[CentOS] Changing a user's shell on CentOS Directory Server?

Should unprivileged users be able to change their shell with lchsh on
5.3 and, if it matters, CentOS Directory Server?  lchsh seems to
require more open permissions than those which come with a default
installation:

     Error initializing libuser: could not open configuration file
`/etc/default/useradd': Permission denied.

Matt