Registration Waitlists Explained

As of Spring 2022, University of West Georgia has implemented a waitlist system for registering for classes. Many students are having difficulty navigating through the new system; each student gets a ticket that opens on a specific date, at a specific time and does not close until the next semester. When the date and time arrives for the student, access will be granted for the student to begin registration for the following semester.

“The waitlist actually assists students,” said assistant registrar Ava Elefante. “If a course is full, you’re going to select that class that you want to enroll in.”

The student will then view the available classes and the corresponding sections. After the class is selected, the student can click the “add” button which will add the course to their registration form.  Once the class has been added to the student’s registration form, the student will automatically be added to the waitlist.

“It’s first come first serve,” said Elefante. “Let’s say a student is on the waitlist and somebody drops that class. That makes a space available. The student on the waitlist will get an email stating there is a spot available. They’re not automatically put in[to the class].”

Students have an 18-hour window to register for the class, should a spot become available.
           

“If they don’t register within that 18-hour period after the email is received, then [the spot] goes to the next person on the waitlist,” said Elefante.

The email will pass through each student based on where the student placed on the waitlist. Many waitlists for highly sought after classes have been filling quickly, causing students to wonder if they need to ask for overrides. For classes that students are required to register for, there is an option to email a professor to ask for the override.

            “Our professors tend to be very amenable,” said Elefante. “I would strongly encourage them to discuss [with the professor], especially if this is an upper level class and you’ve worked with that professor before. They may be able to get something worked out with you.”

            If all else fails, students are encouraged to have a backup plan. Not all courses will begin pulling from the waitlist if the class is highly sought after and fills up quickly. The best option would be to check your Wolf Watch to see what other options are available to fill your requirement.

            “We’re here to help and having that waitlist gives students more options.” said Elefante.

For further questions about registration or waitlists, do not hesitate to contact UWG registrar at registrar@westga.edu.