Yesterday, I had an editorial on Ka Leo criticizing some school policies!
http://www.kaleo.org/vnews/display.v/ART/2004/04/19/408332326d12f?in_archive=1
If it ain't broke, don't fix it with irritating new policies
Pablo Wegesend
Ka Leo Staff Columnist
April 19, 2004
About a year ago, I had an editorial criticizing this university for making new changes that were not only unnecessary but made things worse! I criticized the new MyUH registration system which was more inefficient than the award-winning PA'E system and the cafeteria renovation that wasn't necessary and also made the cafeteria less appealing than it was before! I said that it was an example of the university doing something just for the sake of doing something new! And there's even more examples of that going on!
THE TUITION RECEIPT POLICY
Before the MyUH registration system was put into place, you could go to the tuition office, pay the tuition and get a receipt. While you can still pay the tuition at the tuition office, you won't get a receipt! One of the workers will tell you that you can copy the receipt off the computer. What a pathetic excuse!
What if you paid the tuition at the tuition office, and the system crashes 3 minutes after! You paid the tuition but you weren't able to go to the computer lab to print the receipt before the system crashing!
The record of your expensive payment is gone! How are you going to prove that you paid the tuition!
You don't have a receipt because the idiotic policy that this university put out was made only to say "Hey look at us everyone, we're doing something new." You might have to pay the tuition again!
Of course, the university officials are so confident that they can always recover from a computer glitch! But then again, people once said the Titanic will never sink!
In my case, there was no crash, but the "no receipt at the office" policy gave me other headaches! Because I am covered under my parents' insurance, I need to give the insurance company proof that I am a student at UH!
After all, anyone could just lie if no proof is demanded, but the receipt printed off the MyUH system isn't adequate proof according to the insurance company since there is no letterhead and anyone could just copy the MyUH format and pull a scam on the insurance company!
So I had to go to the Admissions Office to ask for a verification form. I applied for that form, but had to wait 5 business days.
I was able to get the verification form, but it would've been less hectic if the university bothered to give me a receipt at the tuition office right after I paid the tuition! Is that too much to ask?
WONG AV CENTER POLICY
Before, if you wanted to borrow a video at the Wong Audio-Visual Center, you would just fill out a little slip and give it to the employee. In three minutes, you got the video and you could go.
But no, the university wanted a new policy, just to say they have a new policy! Efficiency be damned!
Now, you must go the Voyager Web site to reserve a video! You can't fill out a simple slip anymore! And after you reserved on the computer, you have to wait 5-10 minutes for the employees to give you the video! Meanwhile, your valuable time has been wasted!
LIBRARY HOURS
Everyone is excited about the 24-hour policy at Hamilton Library! That's only on weekdays! But on Friday, Hamilton and Sinclair Library is closed at 7 p.m. On Saturdays, it's closed at 5 p.m.!
Why? Why can't Hamilton and Sinclair be opened longer on Friday and Saturday?
Of course, the stereotype is that college students do nothing but party on Friday and Saturday nights, but what about those who don't have time to party? What about those who work or do outdoor activities during the day?
Why can't they have a quiet place to study? Why can't they use the CLIC Lab on Friday or Saturday night instead of paying money to use an Internet cafe? That would doing something new that is efficient and smart!
