Registration

Registration Basics

How do I Add / Drop a Class?

Adding and Dropping Classes in RamPortal

For directions, please visit the Ramportal Student Training website

• Enrollment Tutorial Video
• Adding & Dropping Classes: Step-by-Step Directions

Waitlists

How Does the Waitlist Work?

• Once a course reaches the maximum enrollment, eligible students who attempt to add the class will have the opportunity to enroll onto the waitlist if the department has created one.
• If a seat becomes available, the next student on the waitlist will receive a waitlist offer. Student will have a designated amount of time to complete their registration from the waitlist before the seat expires and is offered to the next student.
  • Students who encounter registration errors when enrolling from the waitlist, should reach out to the teaching department of the course.
  • See Waitlist errors and resolutions
• The last day a student can enroll onto a waitlist is the day prior to the start of the semester (or session the course is offered in - if the semester offers sessions).
• The waitlist process will continue to run throughout the Add/Drop period of the semester (or session the course if offered int - if the semester offers sessions).
• If the student is no longer interested in being enrolled into the course, the student needs to drop themselves from the waitlist.

Some Reasons Why A Student May Receive an Error when Enrolling from the Waitlist

• The waitlisted course meeting pattern (dates/days/times) conflicts with another course on the student schedule.
• Enrolling the student into the waitlisted course would cause the student to exceed the maximum allowable credits for the semester.
  • Maximum allowable credits for undergraduates (without requesting an overload)
    • Full-Time Students = 18.00 (Fall/Spring)
    • Part-Time Students = 11.50 (Fall/Spring)
    • Full-Time / Part Time Students = 7.00 (Winter)
    • Full-Time / Part Time Students = 12.00 (Summer)
• Students are already enrolled in another section of the same course.
• Student missing required co-requisite or pre-requisite course

Enrollment Start Date and Time

The Registrar's Office assigns enrollment start dates and times to all students (also called time tickets).

• In late-September, appointments are assigned for the upcoming Winter and Spring terms.
• In early February appointments are assigned for the upcoming Summer and Fall terms.

Once enrollment start dates and times are assigned, they will be visible to students in RamPortal.  While students are not required to meet with their advisor to schedule courses, it is recommended meet with them prior to registration to discuss potential course options and to get the advisor task cleared from their account.

The enrollment start date and time listed indicates the first time students are eligible to enroll in courses for the semester indicated. Once that date and time is reached, students can continue to adjust their schedules until the Add/Drop deadline for the course. 

Enrollment start dates and times are based on student standing determined by the number of COMPLETED and TRANSFER CREDITS.  Courses IN-PROGRESS are not taken into account in determining student standing.  

• Please consult the Undergraduate Catalog for further information on how student standing is defined.  
• For more information on the policy regarding Priority Registration, please visit the Policies webpage on the Deputy Provost website.

Requesting a Course Overload

Undergraduate students in good academic standing (GPA of 2.75 or above) may be allowed to take more than 18 credits in the fall or spring semester (7 in the winter, 12 in the summer).

• Review the Overload Policy in the undergraduate catalog.
• Students can request an overload by submitting a Service Now ticket for Registration Challenges.
  • Students will select “Request Services” and Registration Challenges.  Then select "Credit Overload" on the form.

How can I audit a course?

Auditing a course means that you are officially registered for the course - it appears on your official transcript, but the course will not count towards the GPA or degree requirements.  

Please Note:

• Students are permitted to audit one course per semester.
• The fees for auditing a course are the same as if the course was being taken for credit.
• An audited course will not fulfill any requirement towards degree completion.
• A course status of audit may not be changed after it has been declared.
• The grade of Audit (AU) is recorded on your transcript.

How do I Elect to Audit a Course? 

1. Register for the course just as if you were receiving credit.
2. Submit a Course Audit Form with the Office of the University Registrar.  
   • Electronic submissions are accepted!
   • Please refer to the Academic Calendar for the deadline to submit a request to audit a course.

How to register for linked sections?

Some courses have required component which are "linked" together. You will know if a course has a linked section if you see a  chain link icon or the linked sections column. 

To register,

1. Click View Linked to see the required lab or discussion parts.
2. Pick a lab, discussion, or recitation time that works for you and click Add All to move both CRNs (primary section and linked section) into your summary panel as pending.
3.  Click Submit at the bottom right to register for both parts at the same time and change your status to green "Registered".

How to register for a course with a co-requisite

A co-requisite is an additional course that is required to be taken concurrently with another course. Sometimes a lab is listed as a co-requisite and sometimes it is another course in the same or different department.

To register for a course with a co-requisite:

1. Add a section of both the course and the required co-requisite. NOTE: Both sections must be in your pending courses and you must register for both of them at the same time.
2. Submit the registration for both sections to complete your registration

How do I get department consent for a course?

Some courses do not permit registration without permission from the department. The department issues permission by providing registration permission for the course within RamPortal.  Once permission has been issued, the student will be permitted to register.

Contact the teaching department of the course to inquire about department consent.

Course meeting types

WCU offers courses in many instructional options with various levels of in-person to online instruction.  Each course in the class schedule is listed with an institutional method.  WCU uses D2L as our Learning Management System. 

Instructional Method	Description	How you learn
In Person / Face-to-Face	• Distance learning can be up to 25% of course total • Face-to-face instruction	Students will meet face to face with the instructor at location on a WCU campuses or other instructional site. Course materials may be shared on D2L. The meeting days/time are published in the course schedule in RamPortal.
Blended (30-79% Distance Ed)	• Distance learning is 30-79% of course total • Combination of face-to-face and distance ed • Distance ed can be synchronous or asynchronous	Students will meet online between 30-79% of the time with the remaining instruction taking place in a physical location such as a classroom. The meeting days/time are published in the course schedule in RamPortal.
Distance Majority (80-99%)	• Distance learning is 80-99% of course total • Combination of face-to-face and distance ed • Distance ed can be synchronous or asynchronous	Students will meet online between 80-99% of the time with the remaining instruction taking place in a physical location such as a classroom. This might look like exams or other high impact meetings in person. The meeting days/time are published in the course schedule in RamPortal and should be shared by the faculty.
100% Distance All Asynchronous	• Distance learning is 100% of course total • The entire course is asynchronous (100%)	Students will not report to a physical location for this course and no required scheduled sessions are required.  Students complete coursework, watch lectures, and study at their own pace without live, real-time class meetings. Assignments and other class modules will still have deadlines as specified in the syllabus.
100% Distance Some Synchronous	• Distance learning is 100% of course total • ANY portion of the course is synchronous (1-100%)	Students will not report to a physical location for this course; however, all or parts of the course may require online participation during specified course meeting times scheduled by the faculty member.

Course repeats

Most courses at WCU are not repeatable for credit.  This means that the course, once successfully completed, cannot be taken again for credit. Students may find that they must repeat a course because their initial attempt was not passing or their grade did not meet requirements. In this case, students should review the repeat policy to understand how repeats work within their GPA and academic progress. RamPortal will warn you of a repeat, but will not stop a student from registering for a repeated course.

• Students may repeat undergraduate college-level courses to improve a grade of F, D, C, or B (not A). 
• The most recent WCU grade, regardless of whether it is higher or lower, will be the grade used for the Grade Point Average (GPA) calculation.
• If a student transfers in a course and then repeats it at WCU, they will lose the awarded transfer credit.
• If a student repeats a WCU elsewhere, the original WCU grade is not replaced.
• Graduate students have their own repeat policy.

Undergraduate Course Repeat Policy  |  Graduate Course Repeat Policy 

Registration deadlines

Students should be aware of the Academic calendar each term they are enrolled.  In the Fall and Spring most courses are taught over the full semester (15 weeks), also called Part of Term 1; however, many course are offered for a shorter duration and are scheduled in other parts of term.

Each part of term has its own list of important dates and deadlines including:

• First and last day of classes
• Deadline to add/drop
• Deadline for individual course withdraws
• Deadline to submit an audit request
• Deadline for term withdraws
• Holidays (no classes)
• Final Exam dates

Students must adhere to the published academic calendar deadlines.  If there is an extraordinary circumstance that led to failure to meet a deadline, student can submit a petition for an exception to academic policy .  The form is on the Student Forms Card in RamPortal. Exceptions are reviewed on a case by case basis and not all petitions are approved.

What is full-time student status?

Enrollment status is determined by the number of credits a student is registered in within a term and the program/degree they are pursuing.

Your enrollment status is updated with the National Student Clearinghouse and, if receiving federal aid, NSLDS. Your enrollment status may also determine if you are eligible for on-campus housing, athletics petitions, certain funding options, loan deferment, and other programs.

Undergraduate

Enrolled Credits	Enrollment Status
12+	Full-Time
9 - 11.99	Three-quarter time
6 - 8.99	Half-time
Less than 6	Less than half-time
0	Not enrolled / Withdrawn for the Term

Graduate / Doctoral

Enrolled Credits	Enrollment Status
9+	Full-time
7 - 8.99	Three-quarter time
4.5 - 6.99	Half Time
Less than 4.5	Less than half-time
0	Not enrolled / Withdrawn for the Term

 

Registration Errors

I got a registration error when registering.

There is a number of reasons you might receive an error when trying to register for a class, including:

• Not meeting the prerequisites or co-requisites
• A closed class section
• Reserved Seats which you do not qualify for
• A course at a different level (i.e undergraduate taking a graduate level course)
• A section requiring department consent/permission
• You are exceeding the number of credits permitted in a term.

Here are some tips to registering if you encounter and error and next steps.

Departments may grant students permission to enroll in restricted courses or where enrollment errors occur for the following reasons.  Once the registration override has been issued, students will be able to proceed with registration as normal.

Override Reasons issues by the teaching department:

• Department Consent
• Prerequisites/Co-Requisite Override
• Closed Class
• Time Conflict Override

The Course is Closed. Now what?

Once a course reaches the maximum enrollment limit the course is closed.  A department may create a waitlist for their course, which allows students to be notified if a space opens up. Not all courses have waitlists.  If the course does not have a waitlist, check the course status regularly, as you may find a seat has opened up closer to the start of term.  For recommendations of other courses to take, review your Degree Audit in RamPortal or discuss with your advisor.

Once you are on the waitlist, check your WCU email daily as you will be notified via email if you receive a spot in the course. Once notified, you have a limited time to register.

• How to Add to the Waitlist

I missed the registration deadline (Late Add)

To request permission to add a class after the registration deadline, students must request an Exception to University Policy.  Students should discuss their petition with the teaching instructor, as consent will be needed to consider approving the request. Students should try to stay engaged within the course while the petition is being reviewed if the faculty member is supportive of the request. 

RamPortal - Student Forms Card  | How to Complete the Petition (Undergraduates) 

Why can’t I enroll in more than 18 credits?

During the Fall and Spring semesters, undergraduate students are limited to a maximum of 18 credits. If a student wishes to over-enroll or exceed 18 credits in a semester, they must submit a request for an overload by submitting a ticket using the Service Now > Request > Registration Challenges.  

Students must:

• Have completed at least 1 semester at WCU, and
• a have a WCU cumulative GPA of at least 2.75, and
• agree to the addition tuition for all credits in excess of 18 credits.

For transfer students in their first term (prior to a WCU GPA) or for students whose GPA is below a 2.75, requests must be submitted on the Petition for an Exception to Academic Policy form, which is on the Student Forms Card in RamPortal.

Undergraduate Semester Loads

• Fall semester - 18+ credits, up to a maximum of 24 credits
• Winter semester - 7+ credits, up to a maximum of 10 credits
• Spring semester - 18+ credits, up to a maximum of 24 credits
• Summer semester - 12 credits, up to a maximum of 15 credits

Graduate Semester Loads

• Fall semester - 24 credits
• Winter semester - 15 credits
• Spring semester - 24 credits
• Summer semester - 24 credits

I want to register for a course in a different level

Students are restricted to courses by level.  Undergraduate students can register for classes 000-499, graduate and doctoral students can register for courses 500-999.

Students who are seeking permission to register for courses outside their level, must complete the appropriate registration form, including the permissions of all required faculty/staff. 

Undergraduates

An undergraduate student who is pursuing a bachelor's degree and has completed 90 credits may enroll in up to six
(6) credits of graduate-level course work with approval.

• Form: Undergraduate students registering for a graduate level course

Accelerated Students

Students accepted into an accelerated program can take graduate level courses with their advisors approval. Requests for level overrides for accelerated students are submitted through the AES Service Now ticket system as a Registration Challenge. After review, an override for the requested course will be issued by the Registrar's Office.  The permission form above is not needed for accelerated students.

Graduate Students

Graduate students wishing to register for an undergraduate level course should discuss their plans with the Graduate School and their advisor.

I tried to enroll off the waitlist, but received an error.

When students on the waitlist receive an offer of a seat in a course, they have a specified amount of time to register for that course before the offer expires and if given to another student.  Students should check their email regularly for waitlist offers and review the email message carefully to ensure they are registering by their deadline.

If the offer is still active and you are still encountering errors, you should review the waitlist errors webpage to see who to contact for assistance.

• Waitlist Error Resolution.

Reserved Capacity errors

Reserved seats — also known as reserve capacity — means a certain number of seats in a course have been saved for a specific group of students. This registration feature helps students enroll in the classes they need for their program and stay on track with their academic goals.

During registration, students selecting a class with reserved seats will need to meet the reserved criteria to qualify for the open seats.  For example, some seats might be reserved for specific majors or first year students.

If you do not qualify for the reserved seats, you should search for another course or section or discuss the possibility of enrolling in the course with an override with the department.

• Understanding enrollment errors

How do I resolve my hold?

A hold is an action taken on your student record that prohibits certain actions, like registering or receiving a transcript. 

To review your holds, visit your "My Holds" card in RamPortal where you can view any holds as well as resolution steps. The most common holds are for outstanding charges.

• View and Resolving Holds

 

Cancellation

Why Did My Classes Get Cancelled?

There are two major reasons you may receive communication that your classes have been cancelled.

• Lack of engagement at start of term
• An outstanding balance on your student account.

Prior to cancellation, students receive several notices via their WCU email account indicating that they are at risk for cancellation. When cancelled, students are removed from all their courses for the semester and their tuition and fees are removed.

If you receive a warning about cancellation, follow the directions in your cancellation message to remain enrolled or be re-enrolled quickly.

For issues with your account and bills, remember to activate your bursar account and pay your tuition bill in RamPortal.  If you are experiencing financial hardship or have further questions about your bill, contact the Bursar's Office at 610-436-2552.

* Students SHOULD NOT depend on the cancellation process if their intention is not to attend courses for a semester as cancellation is not guaranteed to occur and it can have negative academic record and financial consequences.  Students should always DROP or WITHDRAW from courses if they will not be attending.

Withdraws

Withdrawals: Course Withdrawal vs. Term Withdrawal

In both cases, a grade of  "W" will appear on your transcript.  A grade of W does not negatively affect your GPA, but does count towards attempted credits in the term.

Course Withdrawal

Students can complete a course withdrawal up through the course withdrawal date for the courses' part of term. Course withdrawals can be completed for individual courses after the drop/add period has ended; however, students cannot withdraw from their final course in a term. If you wish to withdraw from your final class, please follow the term withdraw information below.

Please see our Grade and Credit Types page for information on Withdrawal "W" grades.

• How to complete a course withdraw in Ram Portal

Term Withdrawal

A term withdrawal is the complete withdrawal of all courses for a specific term at West Chester University. Upon withdrawal, all ungraded courses will be given a grade of “W” for the indicated term. The date you request a term withdraw is used to determine if an adjustment to tuition is required. The adjustment calendar is available on the academic calendar website.

NOTE: Term Withdrawal may affect your financial aid and if you have an outstanding balance to the University, your transcripts may be unavailable until the issue is resolved.

Graduate Students who have received a Graduate Assistantship may have financial obligation to the University up to and including the full cost of tuition.

For more information about Term Withdrawal, please see the Undergraduate catalog or Graduate Catalog.

• To withdraw from all courses for a given term, undergraduate and graduate students should complete a Term/University Withdrawal form through their RamPortal--see step-by-step instructions online.
• Adjustment Calendar

University Withdrawal

Students who do not intend to continue at West Chester University may withdraw from the university. Students who elect to withdraw from the university would then need to apply for readmission if they wish to re-enroll in courses.

If you are currently enrolled in courses, you can indicate on your withdrawal form if you intent on withdrawing after the completion of the term OR if you are withdrawing immediately including your current classes.  Any in progress classes, would be graded as a "W". 

• University Withdrawal Form -- Available on RamPortal see step-by-step instructions online.
• Adjustment Calendar

Readmission Students

I wish to return to WCU

Students who were previously enrolled at West Chester University as a degree seeking student and are no longer active due to withdrawal, discontinuation (not registered for classes for three (3) consecutive semesters), or dismissal must apply for readmission prior to registration.

If it has been fewer than three semesters, you do not need to reapply. Instead, please connect with your advisor or a Student Success Coordinator at

Student Success Coordinator

.  You can enroll in courses through RamPortal. 

Please visit the Readmission of Former Degree Candidates page on the Undergraduate Admissions site for more information and to apply for readmission.

Graduate students should contact the Graduate School.

Do I qualify for Academic Renewal?

Student who have been away from West Chester University for at least two years and whose GPA and total credits earned prevents them from meeting graduation requirements under the traditional readmission policy may be offered Academic Renewal at the time of readmission.

If granted Academic Renewal, all grades for courses previously taken will remain on the WCU academic record. Academic Renewal will be noted on the student's transcript. General education courses previously taken and passed with a grade of C or better will be maintained on the student's record with a ^^ designation to indicate renewal has been applied. This designation allows for the credits to be counted but the grade will not be factored into the student's new GPA. 

• Academic Renewal Policy

Non-Degree

Non-degree Item #1

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