Cross-Registration Blues At the Business School

To get into three business management courses, Kennedy School students Tami E. Kesselman and Angela Poon brought sleeping bags and camped out at the Harvard Business School registrar's office early Wednesday morning.

The office opened at 8 a.m., but more than 100 students had already lined up by 6:30 a.m. to file cross-registration petitions. Kesselman and Poon were among the first three of more than 200 students who cross-registered.

The Kennedy School students are just two of dozens of students who must forgo sleep one day per semester to vie for limited spots in the Business School's popular courses.

"It's kind of a nightmare to do this every semester," Kesselman said. "It's a race to see who can wake up earliest to get there first."

Kesselman is not the only one complaining. Some graduate students interviewed yesterday said that the Business School's strict cross-registration procedures make it difficult for students from Harvard's other schools to enroll in classes.

Though Business School classes began yesterday, some students petitioning to cross-register won't find out whether they got in until next week.

"There are plenty of people who stand in line, who get there at 5 in the morning, submit their petition and have no way of knowing whether they're getting into the class anyway," said David G. Burna, a second-year public policy student at the Kennedy School.

"They have to go through the process of buying books, buying packets, the whole nine yards, and they don't find out whether they're in until later," Burna said.

Kesselman, who attempted to register for a class on cost measurement and management, said only two spots were left.

"We don't find out until next Wednesday whether we get in or not," Kesselman said.

Some said the school's "first come, first serve" cross-registration procedure makes it nearly impossible to enroll in some of its courses.

"It's clear to me that the Business School doesn't want cross-registrants there and never did," Burna said. "It's their way of saying. "Why don't you find some other way of taking the course?"

Officials at the Business School countered that the "first come, first serve" procedure provides the greatest opportunity to those students who most need its classes.

"Students who want to be cross-registered can talk to the registrar's office and explain why they need the course," said Loretto Crane, the school's spokesperson. "There's probably a high correlation between those who need the course and those who come early."

Several students said a lottery system, similar to the one used by the College for oversubscribed courses, should be implemented at the Business School. The system would save students the hassle of scrambling to be among the first to submit their cross-registration petitions, they said.

"One way they could do it would be to be up front, announce [and] make available how many slots they've got for each class and to do it on a lottery basis," Burna said.

Kesselman suggested the lottery be conducted prior to registration, so cross-registrants can find out whether they made it into a class before it starts.

A number of Harvard's ten graduate schools, such as the Kennedy School, already use lotteries for popular classes. The Business School, however, has unique cross-registration policies, said Kennedy School Assistant Dean of Students Marjorie S. Lucker.

"We don't have the same problems about course registration that the Business School does," said Lucker, who is also the Kennedy School's registrar. "The Business School has really strict limits on how many students can be in each course. If the limit is reached, they will not let anybody else in.

"They have to go through the process of buying books, buying packets, the whole nine yards, and they don't find out whether they're in until later," Burna said.

Kesselman, who attempted to register for a class on cost measurement and management, said only two spots were left.

"We don't find out until next Wednesday whether we get in or not," Kesselman said.

Some said the school's "first come, first serve" cross-registration procedure makes it nearly impossible to enroll in some of its courses.

"It's clear to me that the Business School doesn't want cross-registrants there and never did," Burna said. "It's their way of saying. "Why don't you find some other way of taking the course?"

Officials at the Business School countered that the "first come, first serve" procedure provides the greatest opportunity to those students who most need its classes.

"Students who want to be cross-registered can talk to the registrar's office and explain why they need the course," said Loretto Crane, the school's spokesperson. "There's probably a high correlation between those who need the course and those who come early."

Several students said a lottery system, similar to the one used by the College for oversubscribed courses, should be implemented at the Business School. The system would save students the hassle of scrambling to be among the first to submit their cross-registration petitions, they said.

"One way they could do it would be to be up front, announce [and] make available how many slots they've got for each class and to do it on a lottery basis," Burna said.

Kesselman suggested the lottery be conducted prior to registration, so cross-registrants can find out whether they made it into a class before it starts.

A number of Harvard's ten graduate schools, such as the Kennedy School, already use lotteries for popular classes. The Business School, however, has unique cross-registration policies, said Kennedy School Assistant Dean of Students Marjorie S. Lucker.

"We don't have the same problems about course registration that the Business School does," said Lucker, who is also the Kennedy School's registrar. "The Business School has really strict limits on how many students can be in each course. If the limit is reached, they will not let anybody else in.