As California Lutheran University transitioned into its spring semester of 2017, the Religion Department implemented a code change going from the normal REL to RLTH in the online catalogue. This code change is not “all that dire,” said Assistant Professor Peter Carlson of the Religion Department.

This change came as a result of the department wanting to clarify the fact that it offers two different majors: Religion, and Theology and Christian Leadership.

“We adopted the code change as a practical measure, since we were making changes to our course offerings and were unable to reuse the same course numbers from the previous code,” Department Chair Samuel Thomas said.

This code change was attempted before the spring registration period began, Thomas said. A detailed information sheet was sent out to all academic advisors, “but not everyone received or chose to consult the memo,” Thomas said.

The computer system included both the old and the new code when students would go to search for classes, and this is where confusion arose during registration time.

“Students were looking for religion classes under the old code [and they weren’t there],” Carlson said.

This confusion “kept some students from finding the courses they might have otherwise taken,” Carlson said.

Thomas said, “there were some classes under enrolled” which could be easily attributed to the change and how some failed to communicate the change, but Thomas also said, “this is impossible to know for sure.”

When it came to the department dealing with the confusion, Thomas said, “We took a proactive approach to educating faculty and other advisors about the changes. Some hiccups can be expected in transitions like this.”

Going forward, all religion and theology courses will be listed under the code of RLTH, and this will decrease any confusion for students.

This particular system glitch will be resolved for fall 2017 registration, Carlson said.

Thomas also said, “It’s important for students, faculty and staff to know that the religion faculty members are available for consultation and to answer any questions about our many exciting course offerings.”

Carlson said, “We have a huge variety of course offerings, and I know that I am not the only religion faculty member who loves helping students find a great match for their goals and their passions.”

For any further clarification or questions, the Religion Department is located in the Soiland Humanities building.

By Gabriel Naudin
Staff Writer