After a month of staggered registration dates for different priority groups within the student body, registration is now open to all University students, but many classes are not.

Louis Hunt, enrollment management and services vice provost and University registrar, said budget cuts have had some impact on the amount of choices available to students next semester.

“In better economic times we would have more classes available,” Hunt said. “Many classes have been combined into larger sections and classes have been expanded, but we still have an adequate selection to meet the needs of our students.”

According to Hunt, graduate students sign up for classes first followed by undergraduate students. Within the undergraduate student body, students in the University Honors and Scholars programs, students with disabilities and athletes have priority.

“Outside of these groups, registration starts with the senior class and goes to the freshman class,” Hunt said. “Students who have the most hours within their class get first priority, and then the rest of the class signs up through a random computing system. We feel that this is the fairest system possible.”

Jessica Chappell, a freshman in animal science, said she could not get into the biology class she needed for next semester.

“There were still spots open in the Bio 183 classes, but they were reserved for students in other majors,” Chappell said. “As an animal science major I have to take this class as a prerequisite for all my other science classes. It put me behind the other animal science majors.”

Hunt advises students who could not get into classes needed for their major to talk to their advisers.

“Most freshman shouldn’t be worried about not getting a class they wanted, but if it is a prerequisite for their major they may really need to be in that class,” Hunt said. “All of our departments are very accommodating and willing to work with students if they seek help.”

Seniors should not be worried about getting the classes they need to graduate, according to Hunt.

“We will work with you if you need to fit a class into your schedule to graduate,” Hunt said. “But students need to be willing to be flexible at this time. It is important to be proactive about signing up for classes when appointment times open and checking the wait list if necessary.”

Hunt also said students need to make sure to pay tuition fees on time or risk having an entire schedule deleted.

“E-mails will be sent out soon reminding students of when their tuition fees are due,” Hunt said.

Scott Piccola, a junior in agricultural business management, said he did not have any trouble signing up for classes this year.

“The time’s weren’t all perfect, but I was able to sign up for all the classes I needed and wanted to go with my major,” Piccola said.

Caitlin Stone, a junior who is switching majors from biology to psychology, only has nine hours of classes for next semester.

“I am in the process of bringing up my GPA so that I can switch majors at the end of the semester,” Stone said. “However, I can’t sign up for the classes I need until I switch majors because they are reserved for students within those majors. Right now I only have nine hours and by the time I switch over, all the classes I need will probably be full.”

Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences Jeffery Braden said that CHASS still has seats available for most classes, even if they are not the time or professor the student would have preferred.

“One thing that hurts scheduling is when students sign up for more classes than they plan to complete,” Braden said. “The process of students signing up for classes and then dropping them after the last date ultimately hurts other students. I think the Student Senate is looking into this and I hope they do, because the problem will get worse as resources are more strained.”

Other options for students who cannot register for classes next semester include online courses and summer classes. The University is looking at expanding options for summer school starting this summer, Hunt said.

Hunt also said there is a definite possibility of more budget cuts for the fall of 2010, which he said the University was prepared to handle.

“We will always try to look for solutions that have the least impact on the classroom,” Hunt said.

Although the University has grown in the past five years, Hunt said the next incoming freshman class will not expand, and may even shrink in size.