Thank you for your inquiry about the waitlist for one of my classes! I’ve put this page together so that you have all the information you need to navigate the waitlist process.

Faculty members don’t have any influence over the waitlist until classes start; it’s fully automated by the Registrar’s office until then, based upon the order students sign up for the list. There is nothing a faculty member can do to help a student move up the list more quickly.

If you are registering late and are in urgent need of a class this term for your graduation plans, then your best bet is to grab a spot on the shortest waitlist for the class you need and check email daily — there’s often a lot of movement in the weeks prior to classes starting, and depending upon when you sign up, it’s relatively common to have spots offered to the top 3-5 students on the list. If you come up on a waitlist, the registrar’s office will give you a short window of time in which to register before moving down the list. If your need for a class is especially urgent, sometimes it is necessary to shift to your second-choice modality.

If spaces open up in one of my classes after the term begins, I issue override codes to those on the waitlist, prioritizing those from the waitlist who’ve contacted me on the first Monday of the term to express continued interest, with special consideration for seniors in their final term who need the class for graduation. This expedites the process, as often students on the waitlist make other plans after the term begins. Please note that I manage dozens of waitlist requests each term; following the instructions below exactly will improve your chances of getting a spot.

Note that if no spaces open up during the first week of classes, I may not have overrides to issue for that class — depending on program policies, room capacity, etc.

If you’d like to express your ongoing interest after classes begin, please email me no sooner than Monday morning of Week 1 of the term, with the subject line “Waitlist Request,” and then the course number/section for which you are waitlisted. Please be sure you include the following information:

• Subject Line: Waitlist Request: [Course Number-Section] (Examples: “Waitlist Request: WR 323-004” or “Waitlist Request: WR 340-001”);
• Your name as it appears on the waitlist;
• Your PSU ID Number;
• Any pertinent information about your need for the class (for example, if you are a final-term senior who has applied for graduation at the end of the current term and needs the class for degree completion, I will verify and prioritize your request).

This enables me to quickly evaluate requests and issue overrides in the event that a currently enrolled student drops from that section. If I issue you an override, you must then register for the class. Registration is not automatic; it has to be done by the student — please do this as soon as possible. If I issue you an override and you decide not to register, please let me know so that I may offer the spot to another student.

I hope this information helps and that you have a great term!