Printed on: 04/11/2021. Please go to http://policy.umn.edu for the most current version of the Policy or related document.
University of Minnisota  Administrative Policy

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

Responsible University Officer(s):
  • Executive Vice President and Provost
Policy Owner(s):
  • Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Education
  • Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Education
Policy contact(s):
  • Stacey Tidball
Date Revised:
Feb 2, 2021
Effective Date:
Apr 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. .

  1. 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.
  2. 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..
  3. 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

There are no procedures associated with this policy.

Forms/Instructions

    • OTR024 - Class Time Conflict Approval (electronic)  Located off-site (Restricted Access)

    Appendices

    There are no appendices associated with this policy.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    1. 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.
    2. 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.

    3. 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.

    4. 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

    SubjectContactPhoneEmail
    Primary Contact(s) Stacey Tidball 612-626-0075 tidball@umn.edu
    Twin Cities Campus Procedures Stacey Tidball 612-626-0075 tidball@umn.edu
    Crookston Campus Jason Tangquist 218-281-8424 jtangqui@crk.umn.edu
    Morris Campus Marcus Muller 320-589-6011 mull0262@umn.edu
    Rochester Campus Diane Douglas 507-258-8008 douglasd@r.umn.edu

    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 - 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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