UCM News

Wing Access underutilized during first year

By CLIFF ADAMS
Reporter

(WARRENSBURG, Mo., digitalBURG) — Student veterans on campus now have priority enrollment, but not all of them are using it.

Wing Access, an initiative that took effect in spring 2015, allows UCM’s nearly 1,200 military and veteran students to enroll in classes on the second day of open enrollment.

Jeff Huffman, director of UCM Military and Veteran Services, said UCM’s student government approved the program to provide veterans, active duty military personnel and their dependents priority registration.

Mike Lamb, a UCM student and 22-year U.S. Air Force veteran, said being able to enroll early allows military students to avoid being waitlisted for classes.

“(Waitlists are) not an option for them,” Lamb said. “If they can’t enroll early, then they just can’t take those classes until a following semester, which just prolongs their time here.”

Student athletes and honor students have expressed concern about how Wing Access might limit their abilities to get the classes they need. Huffman said he doesn’t see that being an issue.

“My son is a student athlete, and I talked to him about it,” Huffman said. “They have athletic advisers that help them ensure they take advantage of their early access, something our military students don’t have.”

Huffman said a lot of student veterans missed the initial March 29 enrollment date. Huffman attributes the slow start to procrastination, as well as low numbers of military students.

“(Military students) are just like anybody else,” Huffman said. “They put it off until the last minute, priority registration has already come and gone, and then they’re like, ‘Oh, wow. I can’t get into that class.”

TRIO, a student support service at UCM, also provides their students with priority registration. TRIO freshman Tim Gardner said he encourages students with access to priority registration to take advantage of the opportunity to lock in needed courses.

“I could see the potential for issues with some students in the future,” Gardner said. “I mean, if you don’t get it done and get enrolled in time, I could see how early enrollment could play an effect toward procrastinators.”

Huffman said more student veterans are using the Wing Access program since word has spread about the program.

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