Holding you back

Many CSU students will deal with holds on registration sometime

during college.

Lindsay Tempas, a junior art major at CSU, is familiar with the

inconvenience of having a hold preventing her from registering. Her

hold came from a noise violation.

“Of the five roommates I lived with last year, the citation (for

a noise violation) was written in my name,” Tempas said. “I

couldn’t attend the Party Partners class I was scheduled for, and

when I went to register, I had a hold.”

Holds can be applied to student accounts from different

departments on campus and for different reasons.

“We deal with everything ranging from students who have not

received their immunization shots, fulfilled academic requirements,

to outstanding financial bills or students who need advising,” said

Nolan Oltjenbruns, associate registrar.

Departments implementing holds include University Parking

Services, the Morgan Library, Hartshorn Health Center and campus

and local law enforcement.

Unpaid parking tickets will place a hold on a student’s account

if they are not paid within 22 business days from the date they

were received.

“A business week after the ticket is written, the student

receives a letter informing them the fine has doubled. If there is

no response, 15 business days later, the fine is sent to Accounts

Receivable (Operations), where the university considers it the same

as any other unpaid bill and places a hold on the student’s

account,” said Mike Rose director of parking services.

Overdue books checked out from Morgan Library can also give

students a hold on their account.

“Morgan Library is unique, we are one of the few libraries in

Colorado that does not immediately fine for overdue books,” said

Jim Farmer, coordinator of access services and building proctor for

Morgan Library.

If a book is 45 days overdue, the library will send the student

a replacement bill of $100 unless the student takes other action.

Every Tuesday, Morgan Library sends a file to accounts receivable,

which decides if a hold needs to be placed on the student account,

Farmer said.

“It seemed revolutionary 10 years ago, but the policy has

sustained. The only reason fines are placed is to make sure

students have an equal opportunity,” he said.

Also, students can receive holds for not having two measles,

mumps, and

rubella vaccinations.

“Students receive a hold on their account by not complying with

Colorado’s law of having two MMRs,” said Bonnie Countryman, an

administrative assistant in the immunization department at

Hartshorn Health Center.

Students who have infractions with the resident halls, the CSU

Police Department and Fort Collins Police Services can also have a

hold put on their account.

Some disciplinary action requires students to fulfill

educational, alcohol or drug classes. If these classes are not

completed on time, the next penalty is a hold on these students’

registration, said Ann Hudgens, executive director for Campus

Life.

“Our department does not use academic punishment as a penalty,”

she said.

For a student to have this type of hold removed, he or she must

do four hours of community service and a workshop in addition to

the original class, Hudgens said.

According to the Center for Advising and Student Achievement,

students have access to resources on campus that can help them

release the hold from their account.

“What we try to do in each case is help the student obtain the

necessary resources to release the hold,” said Paul Thayer,

director for the CASA.