Dillard administrators have re-instituted a $400 late-registration fee to encourage more students to register on time, but its effect remains to be seen.

According to unofficial statistics released Jan. 20, 86 percent of students had registered by the close of registration on Jan. 8, down four percentage points from the 90 percent registered by the start last fall.

The official 14-day census for final enrollment will be available Friday, the day after the Courtbouillon‘s release.

Bursar Kimberly Weston said this semester is the first time the late fee is being charged since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. At presstime, a definite number had not been provided of students who had to pay late registration this semester, but Weston said all who were charged had to pay the full amount.

“Unfortunately, there are no exceptions to the late-fee policy,” she said.

Dr. Toya Barnes-Teamer, vice president for Student Success, said she thinks the late fee will make a difference.

Unofficial numbers provided by Student Success on Jan. 20 indicate 985 students were enrolled at Dillard this semester by the close of the registration period on Jan. 8. That number compares with 1,029 reported by Barnes-Teamer’s office in the Sept. 24, 2009, Courtbouillon for the fall semester. The reduction by 44 students amounts to 4 percent fewer, but that number is expected to be adjusted on Friday.

Of the 985 total this spring, Barnes-Teamer said 848, or 86 percent, had registered by Jan. 8, compared with 928 of the total 1,029 students, or 90 percent, registered by the start of the fall 2009 semester.

Barnes-Teamer said the administration has sought to make students more aware of the $400 late-registration fee via flyers around campus, electronic board messages in the library and in Rosenwald, on “myDU” online and as part of advising and registration.

The 2009-10 university catalog states on Page 21 a special late registration fee of $400 will be “charged to all students who fail to complete their registration, which includes the payment of fees and the validation of schedules at the time designated by the university.”