Course Registration and Waiting List Policy

 

“Majors Only” Restriction on ES Courses During the First Registration Pass
 
Wait List and Crashing Procedure for ES Courses Full or Closed on GOLD

1)  “Majors Only” Policy for First Registration Pass: 

All upper-division Environmental Studies (ES) courses enforce a “majors only” restriction during the FIRST Registration Pass.  This means only officially declared ES and Hydrology majors are allowed to register for upper-division ES courses during pass one.  If space is still available at the start of the SECOND Registration pass, courses are open to any major as long as they meet the designated course prerequisites.

Click here to officially declare the Environmental Studies or Hydrology Major.

2)  Wait List & Crashing Policy for Full or Closed Courses on GOLD:

If an ES course is either full or closed on GOLD students are encouraged to add themselves to the online course wait list found at:  http://waitlist.ucsb.edu.   Be sure to include a justification why you want to take the class.  Students must also attend the first day of class or risk loosing priority or being dropped from the wait list. There is no guarantee those on the wait list will get in as it's up to the instructor’s discretion who and how many students they elect to add. If space becomes available the course instructor will let students know how they plan to prioritize their crash list during the first week of lecture, so be sure to attend class.

Note:  If a full course is not officially 'closed' check back on GOLD frequently as space may open up as students drop the class.  These spaces are available on a first come basis until the course is officially closed by the instructor or after the 5th day of instruction, when approval codes become mandatory to add any UCSB course.

Commonly asked questions regarding the ES Program’s policy on managing full or closed courses.

1)  When does the department close courses that are full and start an online wait list?

  1. The ES Program will leave all courses open on GOLD till at least the first day of instruction, even if the course reaches maximum capacity.  The only exception is if a course instructor decides to close a course sooner to control who gets into the course (see "d" below).
  2. Students interested in enrolling in a specific ES course are encouraged to check GOLD and add themselves to course(s) as spaces become available.
  3. Once a course reaches enrollment capacity an online wait list will be created at waitlist.ucsb.edu. Students looking to add/crash the course are encouraged to signup and then attend the first day of lecture where the course instructor will provide specific details as to how they will handle those wishing to add the course.
  4. In certain circumstances an ES instructor may elect to officially Close a course on GOLD prior to the first day of instruction.  In such cases students should add themselves to the online wait list waitlist.ucsb.edu and  attend the first day of class.

2)  Who should students contact if a course is full and one wants to add/crash the course?

  1. Students should not contact the instructor or TA for an approval (add) code. 
  2. If a class is full, students should sign up via the UCSB online wait list system.
  3. Most ES courses will open their wait list once the class reaches maximum enrollment, but check the UCSB waitlist website regularly waitlist.ucsb.edu as instructors may elect to initiate a wait list prior to it being full.

3)  How are wait lists handled and what information will be collected from students:

  1. Students will login using their UCSB NET-ID and password and enter their full name, PERM, class rank, major, umail, 50 word max as to why they want/need the course, and their preferred lab or discussion section if required.
  2. Wait lists will be prioritized according to the instructor’s preference.  Typically, the wait list is prioritized by prerequisites met, major and class level.
  3. Most ES faculty will not start issuing add codes till at least the first day of class. So be sure to attend the first course lecture where the instructor will address how they plan to handle those on the wait list and issuing codes. 

4)  What action(s) should students take until they know if they can add the course?

  1. Students are expected to attend the first and all subsequent lectures, and if the class has a required section/lab, attend ONE section and let the TA know they are interested in adding the class. 
  2. Continue to attend lectures until receiving an approval code from the instructor or TA or the instructor announces the class is closed for the rest of the quarter and no more approval codes will be distributed.

5)  What should students avoid doing if they want to secure an add code?

  1. Students should not skip lecture.
  2. Students should not contact instructors if classes are full but instead add themselves on the wait list and attend the first day of instruction.
  3. Students should not contact or pressure TAs, they do not have the ability to add students to classes (unless the instructor decides to give TA’s authority to issue approval Codes).

6)  When will the decision about add codes be made?

  1. Wait listed students should not expect an e-mail response once they have signed-up with the online waitlist system.  Some instructors will specifically state a timeline for issuing approval codes via email, but otherwise, just plan to attend the first day of class where additional information will be given by the instructor.

7)  What should the students do if they decide not to take the course anymore?

  1. The students can withdraw themselves from the online wait list at anytime.  However, if the student decides to take another course after receiving an approval code for a course they should quickly return the approval code to the course instructor so another student may be added.

8)  How long do students have to enroll after being given the add codes?

  1. Students are generally given 48 hours after being given the add codes to enroll in the class.  If the student does not enroll within that time frame, his/her spot may be given to the next student on the priority list.
  2. Add codes may be issued by instructors and used up to the posted add deadline for that quarter (normally the end of the third week of the quarter).

Important things to know about UCSB’s Course Wait Lists:

  1. There is currently no campus wide wait list policy.  Each department/instructor is responsible for their own add/crash procedures, so be sure to check each department's website for instructions or attend the first day of class.
  2. If a course wait list exists, being on it does not guarantee one a spot in the class. Wait lists are a tool to help instructors assess and prioritize student demand.
  3. The existence of a wait list does not guarantee there will be additional spots available for the course.
  4. When you submit your information to the online course wait list write clearly and professionally. Once you submit your information, you will not be able to change it.
  5. Add codes are issued by the course instructor, not the wait list website.
  6. An Approval (add) Code is the means for a course instructor to allow a student to register in their course, bypassing registration restrictions, including:
    1. Instructor or department approval required prior to registration
    2. Major limitations
    3. Level limitations
    4. Missing Prerequisite
    5. Closed or full classes

The UCSB online waitlist website is: https://waitlist.ucsb.edu