By Darleen Denno, Staff Writer
Urbandictionary.com defines the term “Hofstra shuffle” as “The process in which a student at Hofstra University is forced to go through when the ladies who work in the student accounts building lose FAFSA information. [It] also refers to what occurs when Hofstra staff losses housing information, withdraws students and when they forget to apply your scholarship money and then expect you to pay an extra five grand that you don’t have.”
The Hofstra shuffle can also be used to describe students putting considerable effort into completing a simple task or being passed off to other departments when in need of information, and normally ending up where they began.
“I’m still scarred,” said sophomore Katie Smith. “I was told I didn’t fill out the homestead forms properly to homestead my room last year. I had to talk to the RD, who instructed me to go to residential life, which told me to go back to my RD.”
I recently experienced the Hofstra shuffle when I wanted to drop two courses and add another one in their place, along with change my major. I made an appointment to see my adviser and got there early. My adviser forgot about a meeting, so I was passed off to a different adviser.
After going over the appointment time by 15 minutes, I had the forms needed to add and drop classes, as well as the forms to change my major.
The part advisers don’t tell you about changing your major is that you have to run, a lot. They give you papers and make you hurry around campus, hoping you can find the right building and the right person. Once you find the correct office, you pray that they haven’t left for the day, and are willing to sign your papers.
My prayers went unanswered. When I found the English department everyone there was gone. I made an appointment with the student aid to see someone the next morning.
Because I couldn’t do anything about my change of major form until the next morning, I ran to the registrar’s office to drop off the one paper that did get signed by my adviser to add and drop courses.
There was a line of anxious students wrapping around the desk for the same thing. I stood in line for 20 minutes before being told that I couldn’t be helped, because the woman working that day needed my pin number.
“But I’m not a grad student,” I said.
She replied, “That’s odd. No one else needs pin numbers. Run down to advisement and see what they can do. Then come back and see me.”
Exhausted, I returned to advisement and was seen immediately. Frustrated, annoyed and slightly gross from running, I turned my form in to the registrar’s office. Classes dropped and class added—major change still to come.
I’m not the only student that suffers from the Hofstra shuffle.
“It’s so frustrating,” said junior Amy Allgor. “I don’t want to change my major because I’m afraid of the Hofstra shuffle.”