Registration

Waitlist FAQs

How do I add myself to the waitlist for a closed section?
Students who meet all course prerequisites or restrictions may add themselves to the waitlist by going to FoxLink. Add and Drop classes and choosing Waitlist from the ‘Action’ menu.

How does waitlisting work?
Students who attempt to register for a closed section may add their names to the waitlist for that section. If a seat in the section becomes available, notice will be sent to the Rollins email address of the student at the top of the waitlist, who will have 24 hours to log in to his or her FoxLink and add the class.

The open seat will be reserved solely for the student at the top of the waitlist: no other student may register for the seat during the 24-hour time period. If the student at the top of the waitlist does not add the class within the 24-hour period, he or she will be removed from the waitlist and the next student on the list will be notified.

How often does the waitlist process run?
The process will run several times a day after all students have had the opportunity to register through the first week of class.  As the system detects open seats, an e-mail notification is sent to students who become eligible to register.  Students who are waitlisted for a course should check their Rollins e-mail often.

Are students who sign up for a waitlist guaranteed a seat in the class?
No, there is no guarantee that even one seat in a class will become available for students on a waitlist. For this reason, students should register for a full schedule so you do not appear to be under-enrolled for financial aid purposes, and so you aren’t desperately searching for a replacement course at the beginning of the semester.

What are the chances that one or more seats will become available for students on the waitlist for a class?
Chances of getting a seat in a closed class are better for students who have a high position on the waitlist; however, even the first student on the waitlist may not be offered a seat. Students on a waitlist should not assume that a seat in the class will become available and should register for a full schedule.

How are students on a waitlist prioritized?
Waitlists for most classes are prioritized on a first-come, first-served basis. That is, the first student signing up for the waitlist will be offered the first available seat in the section.

The following exceptions may apply:

• Upper-level courses may be prioritized by class standing (seniors to first-years), major or minor, and date and time of waitlisting.
• When seating is reserved for first year students, upper-class students on the waitlist will only get an opportunity to register for the class after first-year students have registered and if a seat becomes available. 
• Graduate programs reserve the right to bypass the waitlist to ensure that students in lock-step, cohort-based curriculums have access to required courses

Instructors are advised to bypass the waitlist only in exceptional circumstances such as when the student may not graduate without the course in that specific semester.

What about students who really need a closed class to meet requirements?
Students who are approaching graduation and have a pressing need to register for a required course should register for that course during their first registration window. Seniors and juniors are seldom closed out of required courses if they prioritize such courses over electives. Students who find a required class closed should add their names to the waitlist and register for an alternative course.

Can students avoid the waitlist for a closed class by asking the faculty member for a registration override?
No, it would not be fair to students on the waitlist if other students could bypass the list altogether.

Waitlisting means that students no longer need to request that their names be added to a waitlist. It also means that faculty members no longer need to field such requests, maintain waitlists, and sign add forms when seats become available.   Instructors may still sign add forms for students who do not meet course prerequisites, corequisites, restrictions, or insignificant time conflicts.

How do seats become available in a section with a waitlist?
A seat in a closed section becomes available when a registered student drops the class or when the enrollment limit is increased.

Is there a way for students to know their position on a waitlist?
Students may view their waitlisted classes by viewing their class schedule in their FoxLink. A student in position 1 (one) on a waitlist is next in line if a seat becomes available. A student in position 1 (one) will move into position 0 (zero) if a seat becomes available. He or she will receive notification that a seat has become available and will have 24 hours from the time the notification was sent (not received) to log in and register.

What happens if a student at the top of the waitlist does not register for an open seat within 24 hours of receiving email notification?
A student who is offered an available seat and does not register within the 24-hour window will be dropped from the waitlist and the seat will be offered to the next student on the list. For this reason, students should check their Rollins email accounts several times per day day, especially if they are close to the top of a waitlist.

Is there a limit to the number of waitlists to which students may add their names?
At this time, there is no limit; however, students who have the need to waitlist for three or more courses should contact Student Records for assistance.

What if a student waitlists a class and later decides he or she is no longer interested?
As a courtesy to other students, it is expected that students will drop themselves from the waitlists of any sections they no longer plan to take.

May students add their names to the waitlist for more than one section of the same course?
Yes.  A student can also register for one section of a course and waitlist for alternate sections of the same course offered at different times or with different instructors.  If the student is notified that a seat is available in a waitlisted section, he or she must first drop the registered section before adding the waitlisted section.

May a student waitlist a class that has a time conflict with another course?
Yes. Although they may not register for sections with time conflicts, students may add themselves to waitlists that have time conflicts with other registered or waitlisted sections. If the student is notified that a seat is available in the waitlisted section, he or she must drop the conflicting course before adding the waitlisted section.

Is there a limit to the number of seats available for waitlisting in a section?
Waitlists maximums may vary by course and by discipline, but remember that only a few waitlisted students are likely to be offered seats in any given class section. Students should not assume that a seat in a waitlisted class will become available especially if you are not toward the top of the list.

How does waitlisting work with fee payment deadlines?
Students who have an outstanding balance after any semester payment deadline may be dropped from registered and waitlisted classes. A student’s position on a waitlist may improve after a payment deadline if other students in higher positions were dropped for non-payment.

If a student on a waitlist receives notification of an available seat and has a registration hold, may he or she register for the waitlisted class?
No, registration holds must be cleared prior to any registration activity, including waitlist activity.  Registration holds typically include an outstanding account balance (bursar), missing transcripts (registrar) or judicial/deans hold.

How long are waitlists maintained?
Students will be able to add their names to a waitlist through the first four days of the semester.  Automatic notification of available seats will also continue through the fourth day of classes.  After the fifth day of class, sections may only be added with instructor permission.

If a student on a waitlist receives notice of an available seat and accidentally drops the class, may he or she get into the waitlisted class?
As long as the student is within the 24-hour window, he or she may add the class by going to the “Add or Drop Classes” link on  FoxLink.