friends!
we refer yall so much to the registrars, but i realized a few months back some of you might not have all that much experience visiting them. i haven’t gotten that many questions this month (blogging is dead? no one loves me? something’s broken? all of the above?) so i figured i’d write a guide hyping the registrar’s office up. i love my registrar. as far as i’m aware i’m not getting paid extra to say that, although i wouldn’t argue if i was.
um, who actually is the registrar? are they a person? an office? an ~entity~?
it’s okay. this confuses some people– i guess ‘registrar’ isn’t all that common of a word outside the university bubble. most directly, your registrar’s office is the place you go for academic advice and certain academically-related services. your registrar (and associate registrars) are the advisors you meet with there.
what do the college registrar offices even DO though?
a lot, but not everything. here’s a list of things they generally can’t do:
- update and access OSAP applications (enrolment services can help ya)
- book/change writing centre appointments (that’s what the writing centre is for)
- provide confirmation of graduation, including eligibility/intent to graduate (hit up artsci!)
- bend rules for ya
oof, maybe a bit harsh. sorry.
as for what they can do– your registrar’s office is your reliable first stop for a ton of things! first off, they can outline your options and assess your aptitudes/interests to help you strategize course/program selection. need help planning for the future or juggling personal/work/school priorities? they got you there too. they’re also great at coaching and crisis management, if you ever need someone to talk to but don’t know where to go. basically, the registrar’s office is the place to go if you’re looking for support or to iron out the details of your life as a student.
in more technical terms, this is what falls under their domain. they can:
- get you letters to prove your enrollment for study permits/RESP/insurance
- you can print a basic confirmation letter off ACORN by yourself, though! this is what it would look like, unless you’re in first year in which case it won’t include when you plan to graduate.
- advise you on academic and financial matters, as well as personal ones (to a certain extent!)
- register you in course overloads
- re-register you, administer late registration, or reinstate you if you’ve been financially cancelled
- book you appointments with a learning strategist or career advisor
- help you submit petitions for term work extensions/deferred exams
- process late withdrawal requests (LWD)
- consider grant requests
- tell you about deadlines, walk you through course/program enrolment, etc.
- conduct grad checks
- and more!
where can i find my registrar?
usually in your college’s main building!
can i send them emails?
yes! always include your student number and be patient with responses. don’t send an email after closing hours and another panicky one before opening.
can i call?
yeah, you definitely can–but keep in mind that if you’re calling at a particularly busy time of year (think late august/september etc) whoever’s answering the phone may not be able to take your call right away. it’s usually better to come in person. this might entail waiting in line, but that wait will likely be shorter than the time you’ll be on hold.
that said, this isn’t true all year– if it’s a slow time of year and you have a quick question, you’re certainly free to call!
can i drop in?
for quick questions, yes. for issues that are more private, complicated, or might warrant sitting down and chatting, it’s best to book an appointment.
but the internet.
yeah, the thing is reddit isn’t all that reliable. it can be great sometimes, but it can also be wildly misguided. get your info from the people who know it best.
anyway, i hope this was helpful. that’s all on this for now. find the directory of registrars here, and go give yours a visit! and a friendly reminder to be kind– they’ll do their best to help you, but they’re also human.
be Boundless,
aska
