Registration and Advising
Registration is a process by which students
become officially enrolled in classes for a given term. Students who attend classes must
complete registration and pay their assessed fees. Registration is not complete until all
fees are paid, including board and room fees for those living in residence halls.
The registration process starts with an advising period, which begins three days prior to
the first day of registration. Advisers provide important information to students that
allow them to register for classes.
Dates for advising and registration are included
in the University Calendar, the ISU Directory, the Schedule of Classes, and the Iowa
State Daily. The dates also are posted on departmental bulletin boards and the World
Wide Web at the URL www.iastate.edu/~registrar/calendar/.
Continuing students will register for the
following semester the middle of the current term. For example, registration for spring
term begins the middle of the previous fall term; registration for summer session is
completed during the previous spring at the same time as registration for fall semester.
The registration period lasts four weeks.
Responsibilities
The registration process includes advising, enrollment in courses, and schedule changes.
This process involves the student, the student’s adviser, and the student
services staff of the student’s college, and in some cases, the dean of
the college. Each is responsible for knowing and following the academic policies and
procedures.
The student is responsible for
the following: knowing university policies and procedures that apply to registration and
schedule changes, and for carrying out those procedures; the accuracy of their
schedule, including schedule adjustments (i.e., adds, drops, section changes); knowing the
degree requirements of his or her major and/or curriculum; planning course schedules to
meet those requirements; and monitoring the accuracy of the advisement/degree audit.
The adviser is responsible for
the following: consulting with advisees during the advising/registration period; providing
information about student’s major and curriculum requirements; providing guidance in
the student’s course selection; assisting the student in monitoring the
advisement/degree audit for accuracy; and for notifying the college student services
office with corrections to the advisement/degree audit.
The college student services staff
is responsible for the following: assisting new and reentering students with the
registration process; resolving unusual scheduling problems; and solving problems or
updating the advisement/degree audit.
The dean is responsible for the
following: making decisions with respect to requests for deviations from university
policies, deadlines, etc. (Students and staff should check with the college office to find
out who is authorized to grant approvals or exceptions on behalf of the dean.)
Registration
Process
To register for classes, students need the following materials and information:
1. Registration Worksheet (provides registration
instructions, and a place to list course reference numbers). Students should use this form
to plan their schedule before meeting with their adviser.
2. A RAN (registration access number) from their
adviser; and PIN (personal identification number) for Web registration on AccessPlus.
2. Course information from the World Wide Web or
the Courses and Programs Bulletin, available for a fee from campus bookstores.
3. Schedule of Classes available from the World
Wide Web at www.iastate.edu/~catalog, the Parks Library reserve desk, departmental and
college offices, and for purchase at campus bookstores.
4. Other departmental information applicable to
their curriculum, available from their adviser.
The following outlines the steps in the
advising and registration process:
1. Students meet with their adviser, who will
provide the following:
a. advisement/degree audit
b. guidance in course selection
c. signature for the Registration Worksheet
d. Registration Authorization Card.
If the Registration Authorization Card is
not available from the adviser, students may present a picture I.D. and Registration
Worksheet with their adviser’s signature to the Registrar’s Student Scheduling
Office, 10 Alumni Hall. A duplicate authorization form will be prepared.
2. Choose specific sections of each course.
Students are responsible for choosing their course sections. In most cases advisers will
not be involved in selecting meeting times.
3. Review Registration Authorization Card for
the following:
a. assigned date and time to register
b. registration access number (printed on the Registration Access Card, a tear-off section
of the authorization card)
c. registration holds (prevents registration)
d. the date and the address used to mail their class schedule
4. Register for courses using either the Web or
Touch-tone Registration systems. Instructions for registration through the systems are
printed on the Registration Worksheet and in the Schedule of Classes bulletin.
Students are assigned a registration start date
and time, which is the first day and time they can use the registration system. In
general, registration start dates are assigned according to each student’s projected
year in school based on the sum of total credits earned and current term credits. Dates
are available on the Web at www.iastate.edu/~registrar/registration. Students may choose
to delay their registration until a later date, but courses will begin to fill on the
first day of registration and any delay may reduce their course selection.
All students are encouraged to register for
courses through either the Web or Touch-tone Registration systems. However, students who
are unable to use either system may register in person by processing their signed
Registration Worksheet in the Registrar’s Student Scheduling Office, 10 Alumni Hall.
Web or Touch-tone Registration systems.
In order to access the Web or Touch-tone Registration systems, students must use their
student I.D. number in combination with the registration access number printed on their
authorization card. (The Web registration system also requires a personal identification
number (PIN) to use AccessPlus.) Students are held accountable for all changes made to
their schedules. To ensure the security of their schedule, students should memorize or
record their registration access number in a secure location and destroy the Registration
Access Card portion of their authorization form. If necessary, students may present their
signed Registration Worksheet and picture I.D. to the Registrar’s Student Scheduling
Office, 10 Alumni Hall to change their registration access number or to get their current
number.
As students register for classes through the Web
or Touch-tone registration systems, messages after each entry indicate whether each
request has been processed. As requests are processed, students should note changes on
their Registration Worksheet.
Students may review their schedules through a
“list” action on the Touch-tone Registration system; or on AccessPlus, from
www.adp.iastate.edu/accessplus.html; and on the kiosks at several locations on campus.
Schedule Changes. Students who
need to add courses or make other schedule changes may process their requests through the
Web or Touch-tone Registration systems. The last day for schedule changes through either
system is the fifth day of classes.
Student schedules are printed and mailed
approximately one month before classes begin. Students who process schedule changes after
this date should note the changes on their printed schedules. Replacement copies of the
student data verification and schedule form are available for a fee. Classroom locations
not listed on the printed schedules can be obtained by requesting a “list”
action on the touch-tone system or by accessing the online Schedule of Classes at www.adp.iastate.edu/cgi-bin/class.
All changes processed before the first day of
classes will be reflected on beginning class lists for instructors.
Registration holds. Students
with holds on their registration will not have access to registration until the initiating
offices have released the holds. Those who attempt to register before the holds have been
released will receive a message indicating which offices have placed holds on their
registration.
Credit limits. For fall and
spring semesters, the credit limit is 18 credits for undergraduates and 15 credits for
graduate students. For summer session, the limit is 12 credits for undergraduates and 10
credits for graduate students. Add requests beyond a student’s credit limit will be
denied. A student must drop credits before they may add another course. In some cases, the
college dean may approve a higher or lower credit limit for individual students. Students
may request a change in their credit limit by contacting their adviser. Advisers should
notify the student’s college student services office if the credit limit needs to be
changed.
Restricted courses/sections.
Some courses or sections are restricted to students who meet specified criteria including
curriculum/major, college, and/or year in school. In addition, some sections may be
restricted to new students to ensure that sufficient spaces are available when new
students register during June orientation. A department may waive a restriction for a
student who has extenuating circumstances. The student must obtain the authorization from
the department on a Schedule Change/Restriction Waiver form. The form is processed in the
Registrar’s Student Scheduling Office, 10 Alumni Hall.
Permission Required courses/sections.
To register for these sections, students must obtain authorization on a Schedule
Change/Restriction Waiver form and process the approved form in the Registrar’s
Student Scheduling Office, 10 Alumni Hall.
Canceled courses/sections. In
some cases, courses or sections may be canceled due to low enrollment or departmental
staffing considerations. If students are registered for a canceled course or section, they
will be
notified by the Office of the Registrar, the department, and/or on their printed schedule.
Registration for disabled students.
Disabled students who need assistance with any phase of registration should contact the
Registrar’s Student Scheduling Office, 10 Alumni Hall.
Student Data Verification Form (SDVF)
The SDVF includes the registration schedule, student information, and registration
receipt and is mailed approximately one month before classes begin. It is the
student’s responsibility to review this information and contact the Office of the
Registrar with changes or corrections.
Fee Payment
The Receivables Office bills students for tuition, room and board, and various other
university charges. A fee statement is mailed on the first of each month to each
student’s in-session or interim address. Students also may view their account status
on AccessPlus (www.adp.iastate.edu/accessplus.html) and on the kiosks at several locations
on campus. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that the Office of the
Registrar has a correct billing address. A student who does not receive a billing
statement before the term begins should go to the Receivables Office to learn the amount
of the account balance due. Failure to receive a billing statement will not exempt
students from late penalties or from having a hold placed on their registration. Also see
Index, Fees and Expenses.
Additional
Registration Regulations
A late registration fee is charged beginning on the first day of classes for fall and
spring terms to initiate a registration. (This fee is not charged for the summer term.) If
registration is not completed by the end of the fifth day of classes, students must obtain
written permission from their advisers, the instructors for the courses they plan to take,
as well as approval from the dean of the college in which they are registered. During the
summer session, these approvals must be obtained in order to register after the third day
of classes.
Registration is closed after the tenth day of
classes for fall and spring semesters, and after the fifth day of classes for summer
session.
Students may not enroll in courses with time
conflicts without the approval of the departments concerned.
Students who participate in off-campus
experiences for which they receive Iowa State University credit must register for that
credit during the term when the experience is taking place, whether or not they are taking
courses on campus during that time.
Students may obtain academic credit for an
activity, either on or off campus, for which they are also paid, provided the activity is
academically relevant. In order for an activity to be defined as academically relevant,
prior arrangements must be made with a faculty member in an appropriate department and
must include agreement on (1) the academic objectives, which the activity is expected to
achieve, and (2) the procedure by which the student’s learning will be assessed. This
policy does not apply to registrations for R (required) credit.
Validating
Enrollment
To validate their enrollment in each course at the beginning of the semester, students
must attend the first or second meeting (first meeting if the class meets only once a
week). Students who add a course after the term begins must attend the next class meeting.
The instructor has the option to offer a registered place in the course to another student
when a registered student fails both to attend and to obtain prior approval of the
instructor. However, those students are not automatically dropped from the course; they
must drop the course or they will receive an F grade.
Making Schedule
Changes
Procedures for schedule changes vary by the time period of the semester. The effective
date of a schedule change is the date on which the change is entered into the registration
system. Schedule change periods are as follows:
Period 1 ends on the fifth day
of classes of the semester. Schedule changes during period 1 are free and do not require
adviser signatures. Instructor or departmental approval may be required for adds or
section changes in some courses during period 1. Course drops during this period do not
count toward a
student’s ISU course drop limit, and will not appear on a student’s grade slip
or permanent record. Schedule changes during period 1 may be processed through the Web or
Touch-tone Registration Systems or by presenting a Schedule Change/Restriction Waiver form
to the Registrar’s Student Scheduling Office, 10 Alumni Hall.
Period 2 ends the third Friday
of classes after the day midterm grades are due. During this period, schedule changes
require signatures of adviser and instructor and are processed on a Schedule
Change/Restriction Waiver form. A $5 fee per visit is assessed for adds, drops, and
section changes during this period. Course drops after period 1 count toward a
student’s ISU drop limit and appear as an X on the grade slip and permanent record. A
course section change replaces the section on the schedule and therefore does not require
a drop.
Drops and other schedule changes that are judged
to be beyond the student’s control may be processed as administrative actions if
approved as such by the college dean. There is no $5 fee for administrative schedule
changes. Administrative drops do not count toward a student’s ISU drop limit and do
not appear as an X on the grade slip and permanent record. The effective date of an
administrative action is the date it is approved by the college dean.
Period 3 follows period 2 and
extends through the remainder of the semester. Schedule changes during this period are
permitted only for extenuating circumstances beyond the student’s control, require a
written statement of support from both the instructor and the adviser, and must be
approved by the dean of the student’s college.
Specific deadlines for adding and dropping
half-semester courses are published in the University Calendar. Appropriate adjustments to
add and drop deadlines are made for other partial term courses. For partial term course
deadlines, contact the Registrar’s Student Scheduling Office, 10 Alumni Hall.
Drop Limit
Students are limited in the number of courses they may drop during their academic career.
(This refers to drops processed after the fifth day of classes of each semester.) Students
who entered Iowa State as freshmen are allowed to drop a maximum of five courses during
their undergraduate career. If they entered at a level above freshman classification or in
the College of Veterinary Medicine, they are allowed to drop a maximum of four courses.
Courses dropped during their first term at Iowa State are not included in this limit, nor
does the summer count as a first term for this purpose. Students who enroll at Iowa State
University as undergraduates after receiving a bachelor’s degree are permitted two
drops.
Exceptions may be made for courses that must be
dropped for reasons beyond the student’s control. These exceptions are granted only
by the dean or other authorized person on the dean’s behalf in the student’s
college.
The number of drops students have left is
indicated on their grade report (available on AccessPlus) each term. Students are
responsible for not exceeding their limit. Students who attempt to drop a course beyond
the limit without special permission of the dean of the student’s college will
continue to be enrolled in the course and will receive a grade at the end of the term.
Course
Prerequisites
A prerequisite indicates the specific academic background or general academic maturity
considered necessary for the student to be ready to undertake the course. Since an
instructor has the prerogative to direct a student who lacks a stated prerequisite to drop
the course, students are advised not to enroll in a course for which they lack a stated
prerequisite without checking first with the course instructor. Permission of the
instructor is understood to be an alternate to the stated prerequisites in all courses.
It is university policy that the instructor
shall inform the students at the beginning of each course if students who have not met the
prerequisite requirements must drop the course.
Course prerequisites are presented in the
Schedule of Classes as well as in the Courses and Programs section of this publication.
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