Student-Athletes Receive Priority Registration for Fall 2022 to Minimize Scheduling Conflicts

Student-athletes at Stern College for Women (SCW), Yeshiva College and Sy Syms School of Business received priority academic advising and registration for the Fall 2022 semester, the university announced in an email sent to student-athletes last month. Priority registration took place in the last week of April.

All athletes in SCW, YC and SSSB were eligible for early registration, regardless of which team they belonged to. Katz students were not eligible. The students were only allowed to register for classes that were required for their majors.

The reason for the priority registration was to avoid conflicts between students’ practice and game schedules, Dean of the Undergraduate Faculty of Arts and Sciences Karen Bacon told The Commentator. 

The deans have been working with the Athletic Department to make it easier for student-athletes to do well in classes and on the field, she said. While early registration has always been informally offered to student-athletes, this is the first year that it became officially sanctioned. 

Bacon elaborated that since “there are many options for [general] requirements,” students can only choose courses for their majors, of which there may be less options. 

According to the email athletes received, academic advisors reached out to student-athletes to help them decide what classes they needed to take. Advisors were also equipped with each team’s probable practice and game schedule. Students who failed to respond and schedule a meeting with their advisors “may be subject to a Registration hold for failure to meet with an advisor.”

Some students had a lot of trouble focusing on academics and their teams, and were pleased with the move. “It was so hard for us to stay on top of our sports and academics schedules. I had to miss some important games in order to stay on top of my school work,” Tova Hakakian (SCW ‘24), a player on the women’s softball team, shared with The Commentator. 

Others felt similarly. “The priority registration is very important for us student-athletes because it allows us to get the right balance between playing sports for the university and working hard with the academic side,” Asher Martin (SSSB ‘24), a player on the men's soccer team, said.

He continued, “It means no conflicts with matches and academic classes and allows us to really excel at both sides of the university.”

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Photo Caption: Wilf Campus, Office of the Registrar

Photo Credit: The Commentator