Automating Freshman Course Placement and Registration: A Case Study

Rowan University has implemented an automated system for freshman course placement and registration to address the unsustainability of manual processes, which were overwhelmed by a 57% increase in first-time degree-seeking student enrollment over ten years. This initiative, detailed in an arXiv report, involved a cross-departmental team integrating data from various systems to classify students and assign them to courses, thereby streamlining operations historically managed by Testing Services, University Advising, and the Registrar's Office.

Why it matters

The automation of critical administrative functions like student placement and registration is essential for institutions facing increasing demand and operational bottlenecks. This approach allows for scalability and efficiency, ensuring that core services can continue to operate effectively despite growing pressures and resource constraints.

Key insights

• A significant increase in student enrollment rendered manual course placement and registration processes unsustainable.
• Rowan University developed and implemented an automated system for freshman course placement and registration.
• The automation involved integrating data from existing systems such as Banner (Student Information System) and Google Sheets.
• The project was a cross-departmental effort, indicating collaboration across different institutional functions.

Source

arXiv — Computers and Society — https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.08776