Errors found in student planner

The UNM Day Planner, given to freshmen at orientation and sold at the UNM Bookstore, has inaccurate information.
The Planner mistakenly lists Sept. 3 and Sept. 17 as the last day to drop a course without a grade.

Laura Valdez, senior program manager at the Advisement Center, said the actual dates to drop classes with a grade were Sept. 3 for eight-week classes and Sept. 10 for 16-week classes.

“We are aware of the misprint, but there is a disclaimer in the student planner that states that events are subject to change,” she said.

UNM student Alex Castro said many students rely on the dates listed in the planner.
“I use my planner every day,” he said. “I was lucky enough not to run into the problem with the drop date, but if you depend on the dates in there, a misprint is a big deal.”

Lisa Walden, general book/supplies manager of the Bookstore, said the bookstore sold 2,913 copies of the planner to date, in addition to the planners handed out at freshman orientation. She said planners are still being sold, and bookstore officials were unaware of the misprint.

The Dean of Students Office oversees content and the production of the planner, and the Bookstore is responsible only for resale, Walden said.

Corine Gonzales, of the New Student Orientation department of the Dean’s Office, said a student brought the misprint to the office’s attention in September. She said the office worked with the student and the student’s professor, and the student was allowed to drop the course without a grade, even though the drop date passed.

“We are willing to work with any students who are experiencing problems dropping classes as a result of the misprint,” she said.

Student Anita Griego said she is fortunate not to have purchased the flawed planner. “A misprint like that is something that could really highly affect someone’s GPA,” she said.

Student Caitlin Campbell said she hopes the rest of the dates are correct.

“I think it’s really irresponsible for such an important date to have been printed wrong,” she said.
In the future, Gonzales said, the office will proofread the planner more carefully.

“It was an oversight, definitely. We are continuing to proofread and go through the rest of the planner to make sure we haven’t missed any more errors,” she said.