Sometimes the smallest change can make the biggest difference. We're confident that the change the university is making in class numbering will do just that.

The university has decided to shift from its current system of numbering to a system that numbers courses from 0001-9999. The university's reasoning on this shift is sound. The new numbering system will bring Marquette more in line with other universities and will make more sense to administrators at post-graduate institutions and employers reviewing transcripts. In addition, it will better reflect the differences between upper level and lower level classes and make it easier for students to know at a glance what they are signing up for.

We were glad to hear the university will be providing an equivalency sheet with the old and new class numbers similar to the one provided with the new CheckMarq. The class equivalency translator should be operational by March 1. Academic advising occurs the week of March 16, and fall class registration begins March 23. This timeline provides plenty of opportunities for students to check out the changes and make the necessary notes in their class plans for next year.

We thank the university for holding off on making the change while we all adjusted to the new CheckMarq and Degree Navigator. Both of these programs are incredibly useful for students, but too many changes at once would have certainly been fraught with problems and stressful for students.

The new course notes will give an explanation of each class' method of delivery, for example, being an online, hybrid or lecture-only course. We appreciate that the university has chosen to provide more information about courses before students register for them, as the current class snapshot function is only of limited help. We thank the university for its foresight on this issue and encourage professors to list the required amount of out-of-class work, such as service learning hours.

As the switch to the better class numbering system moves forward, we hope advisers take the time to understand the changes and their implications for students. Students and administrators alike will have to ride the learning curve as the university switches to the new system. Mistakes are bound to occur, but the best way to avoid serious error is for all involved to familiarize themselves with these changes.

We're glad the university is taking steps to improve the advising and class registration processes. We urge Marquette administrators to continue thinking ahead and making positive changes to better the academic lives of students.