The on-line registration system is designed to provide equal access to courses with limited enrollments. In order to achieve this goal, seats in limited enrollment courses are set aside for each class year. 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’ reservation sessions.

The Course Book lists the faculty preferences for limited enrollment courses. In some courses, faculty give preference to certain class years and majors by reserving a number of seats for them during the registration period (indicated by a specific number). Other class years may be excluded from the course (indicated by an X). Still students in other class years may be allowed to enroll in the course, but they may not have seats specifically reserved for them (indicated by a "blank"). In this case, any reserved seats not taken will be available to those students in the remaining registration periods. These remaining seats will also be available to all eligible students during the Adviser Authorization period. Students in excluded class years will not be considered for enrollment in any of the registration phases. With the reservation system, students are able to see how many spaces are reserved for their class out of the total limit. Here’s how it works:

A. 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 Adviser Authorization, leftover seats would only be available to First-year students, as no other class years are eligible.

B. 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. The instructor is not reserving seats for non-majors, but is not excluding them from the course, which means they will have access to any remaining seats during Adviser Authorization. First-year students are excluded from this course. During the Senior registration period, ten seats will be available to majors. Non-majors will not have access to the major seats. 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 and all leftover seats from the previous sessions. First-Year students will not be allowed to enroll in this course during their registration period or during Adviser Authorization. Senior non-majors and Junior non-majors, however, will have access to all leftover seats during Adviser Authorization because they are not excluded from the class.

C. 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.

D. 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 (as we see under "Special Attributes") this is a Permission of Instructor section. All seats are allotted by the instructor; therefore, there are no seat reservations by class year. Students must still select the course during the reservation period.