There will be some new procedures in the course registration system for the upcoming spring semester. Students will be able to pre-register to required and elective courses. Courses will be pre-loaded based on these choices as much as possible. In addition, registered elective courses will be matched with students’ curriculum requirements during course registrations. Similarly, if a course is being taken to replace another course taken in a prior semester, this information will be noted during registration and it will not be possible to modify it at a later time.

PRE-REGISTRATIONS:

A pre-registration system will be used for all undergraduate programs next spring. Students will be able to pre-register to all spring semester courses until January 6, 2012, via the SRS system. The pre-registration system used for elective courses in previous semester has now been expanded to include all courses, including required courses and minor program courses.

The pre-registration system aims to determine the list of courses a student plans to take next semester and use this information for better section, schedule, and limit/quota planning in addition to more successful pre-loading of courses. During pre-registrations, students will be asked to name the courses they intend to take without considering sections, availability, or schedule conflicts.

Spring semester pre-registrations will begin on December 23, 2011, and continue through January 6, 2012.

Since pre-registrations will close before fall grades are determined, a student’s academic standing may not be fully known during pre-registrations. It is advised that students pre-register while considering their probable standing for next semester. (As far as course prerequisites and curriculum requirements are concerned, the computer system will assume that the student will pass all courses registered in the fall semester.)

The number of pre-registered courses may not exceed the upper limit of the course load by more than one course. For each elective course group, the system will allow pre-registration to one extra elective course as a backup.

Pre-registrations will be taken for major and minor courses separately.

During pre-loading of courses, pre-registered courses will have a higher priority. For students who do not pre-register to any courses at all, pre-loading will proceed as in previous semesters.

Pre-loading results will be announced on January 30, 2012, at 4:30pm and course appointment-based registrations will begin the next day. Just as in the fall semester, students will be able to modify their registered courses within limits imposed by course schedules and limit/quota values.

MATCHING ELECTIVE COURSES TO CURRICULUM REQUIREMENTS:

Starting with the upcoming spring semester, all registered elective courses will be matched with curriculum requirements during the registration for that course. The STARS system will determine and display this match during normal registrations and pre-registrations. If a registered course may be used to fulfill more than one elective requirement in the curriculum, the student will be asked to do the matching in SRS. If a registered course does not match any requirement, it will be marked as an extra course.

It will not be possible to change the curriculum match of a course after registrations. For this reason, students who are not sure about the curriculum match of a given course should consult their academic advisor or department as soon as possible.

Taking a course in lieu of a required course in the curriculum is only possible with the decision of the Faculty/School Executive Board. These decisions should be made before course registrations.

TAKING AND ELECTIVE COURSE IN LIEU OF A PREVIOUSLY TAKEN ELECTIVE COURSE:

Students may repeat a previously taken elective course for a number of reasons. (For example, F/FX grades, probation/unsuccessful standing, or by choice.) In these circumstances, a student may either repeat the same course or another course from the same elective course group. An approval is not needed to take a different course from the same elective pool.

However, the student has to declare that an elective is being taken in lieu of a previously taken elective course during registration for that course. Contrary to earlier practice, the “in lieu of this course” information must be entered to the system via SRS during course registration. Moreover, once this information is in the system, it will not be possible to modify it.

ACADEMIC CALENDAR:

A few important dates have been added to the academic calendar.
Course pre-registrations: 23 December 2011 - 6 January 2012
Last day for applying for admittance to a minor program: 9 January 2012 Last day for applying for transfer to another department: 19 January 2012