The following information regarding waitlist procedures is a truncated version of more thorough instructions provided to students through Student Central. We present it here as a resource for instructors and staff who may need to answer questions directed to them.
Overview
The waitlist feature in the registration system allows students to place themselves in line to enroll in a closed class (maximum enrollment reached) as seats become available. This tool is designed to give students a chance to get into closed classes. It is not intended to assist students in getting a "preferred" schedule.
Students may waitlist classes during registration and drop/add via the Register & Drop/Add link in the Student Center (accessible via One.IU).
Students are placed on the waitlist in the order in which they requested to waitlist the class. The first person to submit a waitlist request will be in the top position. When a seat in the class becomes available, the registration system will fill the opening with the first eligible person on the waitlist.
Waitlist requests may be viewed in the Student Center by clicking Class Schedule Details and then selecting List View.
Students are responsible for monitoring their active waitlist requests.
After the last day of waitlist processing, all unsatisfied waitlist requests will expire. Students should check the Official Calendar to determine the last day of waitlist processing for each term.
Note: Students are advised to enroll in available classes prior to submitting any waitlist requests.
Important Information for Students
- Email Notifications
E-mail is official IU communication. Students should pay close attention to any courtesy e-mails received from waitlist@indiana.edu or reghelp@indiana.edu. They will contain important information that is specific to your registration and waitlists.
Regardless of e-mail notifications, the student is responsible for monitoring his or her active waitlist requests through the last day of waitlist processing.
- Drop if Enroll
The Drop if Enroll feature allows students to specify a class they wish to drop if they are successfully placed in their waitlisted class. Drop if Enroll classes will show on the student's class schedule with a status of Enrolled, but will be listed in the Drop if Enroll column on the waitlisted class.
- Time Conflicts
The Student Center will not allow students to enroll in classes with time conflicts. If the waitlisted class overlaps with a class the student is already enrolled in, the waitlist will not place the student into the class without a corresponding Drop if Enroll for the conflicting class.
- Multiple Waitlist Requests
A student can place multiple waitlist requests for the same course if it is a single course with no related components. Related component courses (i.e., courses that consist of a lecture and lab or discussion, etc.) are not eligible for individual component waitlists if a student is already enrolled in the course.
- Requesting A Waitlist Prior to Enrolling in An Open Section
When a student requests a waitlist and later adds an open section of the same course, the waitlist request is automatically removed from the student’s schedule.
Example: A student waitlists a closed section of a course. The student then enrolls in an open section of the same course. The registration system, seeing that the student has found an open section of the waitlisted course, will conclude that the waitlist request has been satisfied and will remove the student from the waitlist.
Waitlist Tips
- Students should enroll in available classes prior to submitting any waitlist requests.
- Waitlist position is displayed on the class schedule. Students should check their waitlist request daily until they are placed in the class or until waitlist processing ends.
- After the last day of waitlist processing, all unsatisfied waitlist requests expire. Consult the Official Calendar to determine the last day of waitlist processing for the term.
- Waitlist requests may be added or dropped, but they cannot be modified.
- If a student no longer wishes to take a course that is waitlisted, s/he must drop the waitlist request in order to be certain that s/he will not be placed in the class. Waitlists may be dropped via the Register & Drop/Add link in the Student Center.
- During waitlist processing, if a student is enrolled in a class that s/he intends to drop using the waitlist and Drop if Enroll tools, s/he should attend the class in which they are enrolled. If their schedule permits, they should attend the waitlisted class as well. If the waitlist request has not been satisfied by the end of waitlist processing, the student will remain in the original class for the semester.
- If the waitlist places the student in a course that s/he later decides to drop, the student must consult the refund schedule listed on the Office of the Bursar's Fee Refund Schedule for the applicable refund amount.
- After waitlist processing has ended, students may still add a course in which the waitlist did not place them by following Late Drop/Add procedures.