Course Scheduling Policies and Procedures
The following policies and procedures are established by the Office of the Provost and implemented by the Office of the University Registrar to ensure courses and classrooms are scheduled to support the needs of students, faculty and the University. The primary goal of course scheduling policies is to facilitate student registration resulting in conflict free schedules and timely graduation with an array of courses that are based upon student need. The Office of the University Registrar will continue to work collaboratively with academic departments to accommodate the pedagogical preference of faculty while maximizing classroom capacities and room availability. The following policies and procedures will be enforced fairly and consistently across departments, while recognizing special circumstances may require further review. Departments and schools are strongly encouraged to follow the list of policies when planning courses and facilitating student registration.
Registration
Departments or students seeking requirements of the Classes During Co-op policy can refer to the policies listed on the Office of the Provost website. The Office of the University Registrar will manage the following guidelines as it relates to scheduling:
- Registration is subject to course availability within established enrollment limits. Closed Section Overrides will not be granted, no new course sections will be added, and students cannot wait list for a closed section.
- Registration for these students begins Week 9 of the term prior to the term of enrollment through an online time ticket in DrexelOne.
- To keep students on track to satisfy their requirements for degree completion, all students will need to register for at least 12 credits of classes or have secured a co-op opportunity by the end of the add/drop period for reach term to maintain full-time enrollment status.
Students who have questions regarding co-op employment or registration requirements should consult with the Steinbright Career Development Center (SCDC) and their academic advisor. Students should also consult the Course and Co-op Enrollment Policy.
When a course section reaches the enrollment limit established by the offering department, eligible students may be considered for a Closed Section Override. Please see the Closed Section Override Policy established by the Office of the Provost for policy scope and full eligibility criteria.
Procedure
The request is evaluated according to the procedure outlined below. Final approval of an override assumes all criteria are met and approval obtained.
- The Academic Advisor determines whether the student meets the criteria. If the student does not meet the criteria for a Closed Section Override (CSO), the Advisor informs the student that the request is denied and works with the student to identify an alternate course that will meet program requirements, particularly if the student is registered for less than 12 credits for the term.
- If the student meets the criteria, the advisor should submit a CSO request on the student's behalf through Advisor Visit Tracking (AVT), which triggers automated emails to the parties involved.
- A request may be made via email directly to the scheduler of the department offering the course if circumstances prevent the submission of the request through AVT.
- The department scheduler is responsible for timely review of the request in AVT or through email.
- Once approved, the CSO will be processed by the Office of the University Registrar within one (1) business day following confirmation that the seating and/or regulatory capacity limits are not exceeded.
- Once the CSO is processed by the Office of the University Registrar, the advisor and student will be notified via email.
Independent Study (IS) courses may be offered for student to explore areas of special interest that are not provided in the existing curriculum. A faculty member and student must together negotiate a course of study. Independent Study may not be used to replace regularly offered courses or courses needed for a degree requirement without approval from the Office of the Provost.
IS Additions After Week 2 of Term
During the pre-enrollment period through the end of the second week of classes for the term, all students, with the exception of first term freshmen, may add an independent study, thesis, dissertation or research course. Late additions of these courses should follow the late add/drop/withdraw appeal system currently in place for all late add/drop course appeals:
- Student must complete the Late Add/Drop/Withdraw form and obtain necessary signatures of Academic Advisor and faculty member mentoring the student's independent study
- Academic Advisor submits the form to the Provost's Office
- The Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs will review the appeal. If approved, the form will be sent to the Office of the University Registrar for processing. If denied, the form will be sent back to the Academic Advisor
Scheduling: Planning and Monitoring
The University Registrar is responsible for implementing the policies for course meeting time blocks and course offering distributions. In consultation with the department offering the course, the Office of the Provost has the authority to redistribute/change course offering meeting times and/or days.
With the policies listed above, students and faculty will experience:
- Fewer scheduling conflicts due to the reduction/elimination of overlapping course meeting times
- Improved utilization of instructional space
The academic day is defined as the time period extending from 8 a.m. through 9:50 p.m. Lecture, including seminars and special topics, and recitation sections must adhere to the University's official meeting time block patterns as listed below:
Day Classes
3 Credits
- 1-Hour MWF – 8:00-8:50, 9:00-9:50, 10:00-10:50, 11:00-11:50, 12:00-12:50, 13:00-13:50, 14:00-14:50, 15:00-15:50, 16:00-16:50, 17:00-17:50
- 1.5-Hour TR – 8:00-9:20, 9:30-10:50, 11:00-12:20, 12:30-13:50, 14:00-15:20, 15:30-16:50, 17:00-18:20
- 1.5-Hour MW or WF – 8:00-9:20, 12:30-13:50, 15:30-16:50
- 3-Hours M or F – 8:00-10:50, 11:00-13:50, 14:00-16:50
4 Credits
- 1-Hour MTWR or TWRF – 8:00-8:50, 9:00-9:50, 10:00-10:50, 11:00-11:50, 12:00-12:50, 13:00-13:50, 14:00-14:50, 15:00-15:50, 16:00-16:50, 17:00-17:50
- 2-Hour MW, TR or WF – 8:00-9:50, 10:00-11:50, 12:00-13:50, 14:00-15:50, 16:00-17:50
Evening Classes
3 Credits
- 1.5-Hour TR – 18:30-19:50, 20:00-21:20
- 3-Hour M, W or F – 18:00-20:50, 19:00-21:50
- 3-Hour T or R – 18:30-21:20
4 Credits
- 2-Hour MW, TR, WF – 18:00-19:50, 20:00-21:50
- 4-Hour M, T, W, R or F – 18:00-21:50
Additional Information
- Refer to the Office of the Provost's official Course Meeting Time Blocks Policy.
- Lecture and recitations less than 3 hours using 1-hour blocks must adhere to times listed in Day Classes #1 above.
- 1.5-hour lecture/online hybrid and recitation sections can be scheduled Monday through Friday, but must adhere to the times listed in Day Classes #2 above.
- To fully utilize the schedule, 1 and 2 credit courses and hybrid sections should be scheduled in such a way that a complete time block is created. For example, if two hybrid sections are being added, they should be scheduled at offsetting blocks such as T 9:30 a.m. and R 9:30 a.m.
- Lab and studio sections are not bound by official time blocks.
- Sections that do not adhere to the University's official time blocks will have the lowest classroom scheduling priority.
- All classes should begin at :00 or :30 and end at :20 or :50.
- Class dismissal should coincide with a section's published end time.
- The 10-minute period between classes should be used as follows:
- The first five (5) minutes after dismissal are a shut-down period.
- The second five (5) minutes preceding the next class are for preparation.
- Additional guidance can be found on Room Scheduling.
Extenuating circumstances regarding this policy should be addressed to the Office of the University Registrar.
The Office of the Provost's Course Offering Distribution Policy charges the Office of the University Registrar with the enforcement the equal distribution of courses throughout the academic day (8 a.m. through 9:50 p.m.) and week as this greatly influences both room scheduling and our students remaining on their plan of study.
The following daily and weekly distribution rules are currently observed at the University.
Daily Section Distribution - No departments or programs may schedule more than 50% of its sections between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on any given day. At least 10% of sections must be offered at 8 a.m. and/or 5 p.m. Classes starting at 6 p.m. and later are excluded from this calculation
Weekly Section Distribution - No department or program may schedule more than 10% of its sections as 170 minute or 150 minute one-day lecture sections in any given week. A maximum of 45% may be offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and at least 50% of its sections as 50-minute lecture sections meeting three times a week.
Extenuating circumstances regarding this policy should be addressed to the Office of the University Registrar.
Course numbers should be assigned based on the level of the course as follows:
- 100 – 199: Lower-level undergraduate. These courses are generally intended for students with first-year classification.
- 200 – 299: Lower-level undergraduate. These courses are generally intended for students with sophomore and pre-junior classification.
- 300 – 399: Upper-level undergraduate. These courses are generally intended for students with pre-junior and junior classification.
- 400 – 499: Upper-level undergraduate. These courses are generally intended for students with senior classification.
- 500 – 599: 1st year Master's degree. These courses are generally intended for Master's degree students in their 1st year and undergraduate students under “Graduate Courses Open to Undergraduate Day Students” policy.
- 600-699: 2nd Year Master's degree. These courses are generally intended for Master's degree students in their 2nd year.
- 700 – 799: Upper-level graduate. These courses are generally intended for post-Master's and pre-candidacy PhD students.
- 800 – 999: Upper-level graduate. These courses are generally intended for post-candidacy PhD students.
Notes:
- Lower-level courses, especially in the 1xx series should present introductory and fundamental subject matter that should generally be accessible to most disciplines and majors.
- Upper-level courses should present advanced subject matter that builds upon lower-level course work and should generally be major specific.
- Course levels for elective courses may vary as students fulfill elective requirements throughout the plan of study.
Special Course Types
Consistency in the numbering of specialty course types, especially those with types of courses that allow variable titles per section, is necessary to allow students and staff to easily identify courses for purposes including but not limited to registration and degree clearance. To maintain consistency across academic units, special courses including Special Topics, Independent Study, Dissertation, Research and Thesis, should be numbered as follows:
Special Topics: Course topics decided upon by an academic unit which is not part of a standard curriculum. Special topics are offered as a "pilot" course of interest to faculty and/or students to determine student demand and before formally submitting the course as a required or elective course. Departments are responsible for creating new special topics courses according to the following scheme:
- Undergraduate numbers: T180, T280, T380, T480
- Graduate numbers: T580, T680, T780, T880, T980
Two academic years (not necessarily in succession) is the time span allotted for a department to offer a special topics course before it must be submitted formally with a permanent course number in CourseLeaf Course Inventory Management.
Courses identified as special topics can only be used as a degree requirement with approval from the Office of the Provost.
Variable Topic: A course focusing on an advanced subject matter within a field of study offered outside the standardized special topics course numbering, which is updated regularly to cover evolving current topics in a specified sub-field. Variable Topic courses may be repeated for credit but cannot be taken more than once within a single term. To differentiate this special course type, departments should begin the name of a Variable Topic course using "Topics in" and clearly communicate the dynamic nature of the course in the course description.
Independent Study: Self-directed study that requires intermittent consultation with a designated instructor.
- Undergraduate numbers: I199, I299, I399, I499
- Graduate numbers: I599, I699, I799, I899, I999
Research: Independent study done by a student working toward a larger project, such as a master's thesis, senior project, or dissertation.
- Undergraduate Number: 497
- Graduate numbers: Varies
Thesis: An independent, written work required as partial fulfillment for an advanced degree.
- Undergraduate Number: 493
- Master's level: 698
- Doctoral level: 998
In situations where a sequence of courses exists, the number listed is the last number in the series.
Instructional Method | Section Numbering |
---|---|
Face-to-Face (FTF) | Standalone lectures, standalone labs, linked recitations: 001, 002, 003... Linked lectures: A, B, C... Linked labs, linked clinicals: 060, 061, 062... Combination sections such as: Linked 'lecture & recitation' sections: A, B, C... Linked 'recitation & lab' sections: 001, 002, 003... Linked 'lab & clinical' sections: 060, 061, 062... |
Hybrid (HYB) |
All standalone sections: 130, 131, 132... Linked lectures: A, B, C...* Linked labs, linked clinicals: 060, 061, 062...* Linked recitations: 001, 002, 003...* *Be sure to include HYB section comment: Components of the section held on campus and remote |
Online (ONL) | 900, 901, 902... |
Remote Asynchronous (ASY) | Standalone lectures, standalone labs, linked recitations: 001, 002, 003... Linked lectures: A, B, C... Linked labs, linked clinicals: 060, 061, 062 Remote cross-listed partners to FTF sections: 800, 801, 802... |
Remote Synchronous (SYN) | Standalone lectures, standalone labs, linked recitations: 001, 002, 003... Linked lectures: A, B, C... Linked labs, linked clinicals: 060, 061, 062 Remote cross-listed partners to FTF sections: 800, 801, 802... |
Honors Sections: Core course sections should use the suffix H (example: BUSN 101 12H) | - |
Non-Billable Sections: Non-Billable course sections should be created in CLSS using section code NBL. An email must be sent to OUR Academic Services immediately upon submission to request that the Tuition and Fee Waiver button be checked in Banner. (For multiple NBL sections of the same course, enter: NBL, NB2, NB3...) | - |
Corporate Partner Cohorts: Non-web viewable sections with alternate section numbering identification schemes may be established for corporate partner cohorts. These schemes must be created through collaboration with the Office of the University Registrar. | - |
Priority for centrally controlled classrooms is given to academic courses. Scheduling of classrooms for all other uses should be done in accordance with the Classroom Reservations for Non-Course Events policy.
Priority for classrooms assignments is based on:
- Size of class
- Instructional requirements related to:
- Technology
- Board space
- Room layout
- Accommodation requirements provided by the Office of Disability Services
Academic units who submit their annual course schedule on time in May and adhere to academic policies relating to the appropriate use of approved time blocks and distribution of course offerings will be given a higher priority.
Course requests requiring centrally scheduled classrooms, including new course additions, meeting day, meeting time, and section max changes submitted after course schedules have been posted to the web are subject to classroom availability. The Office of the University Registrar will provide available meeting patterns to academic units after classroom assignments have been made.
Academic units with classrooms and other instructional spaces under their purview have first priority to those spaces for the assignment of classes. Scheduling of these spaces for events should only be completed after the academic classroom schedule has been finalized and in accordance with the Classroom Reservations for Non-Course Events policy.
An academic department may deem it necessary to cancel a course in which students are already registered. Students registered in the canceled course will be notified via email by the department offering the course or by the Office of the University Registrar and are advised to seek an alternative course or contact their academic advisor for assistance.
For a course to be offered in any term, it is essential that minimum enrollment criteria are met; otherwise, the course section will be subject to cancellation during the Section Balancing Process in accordance with the Low-Enrolled Courses and Class Size Policy . The following course enrollment minimums have been established for each of the following categories:
- Undergraduate lower division (000-199): 16 students
- Undergraduate upper division (200-499): 12 students
- Graduate lower division - Master's (500-699): 10 students
- Graduate upper division - Doctoral (700-999): 6 students
In instances where course sections are cross-listed, the total enrollment will be calculated by combining the number of students in each course section. The enrollment must meet the criteria of the highest course number, which corresponds to the lower minimum. For instance, if 100-level course is cross-listed with a 300-level course, the enrollment must satisfy the threshold for undergraduate upper division courses.
To ensure that a course is offered in any given term, it is essential to meet the minimum enrollment criteria outlined in the Low-Enrolled Courses and Class Size Policy. Failing to meet these criteria may result in the cancellation of the course by the Office of the Provost. However, in certain cases, exemptions may be granted by the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Curriculum and Education based on valid justifications provided by the academic department during the Section Balancing Process.
Section Balancing Process: Procedure for Requesting Course Exemptions
Approximately five weeks prior to the start of each term, the Office of the University Registrar will initiate the Section Balancing Process by sending a list of all low-enrolled sections to all academic schedulers via email.
- Schedulers and their departments are required to review these low-enrolled sections and submit justifications for any sections they wish to offer despite not meeting the minimum enrollment thresholds. These justifications should be submitted by the specified deadline, which is typically the second Friday after receipt of the email.
- Departments must promptly cancel any low-enrolled sections they decide not to offer in CLSS.
- It is the responsibility of the department to inform any affected students regarding the cancellation of these sections and render assistance in finding alternative registration for the term that will progress a student towards degree.
- Departments must also ensure that enrollments in remaining sections are appropriately distributed. This period should be utilized to balance other sections on their schedule to maintain optimal learning conditions.
Certain specialty sections, such as research, practicums and thesis sections, are determined by various factors including pedagogy, equipment, and custom space size, and are therefore exempt from the Section Balancing Process. Although these course sections may not be canceled due to low enrollment, if a persistent trend of low enrollment is observed, the the Office of the Provost may recommend reducing the frequency of these offerings to enhance enrollment.
- Lecture/recitation 1 hr x 10 = 1 quarter hour
- Lab/studio 2 or more hr x 10 = 1 quarter hour
The common exam hour blocks are MWF 8 a.m. to 8:50 a.m. (first-year courses), TR 8 a.m. to 8:50 a.m (second-year courses) and W 6 p.m. to 6:50 p.m. Common exams times are periods of times reserved for examinations and that are applied to multiple sections of a course, allowing all sections of a course to be examined together at the time indicated. Common Exam periods are typically reserved for lower-division (first-years, second-years and pre-third-year) courses. Students taking larger courses such as Calculus may be automatically registered in the common exam period (i.e. EXAM 080) as it is a co-requisite.
Departments may require an adjustment to a course offering following the second week of the term. In instances when a change needs to be made to meeting days or times, schedule types (Lecture, Lab, Recitation, etc.), or grade modes (Standard letter, Credit/No Credit, etc.), the re-registration of enrolled students must also occur. In order to ensure that students are registered correctly for all aspects of a course offering, departments are required to review all course offerings prior to the start of registration during week five of the previous term. Departments will be responsible for the dropping and re-registering of students for these changes.
First priority for the scheduling of centrally controlled classroom space is given to academic classes and exam scheduling. Adjustments can be made through the end of week two, after which time classrooms will be available on a first come, first served basis for event scheduling.
For information on reserving a room please see Room Scheduling.
The Drexel University Term Master Schedule (WebTMS) is a website that provides course schedule and course detailed information based on terms. Course information is currently available online for the listed terms. Please check the last updated time and note that course schedule information is subject to change at any time. The University specifically reserves the right to change any aspect of its academic programs including course content, instructor, day/time, location, and instructional format. The University cannot guarantee an in-person format even where noted as such in the catalog and reserves the right to present any courses in a virtual/remote or hybrid format. Moreover, forces beyond the University's control may require that that the campus be closed, yet the University may continue providing courses in a virtual/remote or hybrid format while continuing to charge regular tuition and fees.
Naval Reserve Officers' Training Corp (NROTC) and Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) courses are scheduled by the Office of the University Registrar (OUR) in coordinator with the respective NROTC/ROTC programs. These courses use NSC and MLSC subject codes.
Education abroad courses are scheduled by the Office of the University Registrar (OUR) in coordination with the Office of Global Engagement (OGE). These courses can be identified by either 200, 201, 202 or NBL, NB2, NB3 section numbers along with the Study Abroad schedule type. Courses from across the University's various subject codes can be set up as Education Abroad sections. Course schedulers should not make any adjustments to these sections without prior consultation with OGE.
When students return from abroad, their coursework and grades are processed by OUR and OGE. If advisors or course schedulers receive course/grade reports directly from students, they should contact OGE to initiate the process to update the students' academic history.
Scheduling Functionalities
Cross-listing refers to the act of merging two or more course sections that share the same course content but are offered at different levels (UG/GR) or within different departments. Requests to cross-list courses for an upcoming term must be received by no later than 5 p.m. ET on the Thursday before Week Zero (i.e. Two Thursdays before the start of the term) due to issues that arise when courses are cross-listed after students begin to generate content.
Cross-listing courses produce the following results:
- Combines multiple class lists into one, allowing instructors to monitor attendance and grade students from one class list
- Combines multiple online course shells into one, allowing all students to participate in unified online discussions and assignments
- Improves utilization of instructor and physical classroom space resources
Valid cross-listed courses must:
- Have the same meeting day/time and classroom assignment
- Have the same title and course description
- Be offered with the same credit hours
- Be taught by the same instructor(s)
The cross-listing of a UG and GR course will be granted based on the following parameters:
- 300-level UG course cross-listed with a 500-level GR course
- 400-level UG course cross-listed with a 500- or 600-level GR course
When cross-listing UG and GR courses, the graduate course must include additional learner outcomes as represented by additional course work appropriate to the level of the course.
Cross-listing should not occur between courses in the following scenarios:
- Study Abroad sections and non-Study Abroad sections
- Same subject code, but different course (i.e. ABC 300 & ABC 301)
Cross-listing should also not be used to produce an alternative resolution for a billing issue.
Any requests to cross-list courses because of the reasons listed above will need to be reviewed with the Office of the University Registrar and the Office of the Provost on a case-by-case basis.
Reserved seating permits specific student populations to register for a course before seats become occupied by other student populations based on earlier time ticket assignments. Individual departments decide which courses will have the reserved seating option, in addition to how many seats are reserved for a specific student population. Departments that want to reserve seats for their department's students in another department's course will work collaboratively with the department to ensure the appropriate amounts of seats are reserved. Schedulers must request having reserved seating added to a section at any point during the annual course scheduling process. Once registration for the upcoming term begins, departments may not add or remove reserved seating rules.
Any remaining reserved seats that have not been utilized by the reserved population will become available to the general population the Monday of the 10th week of the prior term (with the exception of reserved seating for winter quarter, reserved seating will be reallocated during the 11th week of fall quarter.) Students can view courses that have the reserved seating option by the section comments assigned to a course in the Drexel University Term Master Schedule (WebTMS).
Wait listing allows students to be placed on an electronic wait list for a closed section that has wait list capabilities. Individual departments are responsible for determining which courses will have wait list capabilities. A wait list option can be added to a course at any time, including during the annual course scheduling period in the spring in addition to during registration. Students can view courses that have the wait list option by the section comments assigned to a course in the Drexel University Term Master Schedule (WebTMS).
On the Tuesday before classes begin, students who are still on the wait list will be removed. In the event the University is closed, students who are still on the wait list will be removed on the next business day the University is open.
Attributes and Fees
The Diversity attribute is added to courses to assist students in locating topics which increase awareness of diversity. Departments seeking the guidelines for establishing a course as such can refer to the Intercultural & Diversity Committee.
Any course noted as a sustainable-themed course receives a SUST attribute. Departments seeking the requirements for establishing a course as such can refer to the Climate & Sustainability website for guidelines and request the SUST attribute for a course through CourseLeaf. This must be done through the comments field.
The Online Program (DeL) Attribute is placed on all online course offerings. Only students who are enrolled in online programs will qualify for the associated online tuition rate, which is activated by a corresponding student attribute. On-campus students participating in online sections will be subject to the standard tuition rates.
The part-time degree completion attribute (PC) will be placed on student records that are enrolled in part-time degree completion programs. The PC attribute will also be placed on all undergraduate courses offered in the evening (6 p.m. or later) and all undergraduate Architecture courses offered after 5 p.m. Students who have a PC attribute and register for a course that has a PC attribute will be billed the reduced per credit rate. If either the part-time student or the section does not have a PC attribute, respectively, the student will be charged the regular per credit rate.
The Writing Intensive (WI) course attribute is only setup at the course catalog level. The WI attribute will automatically populate when a new section of any WI course is created. Departments seeking the requirements for establishing new or modifying existing WI courses or to see a list of WI course should refer to the Writing Intensive Courses at Drexel University.
Any course determined as non-billable (NBL) requires consultation with the Office of the University Registrar, the Bursar's Office and the Office of the Provost. Courses that are approved to be non-billable will be noted as such at the course catalog level. All courses determined as non-billable will consequently be non-billable at all section offerings. Non-billable course sections should be created in CLSS using section code NBL. For courses not set as non-billable at the course catalog level, an email must be sent to OUR Academic Services immediately to ensure the Tuition and Fee Waiver is checked in Banner before registration can begin. (For multiple NBL sections of the same course, enter: NBL, NB2, NB3...)
- Prior to the start of registration for every term, departments should audit their course offerings to review all section using 'NBL' as a section number to ensure they're in place. The Hyperion report STU-Term Master Schedule can be run to ensure a 'Y' is in place in the 'Tuiw Ind' column for their non-billable sections.
Requests for lab fees to be attached to course sections must be submitted to the Bursar and Academic Services Team no later than 5:00 p.m. on the Tuesday before registration begins for any term (except for fall quarter, when lab fees must be in place for all coursework before the First-Year Block Registration Process begins. Departments are strongly encouraged to submit lab fees for their course sections for the entire upcoming academic year at the end of the Annual Course Scheduling process every May.
If a department submits lab fees after registration has begun, the department will be responsible for:
- Emailing students to alert them that their bill will be updated to reflect a missing fee, and that they will be temporarily dropped from the course to facilitate this
- Orchestrating fee assessment with the Office of the Bursar
- Dropping and reregistering all students
- Alerting Drexel Central of the adjustment about to occur in case they field any inquiries about the issue
Fall Quarter | Winter Quarter | Spring Quarter | Summer Quarter | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Registration Begins | July 29, 2024 | October 28, 2024 | February 10, 2025 | May 5, 2025 |
Lab Fee Submission Deadline, 5PM | June 25, 2024 (Before First Year Block Registration Begins) | October 22, 2024 | February 4, 2025 | April 29, 2025 |
If a department identifies that a lab fee is missing from a course section after the add/drop period has ended in any given term, the department will absorb the unpaid fees, as students cannot incur unplanned additional charges once they can no longer drop a course.
OUR Annual Procedures
Annual course scheduling refers to the process in which academic departments establish their course offerings for the upcoming academic year. Revisions to course offerings can include adjustments to existing course section details, such as enrollment maximums, meeting days or times, or course restrictions. Departments will also determine course section additions and deletions.
Annual course scheduling is submitted and reviewed during two adjustment periods between January and May, with a final adjustment period occurring between Finals week of two terms prior to the adjustment term through the Friday before registration begins for the term. Annual course scheduling adjustments are entered by department course schedulers through CourseLeaf CLSS and audited by Office of the University Registrar (OUR). OUR will work with course schedulers during the auditing period to address any errors before the schedule goes live on the Drexel University Term Master Schedule (WebTMS).
Each department is responsible for updating their course offerings during each phase in order to ensure the appropriate courses are offered based on student demand before the onset of registration. Resources for this process may be found on the Course Scheduling Teams. Membership may be requested by new course schedulers by emailing Academic Services.
At Drexel, new first-year undergraduate students receive their fall class schedules through a collaborative block registration process that involves many partners across the University. Course schedulers and academic advisors work with the Office of the University Registrar (OUR) to curate first-year schedules based on major/plan of study and placement exam results. Resources for this process may be found on the Course Scheduling Teams. Membership may be requested by new course schedulers or involved parties by emailing Academic Services.
- Major stakeholders in this process include OUR, Academic Information Systems (AIS), Information Resources and Technology (IRT), academic departments, Drexel Central, University Communications, and Intercollegiate Advising.
- Utilizing confirmed enrollment numbers, academic departments establish their course offerings for the upcoming academic year.
- Academic departments review the University Catalog plans of study for a given major to develop a grouping of course sections (a block) in which students will be registered.
- Incoming first-year students are required to take placement exams dependent on their major, which will place them into the appropriate Math or science course (Chemistry or Physics.)
- It should be noted that Physics outcomes are based on Calculus placement exam scores. based on if required for their major.
- Incoming first-year students may also take modern language or information science exams.
- International students are also assessed on their proficiency in English.
- IRT coordinates the annual setup of placement exams with the OUR, AIS and the associated academic departments as needed.
- OUR is responsible for the mass registration of all incoming students based on the block information provided by academic departments. All students must be registered for at least 12 credits total prior to the start of term.
- Academic departments are responsible for ensuring that all newly confirmed students, students who have changed their major, and students whose enrollment depends on summer preparatory review outcomes, are registered into the appropriate courses by the start of term.
- The Bursar's Office processes the annual bill in mid-August; therefore all new incoming students must be registered for at least one credit prior to this date. The Bursar's Office also processes immunization holds for students who have not received their immunizations required to move into student housing. Holds will prohibit any changes to the student's schedule.
Contact Us
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Philadelphia, PA 19104
Hours:
Monday and Wednesday–Friday: 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
Tuesday: 9:30 a.m–5 p.m.