Crashing classes + wait list policies + procedures:

I'm being blocked on GOLD when trying to enroll in a Global Studies department course.

• Take a look here for reasons why this might be happening, and keep reading on this page for what to do about it.

What if there's no space in my preferred course choices by the time I'm enrolling?

• Look around on your Major and GE Progress Check on GOLD:

  • Are there other GEs you can finish? Other areas of the Global Studies major requirements to complete?

  • Always enroll in something, then make changes during a future pass time, but don't lose your chance to enroll in at least your basic full-time schedule - there's no guarantee that space can appear in an already-full course for you later, so you need to have a full-time schedule ready to go even if you plan to try to change classes later.

  • Look for our "Planning Your Schedule" video on our YouTube channel for more ideas.

Wait lists for Global Studies department courses:

• Starting in Fall 2020, use the wait list function on GOLD to add yourself to the wait list(s) for Global Studies department classes that are full, then plan to attend class week one as we see how numbers work out

  • During the campus closure, when courses are taught online, email the instructor (and TA, if applicable) to request to be added to the course Gauchospace (and mention that you are on the wait list on GOLD) to gain access to early course materials, any Zoom links, etc. Note: the instructor/TA can add you, but the undergraduate advisor cannot.

• These wait lists are NOT prioritized as first-come, first-served - they'll be prioritized by unit count/class standing and by major status.

  • So, for example, a senior Global Studies major will be bumped to the top of the waitlist even if they added after someone who's a sophomore and/or someone not in the major yet - this includes students in the pre-major.) We do this to increase the chances that everyone can get what they need to stay in good standing towards graduation.

  • ***Remember: we cannot guarantee access to any specific class in any specific quarter, even if you would like to graduate early for whatever reason, but we do aim to guarantee the chance for an on-time graduation for our students who are making good progress in the major. Students who change their major late into their junior or early into their senior year need to be realistic about their chances to graduate on time if courses are full (plan to catch up in summer sessions, spend an extra quarter as needed, etc.)

​​I need help getting into a course that's on the Global Studies major sheet as an option, but I'm getting blocked because it's a class in another department and it says it's majors-only. How do I get an approval code?

• Every department controls access to its own courses (so, the Global Studies undergraduate advisor cannot get you into a Sociology course, for example, if it's listed on our major sheet as an option.)

• Some departments (like Global Studies) block during pass 1 for their own majors first, but you can try getting in on pass 2 or 3. Others block some or all classes all the way through all 3 passes.

• Every department has its own policy on who controls approval codes - usually, they are held by the instructors, but you can reach out to the undergraduate advisor in that department to see what the policy is (or what your chances are of adding into the course, especially if it's a course that is blocked on all three passes for majors only.)

Potential Global Studies majors/Pre-majors:

What if I'm not fully declared in the major yet, but I'm interested in changing my major/adding it as a second major - how does that affect my ability to crash courses or add onto the wait lists?

• Major changes take several weeks (sometimes most of a quarter) to become official - your major will not change instantly once you sign your change of major petitition. For the moment, add yourself to wait lists and fill your schedule with other sensible choices to maintain full-time status and see if you can change your schedule later.

  • More information about the process of changing your major or adding Global as a second major, and how to plan your schedule (in general, and especially if you are in the middle of waiting on a major change) here on our YouTube channel

• If you're a Pre-Global Studies major applying to the full major, click here for an overview of the process and the timing (look for the Pre-Major video on our YouTube channel), along with suggestions of what to enroll in for the quarter between completing the pre-major and when your major change is officially approved.

• We block on pass 1 for most department courses to make sure our already fully-declared majors (and pre-majors, for Global 1 and 2) get the courses they need to graduate on time. Things generally open on pass 2 for non-majors (or people who changed their major but the Office of the Registrar hasn't made the change official on GOLD yet.)

Okay, I'm on wait lists and planning to crash a couple classes, but what other resources for finding non-Global Studies classes can I use to fill my full-time schedule for now?

• You can use the "Find Courses" link on GOLD to search for interesting courses in any department.  Just click on the departments listed alphabetically and take a look. 

• You have more information on GOLD and can check for restrictions, pre-requisites and to see if a course might satisfy a GE.

• You can also use the Advanced Search option under Find Courses on GOLD to search using filters for the specific types of courses you need (courses that are upper or lower division? Courses that satisfy a specific GE area? Courses that are still open? Courses that are a specific number of units? etc)

• GE lists can be found here. Petitioning courses towards GE areas? Contact the College of Letters and Sciences advisors.