Over 3000 U. students may be barred from PARIS

PARIS may become off-limits to more than 3000 students next week. Because of tomorrow's administrative deadlines set up by Student Health and the College of Arts and Sciences, students will be barred from advanced registration if they do not turn in health insurance forms, declare their major or provide a record of immunizations. Although administrators said students have been responding to these separate requirements throughout the semester, there is still a large pool of students whom the administration is targeting for compliance: · Kent Peterman, an executive assistant to College Dean Norman Adler, said approximately 800 upperclassmen had not declared majors at the end of last year. · Immunization Coordinator Vernell Edwards said 200 new students have not completed the appropriate paperwork. · Student Health Director MarJeanne Collins said the number of students without insurance is a significant number, but is "under 3000." Student Health and the College Office have been working to reduce those numbers by sending letters to students who have not complied with requirements. Administrators said they will not know until tomorrow's deadline how many students will actually be barred. When students restricted from registration call PARIS for pre-registration beginning November 4, they will be told to contact their division offices. "I don't know that it would have been possible before PARIS," she said. Immunization's Edwards said he barred 200 students from pre-registration two years ago, and last year, when he did not use that technique, students complied more slowly than they had with the restriction. He added that his main goal is to get students who are not in compliance to contact him, even if they cannot fill out the forms right away. "Once I talk to the students, I do remove the block because they have to register," he said. "The good thing it does for me is to contact the students personally to find out what's going on." According to Collins, this is the first year Student Health has used restricted registration to deal with insurance problems, although they set a deadline in September which was not enforced. The earlier deadline drew protests from foreign students, many of whom had signed up for a $360 insurance plan which the University said was unacceptable and who then had to sign up for a $930 plan. Many juniors and seniors in the College said they are unhappy with the deadline placed on them to declare a major, but administrators and student leaders said the restriction is a good tool for helping students plan their academic programs. Peterman said earlier this week that students should map their academic courses before junior year. "We believe it takes considerable planning and thought to plan a major," he said. Waivers are available for students who cannot declare a major now or who are unable to buy insurance.

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