Long Beach City College is using QLess for the second semester and there are questions from students regarding whether or not it is as successful as it was intended.
QLess is a virtual line system the Cashier’s, Admissions, and Financial Aid Offices have adopted that holds a students place and sends frequent updates regarding appointment status through the phone, much like a restaurant pager.
There have been mixed reviews from students about the app, some think it’s a good method of saving time while others acknowledge its a good concept but difficult to put into practice.
Haley Chojnacki, a LBCC student, spoke of her frustrations with the software.
“It still has it’s technical issues. Like you’ll type your name in the system but because so many students are also typing in their name yours gets lost. Also the wait times are still extremely long. I had to wait 2 hours just for one line,” Chojnacki said.
Students expected Qless to alleviate some wait time but many were left confused when their wait times seemed to have doubled when compared to just standing in a physical line.
Student Support Staff have acknowledged that some students still want to wait around the offices despite the long wait time by adding a shaded area with chairs to make waiting a little more comfortable.
Mike Munoz, Vice President of Student Support Staff, explained “Qless doesn’t necessarily reduce the time you have to wait in the lines, it just allows you to not have to physically wait in a three hour long line in the heat.”
“Students are getting frustrated because they think that Qless is creating these wait times, but the long lines are due to the time of the semester and the fact that we have over 24,000 students all needing the services at once,” Munoz added.
Despite objections to Qless, some students like Daniel Degirolamo, believe the Qless system is convenient for students and their schedules.
“I like it because you’re able to work around your class schedule. I find it the most effective to sign up between classes therefore you aren’t just waiting for your name to be first,” Degirolamo said.
With Qless, students now have the convenience of being able to wait in line without the fear of losing their place or the irritability that comes with waiting, which can allow for smoother interactions between the staff and students.
Federal Student Work Study Volunteer Wendy Ramirez explains her thoughts on the new method.
“Traffic flow is a lot easier now. Normally for the first two weeks there are lines out the door, but now we offer shade and seats. Something good about it is that you get to wait in multiple lines at once,” Ramirez said.
Munoz and the Student Support Staff essentially want to eliminate potential long lines with the Qless system.
“In the spring semester the book loan EOPS will launch online. We are also going to be having a debriefing group, that will go over what we can improve with the system and also include students feedback. We know at first students are going to resist the idea of a new system but in the long run I think it’ll improve the overall student experience,” Munoz explains.
Along with the Spring EOPS book loan program, the Student Support Staff plans to add a feature for students to be able to upload their Financial Aid forms online.