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Student Center

Student Center is where you:

To access Student Center, click on Student Center under My Apps on the Cal Poly portal. We recommend using Mozilla Firefox as your browser.

Students are responsible for knowing what classes they are enrolled in and should print class schedules after making any changes.

For assistance with your my.calpoly.edu User ID and/or password:

Tasks

 

Look up Classes That Are Offered This Term

Schedule Builder allows students to plan their schedules for the upcoming term. Create and save multiple schedule options prior to your registration appointment. The tool is accessible through the Student Center. For more information, please see the Schedule Builder page.

Class Search allows students to search for classes by specific course attributes, including Modes of Instruction (online, in person, hybrid, etc.), General Education areas, US Cultural Pluralism, and Graduation Writing Requirement. Access Class Search by clicking the "Search for Classes" tab at the top of their Student Center:

Screenshot of Class Search

Add a Class

Students can add classes starting at the time of their registration enrollment appointment through the 4th day of the “add/drop period." Student can use their Student Center or Schedule Builder to register for classes.

A permission number is required to add any class during the last 4 days of the add/drop period.

(Note: “add/drop period” is the first 8 days of instruction of the term during which students can continue to add and/or drop classes. After this period, adding and dropping classes is not allowed, although, students can “withdraw” from a class(es) under specific circumstances).

Add a Class demo

animated picture of add a class

  1. click Enrollment
  2. click Shopping Cart
  3. click Add Class
  4. select Add by class number
  5. enter class number and click Add
  6. select grading basis and click Save
  7. check box next to class
  8. click Enroll
  9. check "I agree" box and click Enroll
  10. view Enrollment Results
  11. click My Schedule to verify

Add a Class - with a Permission Number demo

Permission numbers are required to add classes during the last four days of the add/drop period and are obtained from the instructor. Permission numbers can also override class requisites (requirement) if the instructor or department give consent.

In Student Center, click Enrollment and then Shopping Cart. On this page, you will select "Add by class number." You can enter the class number and then permission number. Click save. You will then select the check box next to the class and click enroll. Carefully read enrollment results and verify your schedule. If there is a related class component enter the class number for the component at the same time.

NOTE: You cannot have pushed your course from Schedule Builder to the Shopping Cart. If you do, the permission number field will not populate.

Permission numbers cannot override time conflicts or the 22 unit enrollment limit.

Animated picture of add a class with permission number

  1. click Enrollment
  2. click Shopping Cart
  3. click Add Class
  4. select Add by class number
  5. enter class number
  6. enter permission number
  7. check box next to class
  8. click Enroll
  9. check "I agree" box
  10. click OK
  11. click My Schedule to verify

Drop a Class

Classes can be dropped through the eighth day of instruction. It is the student's responsibility to verify their schedule and drop unwanted courses before the drop deadline via Student Center. If you are enrolled in the wrong class or section at the end of the term, you will receive a failing grade of “F” or “WU”. Following the end of the drop period, if you wish to withdraw from a class, you must do so by submitting a course withdrawal petition with approval signatures. Refer to the Withdrawal Information page for details.

You MAY be dropped by an instructor for one of the reasons listed below:

  • Failure to attend the 1st class meeting: If you are unable to attend the first class meeting, prior arrangements should be made with the instructor. If you do not contact the instructor, you could be dropped. The instructor can drop student from class if a student is not present at the end of the first class meeting of a lecture, laboratory or activity class. If enrolled in a lab/lecture combination, be sure to attend both courses during the first session. If you attend the lecture on the first day but miss the laboratory session, or vice versa, you may be dropped from both.
    Do not assume that you will be dropped from a class. It is the student's RESPONSIBILITY to drop all unwanted classes.
  • Failure to meet course requirements: Some classes have special pre-requisites or restrictions, require department or instructor consent, or are reserved for majors only. See the Cal Poly Catalog for course details.
  • Canceled classes: Students will be automatically removed/dropped from canceled classes and notified via their Cal Poly e-mail address.

Drop a Class demo

Animated Example of Drop Class

  1. click on Enrollment
  2. click on Drop Classes
  3. select class you want to Drop
  4. click Drop button
  5. click OK in pop-up window that appears
  6. click on My Schedule to verify the change

Swap a Class

Click on the Swap Classes. Choose the class you wish to swap out of and enter the class number you wish to swap into and click swap. You will receive either a “success” or “fix errors” message.

If the class you want to swap into has a waitlist, you will receive the option to waitlist. Click “wait list if class is full” to be added to the waitlist. If enrolled from the waitlist, the system will automatically drop you from the class you indicate and add you to your preferred class.

Swap Class demo

animated picture of swap class

  1. click on Enrollment
  2. click on Swap Classes
  3. select class to swap by clicking the "Swap This Class" button
  4. select the "With class from Class Number" option
  5. enter class number of class you would like to swap into in the "Swap by Class Number" pop-up window and click Swap
  6. click on Save
  7. view intended swap and click on Confirm to process
  8. click on My Schedule to verify change

Swap Class with Waitlist demo

animated picture swap class with waitlist

  1. click on Enrollment
  2. click on Swap Classes
  3. select class to swap by clicking the "Swap This Class" button
  4. select the "With class from Class Number" option
  5. enter class number of class you would like to swap into in the "Swap by Class Number" pop-up window and click Swap
  6. select "Waitlist if class is full" checkbox and click Save button
  7. view intended swap and click on Confirm to process
  8. read message with wait list number
  9. click on My Schedule, verify change, and view wait list number

Edit a Class/Change a Class to Credit/No Credit Grading

The Edit feature is used to change a lab section while remaining in the same lecture, to change the grading option of a class, or to change the unit value in a variable unit class.

Students must make their credit/no-credit selections by the deadline on the eighth day of instruction. For this specific date, please refer to the Student Planning Calendar for the appropriate term.

Each student is responsible for monitoring the requirements/limitations below:

  • Maximum of four units towards major/support area, if allowed by major department (see the curriculum display in the catalog to determine if your major allows credit/no-credit grading; most do not).
  • Maximum of four units towards GE courses. Remaining units (to a maximum of 16) may be used for elective units.
  • It is the student's responsibility to ensure that these limitations are met. Student Center does not restrict the ability to inappropriately enroll in major, support and general education courses on a credit/no credit basis.
  • If a student is not qualified to take a class for credit/no-credit based on the above requirements, but has incorrectly selected credit/no-credit grading (e.g., a second GE course) the actual letter grade earned for the class will be reinstated by the Evaluations Unit. Please contact Evaluations to make this change as soon as the error is discovered.

Edit a Class - Changing Lab Sections demo

animated picture of editing class with lab

  1. click on Enrollment
  2. click on Edit Enrollment
  3. select class and click Edit
  4. select New lab section and click continue
  5. view results and click OK
  6. click on My Schedule to verify change

Edit a Class - Choosing Credit/No Credit Option demo

animated picture of editing grading basis

  1. click Enrollment
  2. click on Edit Enrollment
  3. select class to change and click Edit
  4. select grading basis from drop down
  5. click Continue
  6. confirm changes and click Continue
  7. view Edit Enrollment Results and click OK
  8. click on Academic Progress
  9. click on Grades
  10. verify grading basis 

Edit a Class - Variable Unit Changes demo

animated picture of editing class units

  1. click Enrollment
  2. click on Edit Enrollment
  3. select class and click Edit
  4. select units from drop down and click continue
  5. confirm changes and click continue
  6. view Edit Enrollment Results and click OK
  7. click My Schedule to verify changes

Maximum Units

Students can register for 18 units during the first round of registration. The MAXIMUM UNITS increases to 22 units during the second round of registration.

If a student wishes to enroll in more than the maximum number of units allowed, permission must be obtained from the student's major advisor. The student must submit an Excess Unit Petition to the Office of the Registrar before the deadline to add classes for that term. The Office of the Registrar will process the form as soon as it is received to facilitate the student's enrollment in the additional class(es)/unit(s). The student may then add the approved excess units using their Student Center.

Permission Number

Permission numbers are special “codes” departments or class instructors may choose to issue so a student can enroll in the class. Permission numbers are “exceptions” and are not issued easily or frequently. Students must have justifiable reasons to be granted a permission number that would allow the student to do one or more of the following:

  • add a class during the last 4 days of the add/drop period
  • override the prerequisite(s) of a course
  • enroll in a full class with or without a waitlist
  • enroll in a class without enrolling into its component (e.g., lab, activity, corequisite etc.)

PLEASE NOTE: When a student is waitlisted for a class and receives a permission number for that specific class, the student must DROP the waitlisted class and re-add the class using the provided permission number.

Waitlist

When a class is full, students can choose to waitlist for that class. Once the waitlist is created, enrollment can only occur through the waitlist process unless the department or the instructor issues a permission number that overrides the waitlist (note that this happens under rare circumstances).

If a certain number of seats in a class are reserved for a specific student population, students who meet the criteria for the reserved seats can enroll in the class and others are added to the waitlist. For each class, Schedule Builder will display the number of open seats, the number of reserved seats (if any), the number of taken seats, and the number of students on the waitlist.

The waitlist process (i.e., adding students into the class if seats opens up) runs nightly starting the first day of registration through the first day of instruction. During the first 4 days of instruction, the waitlist process runs at noon and once at night. After the 4th day of instruction until the end of the add/drop period, it is up to the instructor to allow students to enroll in their class by issuing them a permission number.

Once the term begins, if the student chooses to remain on the waitlist of a class, he or she should attend all class sessions in case they are enrolled through the waitlist process. Some faculty require attendance in the first class session and may choose to drop students who fail to attend without forewarning, even if they are enrolled in the class through the waitlist process. Such attendance is also necessary to prevent falling behind on subject material.

It is the STUDENT’S RESPONSIBILITY to remove themselves from the waitlist(s) of the class(es) that they no longer wish to be enrolled in.

Waitlist Rules:

  • Students can waitlist for a maximum of 16 units.
  • Waitlist units are not included in enrollment unit limits (i.e., during the first round of enrollment, you can enroll up to 18 units and you can waitlist up to 16 units).
  • Students cannot waitlist for courses with a class component more than once (e.g., for a class with a single lecture section but with multiple lab sections such as CHEM 111-01, you can only waitlist for one lecture/lab combination).
  • Students can waitlist for multiple sections of the same class if it does not have a component. When the student is enrolled into one of these sections through the waitlist process, they will be automatically dropped from the other sections’ waitlists.
  • Students cannot waitlist for a class if they haven’t met or aren’t currently enrolled in its prerequisites.
  • The instructor of the class under special circumstances, may allow a student to override the waitlist of a full class by issuing the student a permission number.
  • Students should remove themselves from the waitlist(s) of the class(es) they are no longer interested in enrolling. Failure to do so may result in the student getting automatically enrolled from the waitlist and, if goes unnoticed by the student, may result in getting an F or WU (withdrawal unauthorized) grade in the class.

 

How to Waitlist:

Once the class is in your shopping cart (see Add a Class demo) check the “wait list if class is full” box under Class Preferences section before hitting the NEXT button. Once you finish the enrollment transaction for this class, you will be placed into the waitlist if the class is full.

You can observe your waitlist position in your Student Center (in the "My Schedule" section, the "View Wait List" section, the "Drop Classes" section, and the "Edit Enrollment" section). You can find your waitlist position next to the open-hand waitlist symbol (see example below):

Wait list open hand symbol example

You will be notified via your Cal Poly email if and when the waitlist process enrolls you in a class.

The waitlist process will not enroll you in a class if:

  • The time of the class conflicts with the time of another class you have enrolled in.
  • You have a registration hold.
  • You are already enrolled in another section of the same class.
  • Enrolling in the class will cause you to exceed the enrollment unit limit.

Waitlist Frequently Asked Questions:

1. I am waitlisted for multiple sections of the same class. What happens when I am enrolled in one of those sections?

If you are waitlisted for multiple sections of the same class and are enrolled in one of those sections, the system will automatically drop you from the other waitlisted sections. The system's goal is to enroll you in a class; it does not have the ability to read or interpret preference. If you do not want to be enrolled in a certain section of a class, DO NOT waitlist for that section.

2. Where is my waitlist position displayed?

Your waitlist position can be found in your Student Center in the "My Schedule" section, the "View Wait List" section, the "Drop Classes" section, and the "Edit Enrollment" section. Please see the screenshot posted above under the "How to Waitlist" section of this webpage.

3. What waitlist position number will display in my Student Center if a class has a lecture and a lab?

If a class has a lecture component and a lab component, the waitlist position displayed in the Student Center under "My Class Schedule" is the position number for the enrollment section of the class. For many classes, the enrollment section is the lecture component. With classes that have one lecture and multiple labs, the waitlist for the lecture and the lab may be different. Please note your position on the waitlist when you are enrolling.

4. Can I edit a class I am waitlisted for? For example, can I change the lab of a waitlisted class?

No. You are unable to make edits to a class until you are fully enrolled in that class.

5. I thought I was enrolled in a class, but now I'm waitlisted. What happened to my enrollment?

When a student is enrolling, a green check mark can either mean a.) successful enrollment in the class, OR b.) that you have been successfully added to the waitlist for that class.

To avoid confusion, please be sure you thoroughly read all messages at the end of registration.

6. Can I set up a class to automatically "Drop" if I get off the waitlist for another class?

Yes, but you can only do so at the time of registration. When you are registering for a class that has a waitlist, you may choose to "Swap" a class that you are already enrolled in. Once you are waitlisted for the class, the system will create a "Drop if Enrolled" scenario. If you get enrolled from the waitlist, you will be dropped from the other class you selected (thus completing the "Swap").

Please make this choice carefully as there is no way to undo this action once you have registered.

Take Care of a Hold

On their Student Center, Students can see if they have a hold for academic or other university obligations that have not been met. Holds can prevent registration, ordering official transcripts, and use of facilities, services, and materials until cleared. To clear a hold, students must contact the department that placed the hold.

Audit a Class

An auditor is a student who attends a course and receives no credit for the course. Enrollment as an auditor is subject to permission of the instructor.

Submit a Petition to Audit to the Office of the Registrar for processing by 5:00 p.m. on the eighth day of instruction of the term.

More Information on Audits from the Catalog.

Degree Progress Report (DPR)

Commonly called the “degree audit,” it indicates which requirements have been satisfied and which ones still must be completed.

Directions for using DPR

Pay for Tuition

Please visit the Student Accounts website for information on registration fees. Failure to pay within the required time-frame will result in a hold being placed on your account and classes being dropped. Students that initiate registration after their alpha rotation appointment and during Open Enrollment period will incur a $25 late registration fee.

Repeat a Course

Undergraduate students that earn C- or less may repeat up to a maximum of 16 units for one time grade forgiveness and an additional 18 units for GPA improvement. Repeat adjustments are made automatically at the end of the term in which the course is repeated. For further requirements and exceptions, please refer to the Office of the Registrar web page under Repeating a Course

Catalog information on repeating a course

Change/Update My Address Information

Current students must change/update their address information through the portal ~ go to my.calpoly.edu.

  1. Log on to my.calpoly.edu.
  2. Click on the “Personal Info” tab.
  3. Click on the “Edit” button beside the address that needs to be updated.
  4. Change the data.
  5. Click Save.

The portal is available to students one year (four terms) after their last enrolled term at Cal Poly. If you have been away from Cal Poly for more than four terms, mail or fax your address change request to: Cal Poly, Office of the Registrar, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407 or Fax: 805-756-7237.

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