During the last two days, the University's Voice Registration Response system has not been its usual user-friendly self as it clicked off selected students when they entered their social security numbers.

"I don't have any classes," said Dave Lambiase (sophomore-meteorology), who was disconnected from the system. "I've been trying for six or seven hours to get a class and I don't have anything. I feel like I won't get a class."

Director of Management Services Ken Blythe said that in some instances, the system experiences technical difficulties when a student enters their social security number.

"When people put in their social security number, it kicks out," he said. "It's not happening to everyone," Blythe said. "From what we see, it's happening to only a small number of communications."

Only six lines out of 32 are malfunctioning, but Blythe said this can have a large effect.

"What is happening is that students are getting clicked off and other students get through to these lines," Blythe said. "Students who get through to a line that is working properly stay on for a while."

Blythe said the problems were mostly due to a vast number of students using the phone registration system and to a new operating system.

"The new version is supposed to have better performance," he said. "However, it happens that sometimes when you get a new operating system there are unexpected problems."

Blythe said he did not know when the problem would be resolved but that the department was working frantically to correct it.

"We apologize for the inconvenience it is causing the students," he said. "We're not happy when these things occur."

Blythe said malfunctions like this do not occur often.

"We've had several good semesters prior to this," he said. "It's not frequent."

He said computers in University offices shut off two times yesterday morning due to a work overload, making it difficult for students to not only drop and add classes, but to make tuition payments.

Students, staff and faculty agree that the breakdowns have caused great inconvenience.

"It's terrible," said Eric Seiken (junior-psychology). "I have to pick up classes. Once you get in, you get disconnected. It's frustrating. "

"It was a serious inconvenience triumphed by excellent staff work," said Associate Head for the Department of English James Rambeau. "They did a lot of hand stuff and kept people from panicking."

Diane Southland, secretary for the English Department, said she did not even want to talk about the computer breakdowns, because she had a headache from the numerous phone calls she received throughout the day.

"The phone does not stop ringing," she said. "I've gotten close to 200 calls today."