Reserved Seats

The registration system is designed to provide equal access to courses with limited enrollments. In order to achieve this goal, instructors have the option of distributing seats in a class based on class year and major. As seniors (followed by juniors, then sophomores and, finally, first-year students) go to their reservation sessions, an equitable proportion of the seats set aside for their class will be made available to them. Seats set aside for one class that are not taken will be proportionally allocated to the next class. Online Registration shows how many seats are reserved for each group of students. Below are some guidelines for understanding this distribution, followed by specific examples.

• A number in a space means seats are reserved for a group of students during the registration period;
• A "0" means those students may enroll in the course, but there are no seats specifically reserved for them;
• An "X" means those students are excluded from the course.
• If a course has an unlimited enrollment, no distribution is necessary.
• If a course requires Permission of Instructor, no class distribution is necessary, as students will be enrolled at the Instructor's discretion.
• If they have not been excluded ("X"), majors have access to seats reserved for non-majors.
• Seats reserved specifically for majors will roll down to non-majors during advisor authorization. Any major seats not taken during the course reservation periods will be available to non-majors during the advisor authorization period unless a student's class year has been excluded.

Examples:

1.  

   Reserved Seats (Total Limit 20)

   SR major: X     JR major: X
   SR non-maj: X JR non-major: X Sophomore: X First-Year: 20

   In this example (an FYI course), senior majors, junior majors, senior non-majors, junior non-majors, and sophomores are all excluded. All twenty seats are reserved for first-year students. During Advisor Authorization, leftover seats would only be available to first-year students, as no other class years are eligible.

2.  

   Reserved Seats (Total Limit 30)

   SR major: 10 JR major: 10
   SR non-maj:  JR non-major: Sophomore: 10 First-Year: X

   In this example, the instructor is reserving seats for majors and sophomores. During the senior registration period, the ten seats will be available only to majors. During the junior registration period, junior majors will have access to the ten seats reserved for them and to any seats not taken by the senior majors. Junior non-majors will not have access to any of the seats. During the sophomore registration period, sophomores will have access to their ten seats. During Advisor Authorization, majors and non-majors will have access to all remaining seats from all registration periods (major seats and non-major seats). First-Year students will not be allowed to enroll in this course because they are excluded.

   If a course is crosslisted, a student may register for any one of the offerings and still have access to major seats. For example, if a course is offered in the departments of Biology, Psychology, and NS&B, a Biology major may select the course as Psychology, and still be considered a major.

3.  

   Reserved Seats (Unlimited)

   SR major: JR major:
   SR non-maj: JR non-major: Sophomore: X First Year:

   In this example, enrollment in the course is unlimited, so no reservations are necessary. All class years have equal access to all seats, except sophomores, who are excluded.

4.  

   Reserved Seats (Total Limit: 8)

   SR major:     JR major:
   SR non-maj: JR non-major: Sophomore: First Year:
   Special Attributes
   
   Permission: Permission of Instructor Required

   In this example, no seats have been reserved because this is a Permission of Instructor section. Enrollment is determined by the instructor; therefore, there are no seat reservations by class year. Students must still select the course during the reservation period.

The designation computerized placement is unsuitable, e.g., when an instructor requires review of portfolios, writing samples, auditions, etc. Students who meet the criteria and intend to enroll in such courses must submit a Permission of Instructor Form FROM THE COURSE INSTRUCTOR to the Registrar before they can select the course on-line. The form must be submitted prior to selecting the course. A Permission of Instructor form guarantees enrollment in a course as long as the student has submitted the form to the Registrar before selecting the course during their on-line reservation session.

Many course descriptions include stated curricular prerequisites; e.g., FREN215 requires FREN116. Each student's academic record will be scanned for compliance with prerequisites for selected courses. Students will not be able to register in courses unless they have successfully completed the stated prerequisites. The registration system will not check for prerequisites for which a student is currently enrolled. Likewise if a student will concurrently enroll for the prerequisite in the term for which he or she is registering, and concurrent enrollment in the prerequisite is suitable to the instructor, a prerequisite override must be obtained before the student can enroll in the course.

Students who wish to enroll in a course for which they lack prerequisites should discuss their qualifications with the instructor. If the instructor deems them qualified, students must obtain a Prerequisite Override Form from the Registrar, the instructor, and return it to the Registrar Office prior to selecting the course.

Transfer students who have transferred in a course comparable to a Wesleyan course must submit a Prerequisite Override form. A Prerequisite Override allows a student to be considered for enrollment in a course but does not guarantee enrollment.