As St. Joe’s and the University of the Sciences move ahead with merging their institutions, fall course registration for students at both schools is operating “business as usual.”
“You won’t really see any difference when you’re registering for courses,” said Deanna Daly, St. Joe’s registrar.
Daly said each university will continue using their same registration structures as students choose their courses for the fall.
“St. Joe’s is doing their registration in their current system and USciences is doing their registration in their current system,” Daly said. “So, registration will be separate.”
While the merger will be completed by June 1, fully integrating course catalogs and course requirements will be ongoing, Daly said.
Registration for fall 2022 courses for St. Joe’s students begins on April 4 and runs through April 12. For USciences students, registration begins April 4 and runs through April 15.
Daly said the next step toward full course integration is to get both universities on a unified course numbering system.
“My plan is that for spring 2023, we would have one numbering structure, which would be a three-digit subject code and a three-digit number as you are used to seeing at St. Joe’s,” Daly said. “Then, the departments will work on combining the curriculum for one catalog. Some of that is happening now, and then some of it will happen over the next year.”
In response to a request for an interview, Tim Higgins, director of undergraduate advising at St. Joe’s, referred The Hawk to the Office of the Provost and the Office of the Registrar.
Although there won’t be much overlap in courses for St. Joe’s and USciences students in the fall, Daly said students will notice a new detail which shows the location for each class. There will be a campus designation next to classes in the registration portal that will say Hawk Hill, University City or online.
Daly said more information should be forthcoming from St. Joe’s Division of Student Life regarding information about transportation options between both campuses.
“There will be a shuttle, and emails will start to go out to students with more information on it,” Daly said.
When it comes to taking classes at both locations during the fall semester, Daly said the opportunity is going to be very minimal, but it will still depend on a student’s major.
“For the most part, you will be taking your classes where you were admitted for your first year,” Daly said, “unless it’s an honors situation or the departments are combining together, like Health Sciences, since they’re working on their curriculum together.
Physics courses are among those exceptions. This fall, St. Joe’s students will have the opportunity to enroll in four upper-division physics classes at the University City location.
Daly said students with questions should talk to their advisors.
“I hope that students realize that we’re here to support you all and make this as seamless as possible,” Daly said.
Peter Norberg, Ph.D., professor of English and associate provost for academic and faculty support, said St. Joe’s students will continue working with their St. Joe’s faculty advisors, and USciences students will continue working with their USciences faculty advisors.
Paul Halpern, Ph.D., professor of physics at USciences, will teach an introductory physics class at St. Joe’s Hawk Hill location in the fall. Halpern said he is looking forward to the blend of students.
“I think that the two groups of students will get along just fine,” Halpern said. “I look forward to the greater diversity in terms of majors at St. Joe’s because we don’t currently have things like a philosophy major or a religion major, or even an English major.”
Douglas Kurtze, Ph.D., associate professor of physics at St. Joe’s, also said he is enthusiastic about the merger between the schools’ physics departments.
“I’m looking forward to new students joining ours, as well as a bunch of new colleagues, new ideas floating around, new opportunities and new courses that we can now give,” Kurtze said.
Mitchell Shields ’22 contributed to this article.
