By: JANIE HARRIS

Staff Writer

Piedmont College recently switched from a three-digit to a four digit course numbering system.

According registrar Carla Edenfield, the biggest difference between the two systems is an extra digit and possibly an extra letter in the course name and code.

For example, ENG 101 is now ENGL 1101, and MATH 210 is now MATH 2100.

“We are asking that students use the new numbers when registering for spring semester. Faculty advisors will be able to help students with entering the new numbers on registration forms,” wrote Edenfield via e-mail.

There are some students who dislike the idea of the change.

Sophomore English major Hayley Major said, “I think it [the change of system] is pointless.”

Sophomore mass communications major Sarah Brown agreed with Major.

Brown said, “I don’t see a reason for [the change of system].”

According to Edenfield, Piedmont decided to make this change after doing some research that found most schools use this four digit system.

Dean of Arts and Sciences Steven Nimmo said another reason for the change was the three-digit system was beginning to be ineffective.

Piedmont was beginning to run out of numbers to name courses, so the four-digit system will allow the school to have a larger range of numbers to using in naming.

“I think, like anything else, it is going to take some adjustment getting used to, but it will be very good for us after all the adjustment has happened,” said Nimmo.

“I think it might be confusing for students that have used the old system,” said Brooke Martin, a junior education major.

However, not all students agree as to whether the change in numbers will have a negative effect.

“I feel like students will not notice a change, and it is not that big of a deal,” said Michele Morelli sophomore business major.

Nimmo believes this change will rid students of the confusion of some courses.

Specifically, he has noticed that students have confused English courses with engineering courses because of the similar three letter prefix.

Because a large number of colleges and universities in Georgia use this four-digit system, this switch may ease some of the troubles of students transferring to Piedmont within Georgia’s system, Nimmo said.

He said there still might be some issues with transferring courses from other schools, as courses listed with the same course name at Piedmont may not be the exact course at another institution.