Enrolling in Overlapping or Back-to-back Classes: Twin Cities, Crookston, Morris, Rochester

Responsible Officer

Rachel Croson

Executive Vice President and Provost

Owner

Robert McMaster

Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Education

Scott Lanyon

Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Education

Primary Contact

Stacey Tidball

Associate Vice Provost - Academic Support Resources

Last Revised

02-2-2021

Effective Date

04-8-2009

Policy Statement

Students are prohibited from enrolling in overlapping classes so they can fully attend their classes. Students are also prohibited from enrolling in Twin Cities campus back-to-back classes with insufficient travel time, which may lead them to consistently arrive late or to depart early. Students may request their instructors grant an exception to this policy. .

Overlapping class times
1. Classes with any common meeting time are considered to be overlapping.
2. Students are not permitted to register for classes that overlap unless they obtain written (electronic) permission from all instructors involved.
3. Instructors have discretion to approve or deny these student requests. Approval should generally be granted where students have extenuating circumstances such as needing to meet degree requirements.
Enrollment in back-to-back classes [Twin Cities only]
1. Students should not enroll in back-to-back classes when (1) the amount of time available for travel is less than 15 minutes if both classes are in Minneapolis (east or west bank) or (2) the amount of time available to travel between two classes is less than 30 minutes where one is in Minneapolis (east or west bank) and the other is in St. Paul.
2. Students must obtain written (electronic) permission from all instructors involved in order to register for classes that do not meet these travel time requirements.
3. Instructors have discretion to approve or deny these requests. Approval should generally be granted where students have extenuating circumstances such as needing to meet degree requirements.
A student that fails to obtain the required approval and consistently arrives late or leaves early may face penalties in a class such as a reduced grade or deducted points for participation.

Exclusions

This policy is not applicable to the Duluth campus.

Reason for Policy

Students consistently arriving late for a class or departing early can disrupt the teaching and learning process. Instructors may accommodate student-scheduling problems but are not required to do so.

Procedures

Forms/Instructions

Online Class Time Approval (login required)

Appendices

Frequently Asked Questions

How do students obtain permission to enroll in back-to-back courses?
Students who wish to enroll in back-to-back courses (or those with overlapping times) must complete the “Course Time Conflict Approval” form. Completing the form requires the approval of both instructors involved in a course time conflict. Without written permission, students will not be allowed to register for courses that are separated by less than one minute or overlap in the time they are offered. Verbal permission will not allow the student to register.
How does the student registration system handle overlapping or back-to-back classes?
If the classes overlap, students cannot register unless they have a permission number. If the classes are back-to-back, the system will allow the student to register but students are expected to follow this policy. If a student is registering for a class that starts the same minute as another one of their classes ends, the system will allow the student to register but students are expected to follow this policy.
How does this policy apply to courses offered online?
This policy applies to online classes with scheduled meetings that overlap with scheduled meetings of another class (whether online or in person class). Online classes without scheduled meetings (asynchronous) do not overlap or present travel time issues and are exempt from this policy.
If a student has mobility issues and needs additional travel time between classes, what accommodations are available?
Students may contact their instructors to request additional time
Instructors may evaluate individual circumstances and be flexible with policy around arrival time. Students may also contact their advisors and/or the Disability Resource Center. Advisors may consider implementing priority registration when students' circumstances require specific scheduling and/or greater travel time between courses.

Contacts

Subject	Contact	Phone	Email
Primary Contact(s)	Carin Thoms	612-626-0075	[email protected]
Twin Cities Campus Procedures	Carin Thoms	612-626-0075	[email protected]
Crookston Campus	Jason Tangquist	218-281-8424	[email protected]
Morris Campus	Marcus Muller	320-589-6011	[email protected]
Rochester Campus	Diane Douglas	507-258-8008	[email protected]

Definitions

There are no definitions associated with this policy.

Responsibilities

Students: Seek approval prior to registering for any overlapping or back-to-back classes.
Instructors: Review Class Time Conflict Approval forms from students in a timely manner to allow students to make registration decisions.

Related Information

There is no related information associated with this policy.

History

Amended:: February 2021 - Comprehensive Review. 1. Improved the clarity of the statements, including clearly expressing student and instructor actions. 2. Added two FAQs to address common questions.
Amended:: December 2009 - Policy now applies to Crookston.
Effective:: April 2009

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