Waitlists and Overrides

Registration Updates

Here, I will post any updates that are “News to Me, too!” Right now, I haven’t learned anything that that I haven’t known and communicated with you.

Overrides

Classes have enrollment limits based upon educational pedagogy, technology, laboratory equipment and/or room size (number of actual seats available). Sometimes a department is willing to grant a student an override into a class that is already full. 

~ JMU Registrar's Webpage

Overrides are a difficult process. If you want an override because you want a better time or a "better" professor, do not ask for an override. Faculty are inundated with override requests, and these “cosmetic” reasons are not enough to request an override. I don't mean to be too forward by saying this, but I don't want you wasting your time (or the instructor/department's time) and hoping for something that's unrealistic.

Legitimate reasons for requesting an override include, but are not limited to:

• You are declared a major or are strongly considering declaring a major, and you need a class because of the major requirements. This is particularly the case when the course fulfills progression requirements for the major or is the first in a sequence of courses you will need to take for the major.
• There are multiple classes you need for a major that you are declared or strongly considering, and the only section(s) that are open for a class conflict with other class(es) for the major which are already enrolled in... and there's no way you can figure out to adjust your schedule to "make it work" (as Tim Gunn would say).

If you decide to attempt to get overrides or have enrolled in a waitlist, don't count on these courses for a full schedule. Attempt to get the 15-16 credit hour load as if you aren't going to get the override... because you may not!

Overrides are given at the discretion of the Academic Department the course is taught within or instructor who teaches the section you are trying to add. There is no easy way to know if you should contact the department or instructor to get an override. Here are some Departments (that I am aware of) have outlined their process online:

• College of Business (COB, GECON, and ECON courses). The COB override request period will begin on November 6 and conclude on November 12 at midnight. Students need to complete the online submission form during this time period. 
• Computer Science (CS courses)
• Geographic Science (GGEOG and GEOG courses)
• Integrated Science & Technology (GISAT and ISAT courses)
• IS 202: Career & Life Planning
• Mathematics (MATH courses). The override requests into math and statistics courses are not being accepted at this time. The Department is utilizing the waitlist feature in MyMadison, so you need to find a course that could fit with your schedule an enroll in the waitlist.
• Psychology (GPSYC and PSYC courses)

To find the Academic Department's location and phone number, go to Department's homepage. You can find the Academic Department's homepage by utilizing the Search on JMU’s Homepage.

To find an instructor's contact information, go to JMU's Homepage, and click "Campus Directory." Remember, an instructor's email inbox can be overloading during this time of year. Sometimes it's more effective to call or stop by their office. Many faculty post their office hours outside of their office door so you know when to come back if they aren’t there.

Finding closed classes and classes that are accepting waitlists, you need to log-in to MyMadison. After you login to MyMadison, go to the Student Center, and go to Class Search, you need to enter the subject and course number like usual. Then, uncheck Show Open Classes Only. Now when you search, you'll see all of the open and closed classes.

If a class is showing that it has open seats but you are unable to register, please try registering for the course again beginning November 6, because that’s when Open Registration begins. Sometimes Departments will restrict the course to certain majors only until Open Registration, and once Open Registration starts they lift this restriction so anyone can register for the remaining available seats.