Early Bird

Student service, reimagined

Registration Cafes are a one-stop shop to help students sign up for spring and connect to advising. Here’s what you need to know before Oct. 28.

By Cory Phare

October 17, 2019

Signing up for classes at MSU Denver should be as painless as possible.  

That’s the idea behind the upcoming Registration Cafes in the Jordan Student Success Building lobby. Kicking off Oct. 28 (the first day of priority registration), the event will help students get students across the enrollment finish line.

“We’re separating out the larger act of academic planning from the nuts and bolts of clicking that registration button to get signed up,” said Terry Paape, exploratory advisor coordinating the Registration Cafes, along with the event-planning committee. “The goal is to reduce the bottleneck and make the whole experience better for the student.”

Peer mentors will be the first line of assistance students encounter, helping them navigate the course scheduler and guiding them through the registration process – without conducting the in-depth conversations of an advising appointment.

“Think of the Apple Genius Bar,” Paape said.

Front-desk staff will also triage holds, direct to resources and manage workflow routing.

Students don’t need to preregister for the event, but a previous advising appointment is required. Advising availability is limited for drop-ins; front-desk personnel will also be on hand to schedule appointments.

Dazbog coffee, cocoa and pastries will be provided for students.

The “Gear Up” outreach campaign getting students to make appointments with an advisor is also taking place through Nov. 1; peer mentors are staffing a table in the Tivoli foyer.

These events exemplify practice to support findings from the President’s Advisory Council for Academic Excellence and Student Success presented at the Oct. 10 President’s Cabinet, highlighting the importance of in-depth academic and personal guidance.

“Advising isn’t just registration,” Paape said. “It’s more than getting a schedule – we’re here to support success in all aspects of their lives.”

Registration Cafes

Oct. 28-Nov. 7

8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.

JSSB lobby

Gear Up

Through Nov. 1

Tivoli foyer (southeast entrance)

For more information, contact Paape.