After a few busy weeks of advising, students are ready to begin registering on Monday, but the University has been facing problems with new record-keeping computer programs.

Students in LAS might encounter difficulties with choosing the right classes because the Degree Audit Report System (DARS), which originally intended to send reports by Oct. 18, didn't have them available until Oct. 23. DARS reports show students what requirements they have met so they can see what sorts of classes they need to take to fulfill unmet requirements.

The delay wih DARS was caused by the implementation of a new server audit system, which was used for the first time this semester, said DARS Specialist Mike Faullin.

Students will see many more changes next semester when registration for Fall 2004 classes begin.

SCT Banner, a system that will integrate student administration, financial aid, human resources and finance, has had limitations that will result in the shortening of rubrics from five characters to four characters. Faullin said since the rubrics were going to be changed, they also decided to renumber the course numbers for 8,000 courses scheduled for next fall. The new conversion will appear in the DARS audits next semester, in which old courses will also be converted to the new numbering system, Faullin said.

For the next few weeks, students might experience trouble accessing UI Direct for registration because of overload. While there is no preventing the overload, starting next semester, UI Direct, along with other campus computer programs, will transition to SCT Banner.

Students can find out their earliest time to register by viewing their Invitations to Register (ITR) at www.oar.uiuc.edu/current/grades.html.