With a new SOLUS interface in the works, students are hoping the course selection platform will allow for a more seamless selection.
SOLUS, the primary platform for Queen’s students to manage crucial academic and personal services like course registration, tuition payments, and financial aid, is undergoing a design overhaul. Beginning with its first phase in 2021, the Digital Academic Calendar project, led by the Faculty of Arts and Science (FAS) on behalf of the University to enhance the platform’s digital infrastructure, is set to introduce a new course selection and registration interface in its final phase.
The experience of students using SOLUS for course selection has often been less than positive. Amy Yeung, HealthSci ’28, shared her own course selection went smoothly because she had an early time slot—randomly assigned based on year. However, she acknowledges the platform’s unreliability during course selection, citing issues such as website crashes and login problems.
“It caused a lot of stress and anxiety that was unnecessary for a lot of students,” she said in an interview with The Journal. “There’s a general feeling of dislike towards SOLUS within the Queen’s community.”
When asked about Queen’s making potential changes to the course selection platform, Yeung said it’s good the University is trying to do something about it and that they’re aware. She stated course selection is already a worrying experience for students—with an updated interface, stress and worry could be mitigated.
However, even outside of course selection, SOLUS is often regarded by students as a platform that could use improvements.
Outside of course selection, Taran Pala, Sci ’28, said SOLUS serves as the first impression for students entering their first year.
“SOLUS is the first view, the moment of truth—the first impression you get about the University. That’s really important,” Pala said in an interview with The Journal.
Pala also expressed his frustrations with the “hassle” of having to log into the platform multiple times during a single session, as well as the frequent website crashes. The website’s structure doesn’t provide a proper format for checking classes for the Fall and Winter semesters, he added.
Ultimately, nothing is finalized for students, as there is currently no established timeline for the final phase of the Digital Academic Calendar project. The platform “will be available to all students in the future, but the project is still in the testing phase,” the University said in a statement to The Journal.
Updates on the project follow in the coming months
Tags
Course selection, Queen's, SOLUS
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