Many CSUN students have experienced the frustrations of trying to enroll in classes they need before they fill up. Until now the only option students had was to hope for an open spot that has not been grabbed before their enrollment appointment.
Starting this fall an electronic wait list system will be launched through the CSUN’s web portal for students attempting to enroll in a class that has already been filled.
“We went to this system in large part because of the concerns with enrollment challenges we had in the spring,” said Elizabeth Adams, senior director of undergraduate studies.
Associated students at CSUN passed a resolution to implement an electronic wait list in early March this year. Adams said they heard the concerns and knew the system had the capacity. It was just a matter of getting it to work in time for the fall.
“Last semester was the worst,” said Sarah Huggins, 24, English major. “I had a friend with early registration enroll in a class that I needed and drop it so I could pick it up. It will be interesting to see how this wait list plays out — hopefully more organized.”
Once registration starts, students attempting to enroll in a class that is full will be asked if they want to be added on the wait list. Students can wait list up to 10 class units.
Three or four times a day the program will run what is called a “job,” said Adams. This means, if a student drops a class and there is a new seat, then the student who is first on the wait list will automatically be added in the class.
Some have criticize the wait list because it does not prioritize graduating seniors.
“The wait list prioritizes by who puts themselves on the wait lists first,” said Adams. “But graduating seniors get earlier registration appointments. So therefore, they get the first shot.”
Adams said, if you are on the wait lists you still may not get in. If a student creates a new time conflict by adding a class in the same time slot, the system will not put them in. If a student is repeating the class, they will not be added until the Thursday before classes start, but their spot will be held on the list until they have permission to enroll.
Students will be notified through email once they have been added or if there is a conflict preventing them. The wait list will run until classes start and then it goes back to the facilities’ discretion.
“Now there are a couple tricky bits. Students who put themselves on the wait list might end up with more units and all of a sudden have to pay,” Adams said, referring to immediate payment requirement for classes added after regular registration dates. “So, students should check their portal often.
“It also won’t prioritize what you want the most, and days or times if you enroll in a couple of sections for one class. So it does require you to manage your own schedule.”
The wait list will not work for students with co-requisites such as lecture and lab combination courses.
Adams said the wait list will give students a sense of having more control over their schedule
“I’m very excited about the new wait list system,” said John Ghaemi, 24, communications major. “Having the wait list automatically enroll you in a class is really great. It really takes a lot of stress off us students.”
Not only does the wait list help the student but also benefits the University by improving class-by-class analysis of student demand, which will help improve course scheduling.
“It will help by allowing us to track demand, which is huge,” said Adams. “If we have any target we can move around, let’s put it in the places where the demand is. And this will allow us to do that.”
