Spring Registration Information and Timeline  Email to Students

Subject: Spring Registration Information and Timeline  

Dear students,   

Due to remote operations, registration changes will be handled differently this term for all parties. Please see below for the process and expectations. If the guidelines are followed, registration changes should be a smooth process that will allow students and faculty to focus on settling into the new learning environment.   

Changes to Spring Course Offerings. Students must make registration changes in REGIS and not by email. Adding and dropping in REGIS will not require approvals of the instructor and advisor for each change. Students may only use alternative methods of registration to enroll in classes with course conflicts, cases of over enrollment in a limited seating class, and to overload. Please see below for processes for such exceptions.  

Registration Timeline. Updated Course offerings are in REGIS and updated on the schedule of classes. Outstanding PE requirements are waived for graduating seniors, but several PE courses will continue to be offered remotely. Seniors enrolled in PE courses may choose to take them for the additional units, but they will not be required for their Core requirements. 

Advising Expectations. Students are expected to discuss any desired schedule changes with their advisors before making them in REGIS. Advisors will still need to approve final schedules. Students are being trusted to make their own changes in REGIS, and the success of a smooth term will rely heavily on students following advising guidelines. Students should submit their schedules to their advisor as changes are completed in REGIS, to enable advisors to review and approve. 

Adding and Dropping Classes. Starting this Friday, students may go into REGIS and make add or drop changes as desired, except in cases of course conflicts, over enrollment requests, and any courses that would put them into overload. Most courses will have lectures on their published meeting day and time. See the schedule of classes for the most up-to-date meeting time information.  

Submitting Schedules. Students must submit their schedules for approval after each day a change is made. This is so that the advisor can see the schedule, even if in progress. Students may continue to make changes during the new registration period. To do so, they recall the schedule in REGIS, make the next change, and resubmit the schedule to the advisor. 

Course Conflicts. If a student wishes to register for courses with conflicting meeting times, they will need the approval of both instructors and their advisors. Requests should be made through this form. It contains detailed instructions, but students are starting a workflow request. The student will have the opportunity to write out any comments for the faculty and will be notified by email as it is approved, denied, or processed.  

Enrollment in Limited Seating Courses That Are Full. For courses that are limited seating and at capacity, students will need to have the instructor email their approval to [email protected]. Please note that we will not process any requests if there are course conflicts. If you are registering for over enrollment with course conflicts, use the form above and note in the comments that you are requesting approval for both types of exceptions.   

Pass/Fail Grading. For this third term only, students are permitted to take any course they wish for pass/fail grading. All courses taken for pass/fail can be used towards Core and option requirements that are typically letter grade only. Students do not need to obtain faculty or advisor permission to take a spring course for pass/fail. The deadline to opt to pass/fail is May 20 (Drop Day). Pass/fail grading should be selected by students in REGIS through the usual drop-down.  NOTE: A warning message will be presented in REGIS if a student elects more than 2 pass-fail grading schemes.  Students can simply hit ‘SAVE' again to by-pass the warning, which is not being enforced this spring term.   

PE Courses. Seniors have had their remaining PE requirement waived.  They are not required to take courses but may if they like. 

• PE courses will be offered in a combination of live instruction and individualized check-in, logs and journaling, as well as regular assignments, these will be worked out with the instructors. 
• Meeting times are 9a, 12n, 4pm PST to offer students natural breaks during their academic day and to accommodate for multiple time zones in a way that makes sense. Once Athletics see enrollment information, instructors and their classes may adapt as needed.  

Overall Registration Expectations. Although Add Day has not changed, students are expected to register for all of their courses by the first week so that they be eligible to access the virtual classes.   

• Registering for courses will put you on the faculty's roster and approve you for access to the class's online learning environment and materials.   
• Depending on their timeline and attendance expectations, courses added after the first week by the student may result in the faculty asking the Registrar's Office to drop them. Because registration is readily available to all students, the expectation is that all students will register for their courses early in the term.  
• Full-time status is still required for all students who are not approved to be on an approved underload through their dean's office. Undergraduate Underload Petition 
• Overloads, still need to be pre-approved before the student can add the additional units. Undergraduate Overload Petition  
• Underload and Overload petitions can be submitted without a student's signature if received from their Caltech email. Advisors can sign with Adobe if capable, or they may email their support separately to the deans (or registrar for senior underloads). 

 Sincerely,   

 Office of the Registrar