USEP's Enrollment System ... my views and opinions...

I have been in this university for quite long time now (to be exact, five long years..) and based from my experience, the enrollment in the University needs a lot of patience, a towel or hanky for the sweat (I am not kidding!) and lastly, good and strong bones as we go back and forth from the corners of the University. It may sound like it’s funny but to tell you honestly and talking from my experience I am dead serious with this thing I am saying here.

Anyway, to start of, way back in my freshman days here in the university, to tell you frankly I was a bit confused on what the enrollment procedure is (what are the steps involved) and where are the offices located inside. But then as what I have seen with the enrollment system now, I am quite impressed since it is really quite obvious that the administration have really prepared for it. To answer my case stated above, during the summer days, I have seen a so-called map of the University in UGTO where a freshman usually stays and deals with that office in his or her early days inside the university. Also, the university really make an impact on putting tarpaulins(which shows the steps involved in the enrollment) in every strategic locations in the University, though, the tarpaulin that is found just as the wall covering the comfort room in the ground floor was once located near the dean’s office of the Institute of Computing. Before digging deeper (for sure!), it was indeed a good move and putting tarpaulins was a big help for the new students in the University that they wouldn’t have to be confused and disgusted on what to do and where to go during their enrollment unlike my experience.

I will enumerate the steps involving the new enrollment system.

For the new students and transferees, they have to follow the steps:

STEP 1 – they need to go to the UNIVERSITY GUIDANCE AND TESTING OFFICE for:
- Encoding of Student Information.
- Identification Number Assignment.

STEP 2 – then, they need to go to the OFFICE OF STUDENT SERVICES this is applicable only for scholars for their:
- Scholarship Application.
- Releasing of Scholarship Card.

STEP 3 – they need to proceed to ROTC/CWTS offices for their:
- Registration and Sectioning of ROTC/CWTS.
- Releasing of ROTC/CWTS slip.

STEP 4 – after that, they should go their respective COLLEGE to:
- Present enrollment requirements.
- Advising / Pre-Registration.
- Payment of other fees (Local Council fee, OCSC fee, insurance fees, collegiate headlight fee).
- Encoding of the Pre-Registration Form.
- Assessment of fees.
- Temporary Certificate of Registration Printing

The next step would be the payment of the matriculation fees and since there are two types of students here in the University specifically scholars and non-scholars, the step is categorized into two and these steps are:

STEP 5 – the scholars would go to the STUDENT ACCOUNTS (bookkeeper) for:
- Submit Temporary Certificate of Registration.
- Posting of Accounts.

And for the non-scholars they need to go to the:
STEP 5 – CASHIER
- Submit Temporary Certificate of Registration.
- Payment of Matriculation.
- Official Receipt Printing.

STEP 6 – REGISTRAR
- Submit enrollment requirements.
- Form 138 (High School Card).
- Photocopy of NSO Birth Certificate.
- USEPAT Entrance Exam Result.
- Admission Slip.
- Medical Certificate.
- Certificate of Good Moral (Original).
- 2 pcs. 2x2 recent ID picture.
- Prospectus of the enrolled course.
- 1 pc. Long brown envelop.
- Official receipt of tuition and other fees.
- Printing of Official Certificate of Registration.

And for the old students, here are the steps involved:

STEP 1 – STUDENT ACCOUNTS.
- Check students’ accounts.
- Check balance.
- Clearance signing.
STEP 2 – COLLEGE
- Advising / Pre- Registration
- Payment of other fees (Local Council fees, OCSC fees, collegiate headlight fee).
- Encoding.
- Assessment of fees.
- Temporary Certificate of Registration Printing.
Same situation would happen as what I have stated above on the steps involved in payment of matriculation. These can be done in the following ways:

STEP 3 – STUDENT ACCOUNTS (applicable for scholars only)
- Submit Temporary Certificate of Registration.
- Posting of Accounts

And for non-scholars:
STEP 3 – CASHIER
- Submit Temporary Certificate of Registration.
- Payment of Matriculation.
- Official Receipt Printing.


STEP 4 – REGISTRAR
- Present Clearance.
- Present Official Receipts (Tuition and other fees).
- Printing of Official Certificate of Registration.

Here are the enrollment procedures for those students who shifted from other course:

STEP 1 – STUDENT ACCOUNTS.
- Check students’ accounts.
- Check balance.
- Clearance signing.

STEP 2 – FORMER COLLEGE
- Request to shift.
- Recommendation to shift.

STEP 3 – NEW COLLEGE
- Acceptance of Shiftee
- Advising / Pre- Registration.

STEP 4 – UNIVERSITY GUIDANCE AND TESTING OFFICE / OFFICE OF STUDENT SERVICES
- Student Profile Updating

STEP 5 – NEW COLLEGE
- Payment of other fees (Local Council fee, OCSC fee, insurance fee, collegiate headlight fee).
- Encoding.
- Assessment of fees.
- Temporary Certificate of Registration Printing.


Same situation would happen as what I have stated above on the steps involved in payment of matriculation. These can be done in the following ways:

STEP 6 – STUDENT ACCOUNTS (applicable for scholars)
- Submit Temporary Certificate of Registration.
- Posting of Accounts.

STEP 6 – CASHIER (applicable for non-scholars)
- Submit Temporary Certificate of Registration.
- Payment of Matriculation.
- Official Receipt Printing.

STEP 7 – REGISTRAR
- Present Clearance.
- Present Official Receipts (Tuition and other fees).
- Printing of Official Certificate of Registration.


Before getting into details of the flowchart (as shown in the tarpaulin), I would like to give my observations with the new enrollment procedure. I may say, as with the process, nothing has changed except for some simple things that I have noticed. One of which is the renewal of scholarship, based on the diagrams that we’ve made during our SAD1, renewal of scholarship was a part of the enrollment procedure for the old students, but it was not shown in the chart. And to think, I, as a scholar, my subjects cannot be encoded if my scholarship card is not yet validated and renewed. On my own, it would be the initiative of the old students what to do. But how about the new scholars? The new students? Come to think of this, scholarship cards need to be validated and renewed every after semester. And if a freshman is a scholar and the next semester comes, if he/she will follow the chart given, he/she will be confused. Why? It is because, he/she still needs to be told that his/her card needs to be validated by the Office of the Student Services and since in the chart it is not shown that the scholarship card needs to be validated. Imagine yourself in that situation, you are done with the payment of local fees, ocsc fees and publication fees then you proceed to your adviser and secure a prf, but then, when you reach the encoder, he/she will told you that your subjects can not be encoded since you scholarship card is not yet validated and you are not yet renewed. And with this, you have to go to the OSS for you to be validated (imagine if that your college and the OSS are located in both ends of the university). Time and energy is wasted. Remember when I mentioned above that you need to have a towel or a handkerchief since the OSS is located near the visitor’s gate of the university.

One thing I have actually noticed is the number of scholars being entertained by the OSS. This semester was really dreadful and really needs a lot of patience; the line in the OSS was very long, and very congested. You yourself do not even know what lines are for the application of scholarship or what lines are for the renewal. I would suggest, that the OSS would have to do is to have an arrangement on the classification of lines (queue of people) on who are applying for scholarships and for those who are on just renewing. One thing I have also observed in that office, there are District 1 scholars inside the office, getting their ORDER TO RENEW FORM, and imagine the number of students inside and the requirements they need to give in order to have that form! I would suggest that there should be a specific place for that most especially that District 1 Scholars are the most numbered amongst the scholarships. And on my part, why not ask the scholarship provider to ask for assistance? What I am trying to say is that, first district congressman may somehow provide a simple room that would cater the students, right? So that the OSS will not that much congested.

Nonetheless, let’s get back into business; one thing I have also noticed in the process is the involvement of the guards during the payment of tuition fees and going to the registrar. For me, this one is highly commendable, my two thumbs up to them! They were able to get the students organized that the place will not that be filled up with people! There is a specific place for the entrance and exits. In the cashier and registrar’s area, there are seats available and arranged in a manner that the students will just have to wait for their turn. And for me, since I am a scholar, it was easy for me since at that time, there were just few scholars who are inline in the seats, If I am not mistaken, it took me for about 15 minutes to finish my transaction in the bookkeeper. But to my surprise, the two copies of temporary certificate of registration was all taken by the bookkeeper and what I have in hand is just my scholarship card only. The bookkeeper told me that I should proceed to the registrar. Here’s another thin I have noticed, before, after paying our tuition fees (for non-scholars) and posting of accounts (for scholars) our COR is manually brought to the registrar’s office and we’ll just have to wait if our name is called. I have a very disappointing experience on this one, it all happened on the 2nd semester of last school year. Since I am a scholar, it was easy for me to go to the bookkeeper and be able to finish the entire process before noon, as to my surprise, my COR was manually brought to the registrar’s office, as hours passing by, I have noticed that my name was not called and yet those students who are late than me were called already. I was so disgusted, I asked the student assistant in that office on why my name was not yet called, she told me, what’s your last name, I mentioned mine, unfortunately, my COR was at the last, and covered by all the new COR’s. Gladly, this semester, was quite impressive since it is not manually brought, of course, a big thanks to the new system developed by the two of the instructors of the Institute of Computing.

Here is also another problem that occurred. Yes, as what I have mentioned, the COR’s are not manually brought, but then all of the students have to fall in one line just for going to the registrar’s office. The security guards were the one who give the students priority numbers. But then again, it took me for about an hour and thirty minutes (1 hour and 30 minutes) before being entertained by the registrar and have my official certificate of registration. Unlike before, that every college does have their own registrar, and to the Institute of Computing, it was really easy and fast because of the small number of students. It would be an advantage if they would stick out to the one college one registrar policy (hehehe, since it would be easy for us IC students). And to those college in which there are large number of students probably, 2 of the employees can help it out.

I have noticed some changes (of course! nothing is constant except change right?)
anyway, i would just compare the before from now to explain it carefully.

Before, during the signing of clearance, one of the requirements of the bookkeeper are the receipts of the students, receipts that would notify that they have already paid their liabilities to the school. if the students would fail to comply the requirements then the student would left nothing to do.

But now, the process becomes clearer. The bookkeeper would just require the clearance, nothing more. All the bookkeeper needs to do is to check on the database whether the student have already updated his/her account. The clearance would be easy and faster with this manner.