Spring and Intersession Registration

Freshman Registration begins today, Friday, November 22 at 3PM.  By now, you should have met with an advisor in the CAS Advising Center to ask questions, review your schedule and receive your term PIN.  When your PIN becomes activated, you will follow these instructions to register for your spring and intersession courses. Wondering what to do if you have problems? 

Common Spring/Intersession Registration Woes

• The Course I wanted is closed!  Can I be written in?  Ordinarily, it is not possible to be written into a closed course, even with the professor’s permission.  However, the CAS Advisors maintain a wish list.  If the course you truly want is closed, stay calm!  Register for the next best thing and then send one of us an email with your R# and the name and CRN of the course you are trying to get into.  Course enrollment fluctuates after final grades come out as people change their minds or determine that they can no longer take the courses they have planned.  If you are on the wish list, both you and your advisor can check during the summer for openings.  Additionally, getting your name on the wish list is beneficial because, if there are a lot of people waiting for a course, departments will occasionally open new sections but we need to know that you are waiting for a seat!

·         The computer says “cross registration only”!  What does that mean?  For some science courses such as BIOL 141/142, BIOL 110/111, CHEM 112/113, CHEM 232/233 and their corresponding labs, as well as for the WRTG 105/106 sequence, you are required to register for the same section of the course as you were registered for in the fall semester.  If you wish to make a change to your section, you may do so on Monday, December 3. 

• The course I wanted says “major restriction” but I am declaring that major! Many courses are restricted to specific majors.  If you are currently in the process of declaring a major and are unable to register for an open section of a course for that major, call the CAS Advising Center immediately!  We can add you to the course!  In contacting us please remember:

1.  Call us--don't try to come in!!  By the time you make it in to see us and we get off the phone with students who are calling for help, all of your classes might close!  It's always best to call!!

 2.  Completely sign out of your myscranton account!  Only one person can be logged into your registration at a time!  If you are logged in, we can't help you!  It can take a long time for the computer to log you out and the longer it takes, the less likely it is you'll get the classes you want!

3.  Be prepared!  Have your R# and the CRN of the course(s) you want on hand so we can help you faster!

• The course I want is “reserve closed”!  What does that mean?  Many courses reserve a certain number of seats for students in particular majors.  Once the non-reserved seats are taken, students who are not in those majors are not able to register for the class.  Reserves come off on December 3.  Email your advisor to tell them you didn’t get a seat.  If the course is open when the reserve is removed, your advisor can add you to the course. 

•   My Account is On Hold!! Login to your myscranton account to make sure you are not on hold before registration begins.  When you have a hold on your account, neither you nor your academic advisor will be able to register you for the classes.  Most holds are financial.  You will need to talk to the Bursar’s Office to resolve the problem.  They are located in St. Thomas Hall room 201 and you can call them at 570-941-4062.

• I never came in for registration!  If you haven't kept an initial advising appointment for fall preregistration, and you are not currently scheduled for an appointment, the CAS Advisors will not be able to help you until Monday, November 25.  We are solidly booked up until registration now.  Until you have your initial appointment, you can't get your PIN and therefore can't register or be registered for fall classes.  If you call during registration, we can't help you! We open at 8:30am...be here as early as possible to improve your chances of getting into the courses you want!

Other things to chew on...

• Your PIN becomes activated today but it stays activated until the end of the first week of the spring semester.  There is a lot of time for courses to open up!  Be patient and don't panic!

• When you completed your preregistration, you and your advisor both signed off on the schedule you planned.  Your advisor certified that the courses you chose were consistent with your academic goals and would help you progress toward timely graduation in your major.  If you make changes to your schedule besides switching sections or adding a PHED course, you should check in with your advisor to make sure you will still be on track!

Katie Robinson
CAS Academic Advisor
katherine.robinson@scranton.edu

Fall Break and Perspective

For most people, Fall Break can't come fast enough…that's how I always felt when I was an undergrad at Scranton.  Don't get me wrong; it's a wonderful and exciting community to be a part of but mid semester tends to be a little overwhelming.  After long nights or early mornings spent in exam preparation, some students can head home feeling a little overwrought.  I hope you all enjoy a break full of family, friends, relaxation and maybe a little catch up time but that you also take advantage of the next couple of days to regain you perspective and to remember that despite all the stress involved in obtaining your education, it truly is an enormous blessing that few get to claim.

Malala Yousafzai

It is important to remember that while studying may feel burdensome at times, throughout the world, people are willing to risk everything for a chance to receive an education.   Malala Yousafzai, sixteen-year-old Nobel Prize nominee and advocate for education rights for women and girls, has demonstrated this reality through her fearless action an eloquent speech, openly opposing the Taliban when they came to her home in the Swat Valley of Pakistan and eventually forbade girls there to attend school.  On October 9, 2012, she was shot in an attempt to silence her defiance but she miraculously survived and continues her campaign.  Despite the terror she has faced, she remains dauntless and speaks of justice and peace rather than hatred and retribution.  

She reminds us that education is about so much more than obtaining a degree or entry into a lucrative career.  It’s about freedom, dignity, the expansion of understanding and purpose and a means to gaining power over one’s circumstances.  As a means of shaking off ignorance and challenging oppression it can bring light to the dark places of the world.  She explains in this video, “Education is a power for women and that is why the terrorists are afraid of education.”

You can watch her powerful interview with Jon Stewart here. 

College life can difficult but it is also tremendously rewarding.  If you feel overwhelmed, come to see an advisor.  We can help ensure you are making the most of your educational opportunities and can help you find ways to navigate the challenges you may be experiencing!

Have a wonderful, happy and safe break and take time to ask yourself, what is the purpose of my education?  Why am at Scranton?

Katherine Robinson
CAS Academic Advisor
Katherine.robinson@scranton.edu

Fall Into the Advising Center for Registration!

You may feel like you've really just started your first semester but it's already time to start planning for the spring!  Picking your classes for the first time can be a stressful and overwhelming but the CAS Advising Center Staff is here to help demystify the process for you!

Follow these steps and you will be prepared for your appointment!

 

Pick Up Your Advising Materials!

If you haven't done so already, stop by the Advising Center in STT 209 to pick up your advising materials.  You will get your Appointment Letter which will tell you when you are scheduled to come in to meet with an advisor to get your schedule approved.  You will also receive your personal CAPP sheet and a registration form.

We're waiting for you!!

Attend a Registration Information Session

Each academic department will be hosting its own information session to help you prepare for your advising meeting.  These sessions will provide you with information specific to your major.

 If you are undecided, the CAS Advising Center is offering the following sessions to help you prepare:

September 30, 2013
12-12:50—LSC 333

2-2:50—BRN 102

4:30-5:20—HYL 102

5:30-6:20—HYL 102

October 1, 2013

9-9:50—LSC 333

2:30-3:20—MGH 110

3:30-4:20—MGH 110

October 2, 2013

9-9:50—HYL 102

12-12:50—LSC 333

2-2:50—BRN 102

October 3, 2013

 9-9:50—LSC 333

2:30-3:20—MGH 110

October 4, 2013

9-9:50—LSC 333

12-12:50—LSC 333

 

Before your appointment—Completely fill out your course Registration form. To do this you will:

• Fill out the Semester Questionnaire in your appointment letter envelope.
• Review the online catalog (www.scranton.edu/catalog) to determine what major and cognate courses are required for your major for the spring semester.
• Review your CAPP to determine your progress in completing required general education courses. Decide which ones you would like to complete in the fall.
• Use the purple sheet to guide you in accessing the online course search. Look up the courses you plan to take. Choose the specific sections for which you intend to register.
• Put all course information on the Course Registration Form. Don’t forget to record all the CRNs and days and times for each course. (see example)

On the day of your appointment—arrive on time for your appointment.

Bring your completed Semester Planning Guide and your completed Course Registration Form. At this appointment, you will discuss your intended schedule with an academic adviser. Once your adviser approves your schedule, he or she will give you a registration term PIN.

On Registration Day

Friday, November 22—use your PIN to go online and register for your courses for the spring 2014 semester. Your PIN will become active between 3 and 4:15pm. Once it becomes active, you can go online to register for the classes your adviser approved. Your PIN stays active until the end of the first week of class in the Spring 2014 Semester. If you experience difficulty in registering, call the CAS Academic Advising Center (570-941-6323).  Details of this will follow in future blog posts.