by Mary McClellan
Introduction
Feedback for LLI courses and programs is overall positive. Our membership generally expresses appreciation for the quality of our presenters and the caliber of their course content. The most frequently cited area of dissatisfaction with LLI has been the difficulty many members have experienced when trying to register for courses. This frustration has been noted time and again in both annual surveys, in casual conversations, and emails. The Curriculum Committee and Council have wrestled with this issue time and time again and have come up empty-handed.
One thing is certain: Council and the Curriculum Committee have heard you. We have considered offering a period of pre-registration in an attempt to level the playing field so that the most popular small classes are not filled within the first two minutes of registration. However, that idea was rejected, since it would entail many hours of volunteer labor to manually administer it without any method of ensuring fairness. That is until recently.
Pre-registration Program
Just a few weeks ago, Carmela Gersbeck, Susan Christoffersen, and I met with a representative of ProClass. What emerged was a way that we could make the first day of registration a pre-registration period. The registration process will remain the same, except that on the first day all LLI members will be able to register for one—and only one—class. By doing this, more members would have the chance to be admitted to at least one of their most sought-after courses. On day two of registration, this limitation will be removed, and members can sign on to ProClass and register for as many classes as they want to take. Our plan is to conduct this pilot for the Spring ‘25 semester.
Will This Solve the Problem?
Not entirely. We cannot emphasize this enough. Those with updated laptops and desktops will have a distinct advantage in registering more quickly than those trying to register with tablets and mobile phones. This is a fact of twenty-first-century life. We in LLI depend on computers, and members with current equipment have a distinct advantage. However, we hope that with this pilot pre-registration program more members will have a chance to get at least one course that they really want. Additionally, Carmela Gersbeck will conduct a training session prior to registration to help teach members to sign in and access their chosen courses quickly.
Addressing Membership Concerns
This is an attempt to respond to the concerns of Bard LLI membership and an attempt to make the registration process more equitable. This is a pilot, and we will not know if it succeeds in accomplishing its goals until we try it. Following registration, a survey will be distributed to our membership to determine if this is something we want to continue.
We hope that our membership will embrace this attempt to make LLI more responsive and equitable. Please know that questions and suggestions are welcome. We encourage you to contact Mary McClellan at [email protected].
Please be assured that we are listening.
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