UWindsor students say new online system is buggy, causing stress
'It won't let me register, it won't even let me plan my courses because it says there's a conflict'
UWinsite, the University of Windsor's new online self-service system, launched this week — and students say it is filled with problems.
The new service replaced two previous systems, the Student Information System and the Financial Information System. Students who used the old system to successfully organize their winter timetable are now being told by the new system that there are problems.
"It has been kind of rough actually," said Crystal Dunn, a second year environmental engineering student.
The Uwinsite system does not include a visual timetable, so being able to chose classes now involves using some creative drawing. The previous system would also fill out a time table and show the user when and where the classes would be. Now, students have to make their own.
But inconvenience isn't the only issue.
"Some classes just don't show up when you're looking for them at all," Dunn said.
It's frustrating for Dunn, who is also preparing for finals which start in two weeks. Luckily, she printed out the timetable created on the old system, putting her little further ahead than other students.
Third year engineering student Oscar Rodrigues is having trouble putting his schedule together because the system is telling him he has time conflicts. One of his courses has two sections, and the system thinks he's trying to be in two places at once.
"It won't let me register, it won't even let me plan my courses because it says there's a conflict," he said.
Rodrigues needs to get into these courses, because some are only offered once a year.
"If I don't get this, I have to stay back in university for an entire year," he said.
Rodrigues reached out to the school for help, but said he hasn't been offered personal assistance, just cut and paste responses.
The university admits there have been growing pains during the early days of the system rollout.
"[We have] a team dedicated to resolving issues as they are identified," said John Coleman, the university's director of public affairs and communications. "In addition, a number of supports are in place for students, as well as faculty and staff users."
Those include self-guided learning materials, drop-in centres, learning labs, a help line and email support.