VAN NUYS : Sign-Up Proves a Short Wait at Valley College

Thousands of continuing students registered Wednesday for fall semester classes at Los Angeles Valley College in Van Nuys, but with only a fraction of the long lines that plagued the process last semester.

Campus officials credited the use of a more accessible location for the registration, and an increase in registration by telephone. Students were also allowed to sign up for classes by mail.

“It’s really going smoothly,” said Billy Reed, associate dean of admissions and records. “We have lots of volunteers. As long as you’ve got the staff, you can do it.”

Additional course sections are being opened based upon student demand, allowing officials to accommodate nearly all students.

“They’ll definitely get the class they want, though they may not get the instructor,” Reed said.

Students appeared to appreciate the smoother registration process. Many talked in groups about the classes they signed up for, and browsed through the information tables set up for various campus organizations.

One group passed the time by organizing relay races, across the campus’s central grassy area, among students.

The fall semester runs from Aug. 21 to Dec. 21.

About 17,000 students enrolled last semester, and more than 4,000 students clogged the Fulton Avenue campus on the prior registration day.

“It’s not as wild or crazy as the last time,” said Shannon Stack, media services director.

Valley College is a two-year community college that offers more than 50 majors.