FAQ - I'm having trouble getting the course I want

If you've tried to add a course online and failed, there can be several reasons. The three most common reasons are:

• the course is full, or
• you're a non-major trying to add a course that will only let Legal Studies majors into the course online, or
• you're trying to add a course online, when it's offline and requires instructor consent.

First check the enrollment and compare it to the capacity. Is it full? If it is, you can keep checking online, but you are likely going to have to attend the first class to get on the waiting list.

If it's not full but you can't get in, it's possible you don't have the prerequisites. Many of our courses require Legal 250 as a prerequisite. Go into the course listings on Spire and check the course details to see what the notes and requisites are, and if teacher consent is required. Many of our courses are restricted to majors, and are opened up to non-majors in August and January as space permits.

Once classes have started, we pull our courses offline so that all adds have to be done with the instructor's permission. You may see that the course has space, but the instructor undoubtedly has a long paper waiting list. Go to the first class and get on the waiting list, they are created in person.

Special notes:

• Legal 250

Legal 250 is not open to freshmen, no exceptions. If Spire lists you as a freshmen incorrectly (very possible if you have transferred credits), and you can prove you have more than 27 credits pending, contact the instructor. Note that priority for the waiting list is usually given to seniors, Legal Studies majors, and Five College students.

Legal 250 specifically excludes seniors during the first few weeks of Registration in November and April. After sophomores have ramped on, we will open the course up to seniors as well.

• Legal 391U

Professor Carhart's course is popular, and many semesters only seniors can get in. If you are interested in taking this course and it is full, we encourage only students who are graduating, students interested in taking the judicial internship, and Five College Students to go to the first class. Note that it meets on Tuesdays, so the first class meeting usually falls in the second week of classes. Judd Carhart is only accessible at class. Have a back up plan in case you are not added in to the class that first Tuesday.

• Legal 450

Our junior writing course requires that you 1) be a Legal Studies major, 2) have Freshmen Writing and 3) Legal 250. If there's room in the course and you meet these criteria, contact the instructor. Note that the course often fills up, and seniors and juniors have priority. If the course is full, you may be asked to defer taking it the following semester. 450 is offered every semester.

What to do if you really, really want to get that class

If a course is full, all adds are at the discretion of the instructor. Many will not exceed the capacity of the class, and will add students only if someone drops the course. Waiting lists may be contingent upon these drops.

In all cases, attend the first class. This is the only way faculty have of assessing how many people on the roster are actually present, and how many people want to get into the course. They will create waiting lists, and these may take several class meetings to work through. Make sure you have a back up plan, but the best thing you can do for yourself is show up and be attentive and involved.

If the instructor lets you into the class, he or she should be contacting Amity to do the paperwork. Sometimes the instructor will ask each student to drop a departmental override form to the Main Office in 102 Gordon Hall. We will need need your name, Spire ID, phone number (in case there is a problem) and the course schedule number.

You will need to follow up with your schedule and make sure the course appears on your course list. Messages get crossed, don't assume it will happen at the last minute. Contact Amity a few days before Registration ends to be sure you are on the list of people to be added -- if we miss the last day of add/drop, you will have to run around campus to petition the Dean for a late add. Note, if a course add will take you over 18 credits, you will need to petition the Dean to take an overload before the course can be added to your schedule. These don't always clear before Add/Drop ends so you may need to walk around a late add.