Registration reopens following system error

Fall schedules were restored yesterday for Kent State students who had their registration cancelled last week.

An email was sent out Thursday evening to more than 9,000 students—including undergraduates, graduates and Ph. D.s enrolled at the main and regional campuses—stating their class schedules for the upcoming fall semester had been cancelled due to insufficient registration payments.

A system error caused the original registration deadline of Aug. 18 to be pushed up nearly a week.

Students who had an outstanding balance of $750 or more with the university as of Aug. 11 received the course cancellation email, according to Eric Mansfield, executive director of media relations at Kent State.

The email detailed that students had until Aug. 12 to pay their outstanding balance before they would accumulate fines.

In total, less than 25 percent of the student body was affected by the error, Mansfield said.

The university’s communications and marketing department emailed those students affected Monday evening, announcing the restoration of class registration, as well as an apology for any stress and inconvenience that resulted.

Registration reopened Tuesday afternoon, after staff members spent the weekend correcting the error and restoring all previously cancelled course schedules.

On social media over the weekend and through the beginning of the week, students and parents voiced concerns for the status of classes, scholarships and grants awarded for the fall semester.

In response to concerns, the university responded directly to comments made on its Facebook page, advising individuals to contact the Bursar’s Office by phone or email.

The university clarified in the notification sent out Monday that “the course cancellation was not related to and did not impact financial aid or any other services such as residence hall fees or dining plans.” 

The registration deadline to submit payments for the fall semester before penalties incur has now been pushed to Sunday, Aug. 21.

Contact Alex Delaney-Gesing at [email protected].