After My.Harvard Rollout, Registrar Drops Study Card Late Fee

On the heels of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences’ rollout of the new my.harvard portal, students who failed to turn in their study cards on time last week will not have to pay the $40 late fee.

Based on initial enrollment data, about 1 percent of undergraduates did not submit their study cards by last Thursday’s deadline, a number that FAS Registrar Michael P. Burke said is “right in line with prior semesters.”

Students filled the Science Center lobby during the first day of shopping period on Wednesday, Sept. 2. By George J Lok

For the first time, undergraduates enrolled in their courses online this fall through the recently overhauled my.harvard website, a departure from the Registrar’s previous method of collecting of paper study cards. The new system automatically registers whether or not students have enrolled and charges them accordingly, Burke said.

The new portal, which includes a course catalog, has several new features, but some students struggled to use it during shopping period.

For now, following the new site’s rollout, the Registrar’s Office has removed the feature that automatically sends students bills for not submitting their study cards on time.

“We’re leaning towards maximum lenience at this point until we fully understand what’s making some students late,” Burke said

The new my.harvard system has frustrated some undergraduates, who complained about technical challenges and the need to wait for virtual approval from advisers and course instructors before enrolling in classes and submitting a final study card.

Madison M. Dildine ’16, who did not submit her study card on time, said she ran into issues with the website when she went to enroll. My.harvard took her in loops, she said, prompting her to miss the submission deadline. She still is waiting for three professors to “approve” her course plans before she can enroll for the semester.

“It mostly overall was kind of confusing and has not worked with my internet,” Dildine said. “It was just kind of annoying… I can’t section for my classes yet, because I’m not officially enrolled in the classes.”

The add/drop period, when students can change their course schedules, starts this week and continues through Sept. 21. After that date, students will be charged a fee for enrolling in new courses or dropping old ones from their schedules.

“That fee will persist this semester, but again, we’re going to be deliberate about it to make sure that there’s not something preventing students from getting work done,” Burke said.