On Aug. 4, BEStAR’s first enrollment day was disrupted by crashes, missing IDs, blank records, and other errors due to heavy traffic, with issues persisting throughout the week. Students voiced frustrations online, prompting swift responses from the Benildean Student Government (BeSG) and the Registrar’s Office (RO).
BEStAR, short for Benilde Student Academic Records, is the College’s new student management system replacing the Student Information System (SIS). Unlike SIS, it centralizes enrollment, schedules, and payments into a single platform with ease.
The transition began July 1 with access and tutorials from the RO, BeSG, and the Office of the Vice President for Finance, followed by a walkthrough webinar and updated guides. Despite these preparations, many students encountered significant issues with the new system during enrollment, from technical errors to scheduling difficulties.
In response, BeSG launched a petition to pause pre-enrollment and opened a Google Form for students to report issues. Later that day, the RO announced that the system had stabilized, while BeSG issued guidelines on petitions for new sections and overload applications.
An anonymous ID124 Animation student shared in an interview with The Benildean that she faced repeated errors like “failed to load data” pop-ups, gateway crashes, and inaccurate schedule calculations. While tutorials explained features, she noted they “didn’t prepare me for how hectic the process would be with everyone enrolling at the same time and with all the bugs and errors.”
She urged improvements to ensure the site “can function effectively with a large number of students accessing it at the same time.”
BeSG President Joshua Jeridan Castro stated in an interview with The Benildean that BeSG was involved with the new BEStAR system before its first rollout. A week before enrollment, the BeSG was informed by the Information and Technology Support Office (ITSO) that they would test the Enrollment module, but the test never took place, with no reason given.
“What we did not expect was the frequency and severity of system errors, most notably the Gateway Error 500 crashes,” he explained, noting that the system lacked crucial “traffic-management features” required of platforms resembling “a concert-ticket system,” Castro said.
On enrollment day, BeSG’s channels were flooded with concerns. Castro used a custom AI to cut response time from an hour to 10 minutes, resolving simple queries and escalating complex cases to the RO and ITSO.
“Though BEStAR got off to a rough start, we hope the community’s involvement will help us develop it into a truly student-centered platform,” Castro said, encouraging students to use the Helpdesk for feedback.
Understanding BEStAR
From the Information Systems and Technology Office (ISTO), Chief Technology Officer Ms. Shirley Manubay explained that BEStAR is a cloud-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) managed by a provider. She said the system underwent functional and load testing before launch, along with security measures like encryption and access controls.
On Aug. 4, unusually high activity triggered disruptions. “ISTO began monitoring at 7:30 a.m. and noticed irregularities 10 minutes before enrollment,” Ms. Manubay said, adding the system stabilized by 11 a.m. She noted server restarts caused some to lose records or enroll in full classes, but assured that the RO worked with program chairs to accommodate them.
Looking ahead, Ms. Manubay stated that "Even after the system had stabilized around 11 a.m. on Aug. 4, we continued working with the service provider to make BEStAR even more reliable." She added that improvements include "better management of system resources to handle high traffic smoothly, along with overall system optimization to prevent issues in future enrollment activities."
In an interview with The Benildean, Mr. Angelo Marco U. Lacson, Vice Chancellor for Academics, shared the expectations and adjustments made during BEStAR’s first full-scale implementation.
“The launch aimed to provide students with an updated and intuitive platform to select subjects, finalize schedules, and make payments seamlessly. We expected a smooth enrollment experience,” he said, noting that while the first hours revealed areas for improvement, the system later stabilized.
He explained that support channels were prepared in anticipation of challenges. “A support hub was established to allow the service provider, the Registrar’s enrollment team, and ISTO to coordinate directly.” The Helpdesk also monitored inquiries, though the release of formal advisories was delayed as they awaited details from the service provider.
Lacson highlighted BEStAR’s role in improving communication and accessibility, allowing students to view announcements, calendars, schedules, and requests, while advisers can monitor academic progress for personalized guidance. He added that BeStar will soon integrate with the library, career portal, and engagement platforms, including document requests.
“We appreciate the community’s patience and constructive feedback. We also encourage everyone to share concerns responsibly, helping us maintain a positive environment for all,” he ended.
As the College works to address BEStAR’s flaws, both students and administrators look forward to smoother enrollments ahead. Despite a rocky debut, its promise to streamline academic processes remains, depending on how quickly and effectively issues are resolved before the next rollout.
