With most of the kinks worked out of the Wolverine Access online class registration system, it seems one problem will never go away watching the classes in that carefully planned schedule close just minutes before your registration appointment.

Student athletes are less likely to have that happen to them this year, however, because of a new policy giving them priority registration times.

Instead of receiving random appointments within their registration bracket like the rest of the student body, this semester athletes are scheduled before everyone else in their bracket. Students are grouped together in seven brackets based on the number of credits they have, with the first group for those with more than 100 credits and the last for those with less than 24 credits.

"Athletes have a difficult time making progress toward graduation because their practice schedule starts mid-afternoon. They don"t have access to the same classes," explained Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Lester Monts.

That may be the case, some students say, but everyone has conflicts they have to work around.

"There"s valid reasoning behind it," said LSA junior Karishma Patel. "But it"s not fair to other students. We all have our own obligation."

Others rationalized the policy by saying the University favors athletes over the rest of the student body.

"It"s a Big Ten school. (Athletics) are a big deal here," said Art and Design senior Maggie Kippola.

First-year Law student Mike Groebe said he doesn"t mind the new policy. "They get special treatment anyway. It"s not like this makes much of a difference."

But Monts said the University policy is much tamer than that of other schools.

"At other universities, athletes go before all students," he said.

Athletes are not the only students who get preferential registration times. Students with disabilities register early, too, in order to accommodate schedules with interpreters or van rides across campus.

Registration appointments began Monday and last until April 16.

After students in the highest bracket register, they will be followed by those in bracket two, which includes students with 85-99 credits, bracket three (70-84 credits), bracket four (55-69 credits), bracket five (40-54 credits), bracket six (25-39 credits) and bracket seven (0-24 credits).

Within each bracket, students are randomly assigned a registration date.

LSA freshman Vidya Mony is registering on April 13 but said she didn"t expect any better as a freshman. "I would like an earlier date, but it doesn"t bother me. I just hope to get my classes."