EDITORIAL: MyDelta system rollout failed us

1401
0

MyDelta is a mess. 

It hasn’t immediately benefited us as students in the way it was initially detailed it would.

Instead, we have had to deal with: 

  • difficulties to enroll 
  • logging in 
  • lack of timely financial aid distributions
  • continued trouble adding/dropping classes 
  • an unclear process for searching classes 

And that’s just to name a few problems facing Delta College students with this new system.

The Collegian staff, like other students, started stressing out before the semester even kicked off. From our own experiences, we knew what was coming. We knew it wouldn’t be a seamless, easy rollout.

Implementing a new system, without a trial run or easing into it was not the right move to help Delta students or faculty achieve our goals. 

Many of our peers are first generation students with various barriers to earning college educations.

Delta College’s implementation of the new system has put in place new hurdles for us to jump forward in our journeys. 

It has been a frustrating experience watching our peers suffer through issue after issue, being booted off waitlists, skipped over in class admissions, and unable to purchase needed items for their educations.

There has been little to no communication with college staff on solving the issues stated above. 

Communication from the college reads more like public relations crisis management than an actual outreach attempt.

On Aug. 30, new President/Superintendent Dr. Omid Pourzanjani offered an open apology letter to Delta students. It was a nice gesture, but it was too little too late. 

Pourzanjani’s words did not resolve our worries. We would like to see actual changes with MyDelta. 

Perhaps the first step should be to remove the shopping cart function so we don’t feel like customers on this campus. If Delta insists on treating us like customers, we will start asking to speak to managers.

We should still keep positive thoughts; the more IT works on MyDelta, the better the chances are of it actually working well … hopefully some day. 

Let’s hope the rest of the semester runs a lot smoother concerning MyDelta.

Because right now, we feel like we’re stuck in the Holt elevator with no help on the way.

Send help. 

Please.