Registrar

All new first-year students have their fall semester class schedules developed by WCU faculty and staff. Prior to the start of scheduling, we require each first-year student to complete their First-Year Enrollment Portal. The information gathered from the First-Year Enrollment Portal will assist each academic department in choosing classes that meet the individual needs of each student.

In addition to the information collected through the First-Year Enrollment Portal, considerations are made based upon a student’s major, sports team/band participation and commuting status. Students who indicate full-time status are typically registered for 15-16 credits their first semester.

WCU has a strong general education curriculum and each academic department takes this into account during scheduling. Part of a student’s first-year schedule will include courses that contribute to successful completion of the general education curriculum.

All efforts are made to ensure that each course a student is placed in will contribute directly to the student’s major or general education requirements (see "What is the WCU General Education Curriculum?").

The First-Year Enrollment Portal contains a series of questions, surveys, and placement exercises that all first-year students are required to complete prior to being registered for their first semester at WCU. All new first-year students have their fall schedules developed by WCU faculty, therefore the information gathered from these assessments will assist us in choosing classes that meet individual needs. The exercises contained in the Enrollment Portal are unique to each student and their selected major, therefore each portal may differ slightly.  On average, it will take around 90 minutes to complete.

A schedule will not be created for students who do not complete the Enrollment Portal.  We typically begin to create schedules for first-year students early June, prior to New Student Orientation.  It is imperative that the Enrollment Portal is completed as soon as possible after it is launched to the myWCU account to ensure a schedule can be created.

Typically, the Enrollment Portal is not deployed to incoming first-year students until late-March. All students who have matriculated (paid their deposit) will receive an email sent to their myWCU email account once their Enrollment Portal is available. Students who matriculate after the initial deployment will gain access to their Enrollment Portal the day after they pay their deposit.

Once the student receives the email indicating that the Enrollment Portal is available, they can log into their myWCU account and click on the Alerts tile.  There will be a link entitled First-Year Enrollment Portal listed.

While the student does not need to complete the Enrollment Portal in one sitting, it is required that each task gets finished once it is started. If a student does not complete the full task at once, they may experience technical difficulties when trying to resume.

We will be begin creating schedules for incoming first-year students early June and continue throughout the summer as students matriculate (pay their deposit) and complete the First-Year Enrollment Portal.  Therefore, it is advised that students who have matriculated complete their Enrollment Portal as soon as possible after it is launched so a schedule can be built.

The Enrollment Portal does not have an expiration date.  Therefore, as students continue to complete the exercises throughout the Summer, WCU faculty and staff will continue to build first-year schedules.  Students will not receive a Fall course schedule unless their Enrollment Portal is completed.  

Below are some common reasons students have difficulty accessing their Enrollment Portal:

• Time of Year. Typically, the Enrollment Portal is not deployed to matriculated, incoming first-year students for the Fall semester until late-April. Once the Enrollment Portal becomes available, students will receive an email to their WCU email account.
• Deposit. All incoming students admitted to WCU are required to pay their deposit before the Enrollment Portal is made available. After initial deployment in late-April, newly matriculated students will typically get access to their Enrollment Portal the day after they pay their deposit.
• myWCU Account Set Up. All new students must set up their new student account prior to logging into myWCU and accessing the Enrollment Portal.  Please visit wcupa.edu/login for directions or watch this instructional video.  If students experience any difficultly with this, they can contact the Student Help Desk by calling 610-436-3350.
• Web Browser. We recommend using an up-to-date web browser, such as FireFox or Google Chrome.
• Technology. The Enrollment Portal should be accessed through a computer, instead of a mobile device or tablet.

If students began the Enrollment Portal, but did not complete it and it is no longer available on their myWCU account, please

e-mail First-Year Scheduling.

The Enrollment Portal is unique to each student and their selected major, therefore it could contain any of the below exercises:

• Financial Terms and Conditions Agreement
• Exploratory Studies Survey
• Previous Level Course Work
• Personal Identifiers
• Student Support Question
• Student Questionnaire
• Writing Self Placement (WRITE Survey)
• Mathematics Placement
• Second Language Placement

Do not be concerned if your Portal does not contain all the exercises listed above. Remember, it is unique to each student and their college career.

Financial Terms and Conditions Agreement

In order to be registered for courses, all students attending West Chester University are required to complete the West Chester University of PA Financial Terms and Conditions Agreement prior to registering each semester.  Read the information carefully and please be sure to print the agreement if you would like to retain a copy.

This portion of the Enrollment Portal will take approximately 5-10 minutes to complete.  Once this task is completed, the student will not be able to modify their answer.

Exploratory Studies Survey

The Exploratory Studies Department created a survey for students who are admitted as undeclared to help them understand the future major and career interests of each of their advisees. Input on this survey assists to create a schedule that is best suited to help their students gain admission to their major of choice.

This portion of the Enrollment Portal will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. Once this task is completed, the student will not be able to modify their answers.

Previous Level Course Work

This section is a series of questions meant to help WCU staff and faculty understand what Advanced Placement (AP) and college-level course credits a student might be transferring into WCU. This information may be used to assist in developing the student’s first year schedule, if the student would like us to take it into consideration. The information provided in this Enrollment Portal does not serve as an official evaluation of potential credits a student may receive as transfer credits.

This portion of the Enrollment Portal will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. Once this task is completed, the student will not be able to modify their answers.

Personal Identifiers

This section allows students to provide personally identifying information.  Pronoun information provided will be made available to faculty and staff to assist with supporting students. 

This portion of the Enrollment Portal will take less than 5 minutes to complete.  Updates to this information can be made directly in myWCU.

Student Support Question

The Office of Services for Students with Disabilities (OSSD) is an on-campus resource designed to help students with various learning, physical, and/or emotional disabilities.  OSSD assist students in making a successful transition to college life and encourages students to understand their needs and strengths to best advocate for themselves.  Students will need to register with OSSD to take advantage of services, such as academic coaching, mindfulness coaching, adaptive technology, and/or ADA accommodations.  This section allows students who have a disability or a history of accommodation (IEP, 504, SOP, etc.), to request an appointment to discuss what supports are available at WCU. 

This portion of the Enrollment Portal will take less than 5 minutes to complete.

Student Questionnaire

This section contains a series of questions meant to help WCU staff and faculty create a schedule specifically based on individual student needs and includes questions regarding extracurricular activities and interests.  It also asks students about their availability to technology and general education interests.

This portion of the Enrollment Portal will take approximately 15 minutes to complete.  Once this task is completed, the student will not be able to modify their answers.

Writing Self Placement (WRITE Survey)

More information can be found by visiting the WRITE Survey FAQ Page.

If you experience any problems while completing this survey, please

contact the English Department.

This portion of the Enrollment Portal will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. Once this task is completed, the student will not be able to modify their answers.

Mathematics Placement Examination

More information can be found by visiting the Mathematics Placement Policy Page.

If you experience any problems while completing this survey, please

contact the Mathematics Department.

 

The Mathematics Placement Exam was designed by the Mathematics Department to determine the most appropriate course for a student based on their current knowledge. Students will be placed in a mathematics course based on the following criteria:

(1) Mathematics Placement Examination Score AND (2) Declared Major

Each academic department has identified the mathematics course(s) that are most appropriate for their first-year students. While students may be eager to be registered for the highest level mathematics course they qualify for, they must remember that the highest level mathematics course may not fulfill the requirements for their major. Students entering as Pre-Major or Undeclared will most likely not be scheduled for a mathematics class their first semester.

This portion of the Enrollment Portal will take approximately 60 minutes to complete.  Once you begin, we highly discourage your from stopping in the middle, so please make sure you have allotted adequate time to complete in one sitting.

When the First-Year Enrollment Portal is submitted, the student will not be able to modify their answers, however if the student make retake the examination after completing their Prep and Learning Modules.

Second Language Placement

If you experience any problems while completing this survey, please

contact Languages and Cultures Department.

Students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or who enter WCU as an Exploratory Studies (Undeclared) student are required to take the Second Language Placement Examination. The score received on this examination will be used by the Department of Languages and Cultures as one of several variables to determine a language placement. Based on other factors (years of language study in high school, at-home use of the language, time since the language was last taken, etc.), final placement may be different from the equivalence indicated by the online test score.

This portion of the Enrollment Portal will take approximately 20 to 30 minutes to complete. Once the First-Year Placement Portal is submitted, the student will not be able to modify their answers, however if the student is interested in re-taking the examination, they can contact the Languages and Cultures Department.

While Self-Scheduling is Disabled…

First-year students will not be permitted to make adjustments to their schedules until the Monday prior to the start of the semester. They are only able to request changes under the following circumstances:

1. The student would like an AP score applied to their record that would replace a course on their schedule.
2. The student would like to use transfer credit from another college to replace a course on their schedule.
3. There is a course conflict with a WCU athletic practice schedule or band schedule.
4. The student retakes the mathematics placement assessment and receives an improved score.
5. A student changes his/her major.

To request a schedule change due to reasons 1 - 4 listed above, a student must follow the directions below.  If a student changes majors, NO FURTHER ACTION IS REQUIRED.  WCU will review the schedule and make the necessary changes, if required.

1. Log into myWCU
2. Classes tile > Manage Classes.  Under Useful Links, click on “Request Change to First Semester Schedule”.
   
   • For change of majors, this form DOES NOT need to be completed.  We will adjust the schedule once our office is notified of the major change from the Office of Admissions.
3. Complete and submit the “Request Change to First Semester Schedule” form.

Schedule changes for any other purpose will not be honored during this time.

One Week Prior to the Start of Classes…

Students will be able to change their class schedules via myWCU the Monday before the start of classes. All class schedule changes should be done in consultation with their academic advisers. Get Started with registering for classes in myWCU.

Why First-Year Schedules Should Not Be Modified…

Student schedules are carefully built to help them get a positive start to their college career. While courses assigned to students may be outside of their traditional area of interest, it is important to note that these courses are part of the general education curriculum, designed to ensure all WCU graduates become informed citizens with a broad understanding of different disciplines. For this reason, we ask that students do not change their course schedules in advance of their first semester without seeking advisement.

A liberal arts education prepares students to think and communicate as professionals, to understand the social and global contexts of their lives, to transfer knowledge and skills from one setting to another, to recognize difference and make informed decisions using reasoning skills, and to balance the various dimensions of their personal and professional lives. With these important goals in mind, West Chester University’s General Education Program strives to provide students with the experiences necessary to achieve the following goals:

• Communicate effectively
• Think critically and analytically
• Employ quantitative concepts and mathematical methods
• Demonstrate the ability to think across and about disciplinary boundaries
• Respond thoughtfully to diversity
• Understand varied historical, cultural, and philosophical traditions
• Make informed decisions and ethical choices

Learn more about the General Education Requirements in the Undergraduate Catalog.

Students will need 6 credits in each of the following areas:

• Humanities
• Social/Behavioral Sciences
• Natural/Computer Sciences

Students will need 3 credits in the following area:

ACADEMIC FOUNDATIONS:	Credits
First-Year Experience (FYE)	4
English Composition (WRT)	6
Mathematics	3
Interdisciplinary	3
Diverse Communities	3

DISTRIBUTIVE REQUIREMENTS:	Credits
Arts	3
Behavioral & Social Science	6
Humanities	6
Science	6

Learn more about the General Education Requirements in the Undergraduate Catalog.

Approved General Education courses are listed in the undergraduate catalog. All students should consult with their adviser to see if the department has specific requirements in these areas. 

Learn more about the General Education Requirements in the Undergraduate Catalog.