GCC computer problems on the mend

NORTHEAST GLENDALE — Computer glitches that had been complicating student enrollment at Glendale Community College are beginning to subside, students and officials said.

After a rocky start to PeopleSoft, a new enrollment and student registration computer program, campus officials and contractors are on a better track to a smooth start for fall semester than they anticipated last month, said Ricardo Perez, vice president of student services.

“We’ve been resolving issues as they come through,” Perez said. “I bump into people who work in admissions or wherever and they say it’s working. It’s a lot of communication and collaboration.”

At the same time, college officials resurrected a decades-dormant student services program that amounts to a one-stop shop for enrollment, tuition, counseling and orientation in a central area of campus.

“It’s almost like a hybrid one-stop service area,” he said. “A student could go there, they see a counselor, and they can jump to the next building and register for classes, and pay their fees. At the same time, they can go through group advising, or if they need assistance to search for classes, we have an outreach team to help them.”

Fewer students have reported problems, and the new services area provides troubleshooting, said Janet Shamilian, the student trustee.

“The counselors basically call you one by one, and it’s more accessible to the students and faculty as well,” she said. “If there’s a glitch in the system, they can help with your classes and help you register. A lot of students are benefitting from it because it’s right there [in the center of campus], and it’s not so compressed and compact.

“It’s going really well.”

Computer problems began last spring, when students reported error messages or unexpected registration delays. It was a setback that college officials said needed solving before the heat of fall registration.

Classes begin Aug. 30.

“We’re trying to maximize our resources by centralizing key services this summer,” Perez said. “We’re all rolling up our sleeves because the pace is going to pick up.”