that is not offered on a regular basis.

“It is only offered in the fall by one teacher so I lined up a seat card just in case I needed to get official,” Tom Gillis, religious studies senior, said.

The new changes allowed for the process to be fairer for students, many of whom had been on the waitlist since registration last spring, Gros said.

“In previous semesters, students would be on the waitlist for a very long time waiting for someone to drop the course. We processed all of the waitlisted students through (…) then processed the new seat cards which eliminated the problem,” Gros said.

Gros said students and faculty seem to have adjusted smoothly to the new changes, and are now getting into the rhythm of a regular class schedule.

Burke said she believes the new system benefitted her class schedule.

“I was placed on the waitlist and was enrolled by the end of the week, the new system is definitely a more fair way to ensure students get placed into the courses they need,” Burke said.

Lauren Patton can be reached at [email protected]