Getting into the right classes at the right time can mean the difference between graduating on time and not. Most colleges are still leaving this problem for students to solve on their own. The technology to change that is already here.

In a recent piece by EdTech Magazine, a publication covering technology in K–12 and higher education, Sam Dreyfus, Executive Vice President of ECPI University, weighs in on how some universities are using data and course-sharing tools to ensure students can actually get into the classes they need.

The approaches may vary, but the common goal is to create a better and more realistic student experience. Read the full article to see how different schools are tackling the problem.

What are course shutouts, and why do they matter?

A course shutout happens when students can’t get into a class they need. The consequences reach further than most people expect. 

Studies have found that being shut out of a course makes a student 30% less likely to ever take another class in that subject. In two-year colleges, students who are shut out are 22–28% more likely to sit out the term entirely.

Missing a required course can push back graduation, which costs money and delays earnings. Most registration systems were built around how institutions operate, not how students live. When those systems don't connect, it's the students who pay the price.

How does ECPI University approach course registration differently?

At ECPI University, students don’t register for courses at all. The university maps out each student's full path from day one and places them in the right sections along the way.

That approach reflects who ECPI's students are. The average student is 31 years old, and many are veterans or parents juggling full lives. Asking them to race for open seats or navigate a maze of prerequisites adds stress they don't need and demands time they don’t have.

The university has spent 15 years building systems where admissions, advising, scheduling, and faculty planning all draw from the same information. They track where demand is heading before it becomes a problem, so students move through their programs without hitting walls. 

Registration is one piece of a larger conversation about what higher education owes today's learners. But it all starts with a simple idea: students should be focused on learning, not logistics.