As a modern millennial, I love useable updates. Technology and software are changing everyday, and my mind and outlook on technology is ever positive. However, there are more times than no updates for my day-to-day services that cripple and hinder even the most basic of commands. For some people, that update is the iOS 10 for Apple. For Highlanders, it’s R’Web.
R’Web has always been around, but it was never really used beyond your freshman year here at UC Riverside. Now, not only is all of your Growl (financial and grades) data on R’Web, but the UCR registrar as well.
Initially, I was very excited for the new update. Growl had a lot of issues that I hoped R’Web would fix. During registration times, and throughout other points in the year, Growl’s servers would shut down. The layout for the website, while at times clear, were at other times too lengthy and important information was hidden by small text. And overall, the style was seven years too old for a seemingly growing campus.
However, all tabs were easily visible in Growl for you to see what you needed done. In addition, their authorized user system was efficient as well as quick. I never had a problem finding anything I needed, as long as I knew the name. Overall, I would have given the page a C+ for effort, if it were a design class.
To put it simply, R’Web has taken everything that was bad about Growl, added more tabs, and thrown away all of the positives of the old website. And, on top of that, they completely messed up the Registrar as well.
What is the Registrar, you ask? It was the website to look up future classes, where the pull down tables would give you many options as to what you wanted dependant on a number of factors. It was color coordinated, updated, and a moderately-modern website. I would have given that website a strong B+.
But no. The way to look up anything on this website is nearly impossible.
You probably have to go through 4 more clicks than normal to even think about finding a class or personal information. On top of this, you do not even know if you are clicking in the right folders, because they do not display what subsections are in the next folders. The color coordination of the Registrar is barely visible, and there are a ton of bugs with the schedule of classes. Overall, I think that both Growl and the old Registrar system worked with about an 80% efficiency, and R’Web at a stron 45% efficiency.
Some of you may think that I am talking to quickly, that the system will be improved. I largely doubt this. The school has been working hard in order to figure out the new system, and was very proud to show it. After months of work, it will be very difficult to restart and/or change the current system.
If anything, I implore that the school asks the students what they want in a website, since we and our advisors are the ones actually using the interface. The current system of R’Web does not serve the students, and it is the JOB of this University’s Registrar and Web Services to be able to fix this problem, before it causes students to drop out or miss out on educational opportunities.
