My Simmons

Registration

All SLIS students register through an online system called Workday. In some cases, registration cannot be done directly by students online or other questions arise. Specific questions should be addressed to [email protected]. Please see the Directions for Registering Online for more information about how to use Workday.

Although dates are subject to change, registration for current students generally follows this cycle: Fall Registration begins in April, Spring Registration begins late October or early November, and Summer Registration begins in March. When specific dates are set, they are announced on SLIS-Info email listserv and noted on the SLIS Academic Calendar. “Registration priority” is based on the amount of credits completed and currently in progress, and registration times are assigned and noted in Workday in the weeks leading up to the registration period.

The registration timetable for new students is different and generally takes place two months prior to the beginning of their starting term. Prior to registration, new students will receive an email from the Director of Curriculum via [email protected] outlining the process and date for online registration.

Important Resources

Section Numbers

Section numbers indicate the type of class and the location. For example, a class with “-01” (or “-02,” “-03,” etc.) as a section number is a face-to-face class that meets at the Boston campus. Additional section numbers are:

“-OL”: Online class

“-BL”: Blended class, i.e., one that has pre-set face-to-face meetings, with the remainder of the class meeting online.

“-18”: CHL class offered at the Eric Carle Museum

“-20”: Face-to-face class at SLIS West (on the Mount Holyoke College campus in South Hadley, MA)

“-20BL”: Blended class at SLIS West (face-to-face meetings occur at the Mount Holyoke College campus in South Hadley, MA)

Waitlists

Many courses go to waitlist, especially early on in the registration period. If a class you want is waitlisted, we strongly encourage you to be on that list. In some cases students may have registered for that class as a back-up for another class, and then they drop out thereby opening up a seat. In other cases, students change their plans for the semester and drop out in order to register for a different class. Occasionally, if the waitlists indicate a need for an additional section, students on those waitlists will be contacted before the new section is opened up to general registration. Regardless of the reason, your being on a waitlist shows your interest in the class.

If a waitlist seat opens up, you will receive an email at your Simmons address, letting you know that a seat is available to you. You will have only a certain amount of time in which to claim that seat before it gets offered to the next person on the list. We therefore recommend that you be in the habit of checking your Simmons email (or the email account to which you have it forwarded) at least every other day, even during break periods.

Add/Drop Policy and Schedule Changes

All add/drops can be made via Workday through the end date and time listed under “My Registration Start and End Times.” To drop a class after the end date, please see the Registration instructions on the Registrar’s Office website (for Graduates and Undergraduates).

Graduate students are permitted to change course registrations without financial penalty prior to the second meeting of class, provided the change does not result in an increased or reduced class load. No student may enroll in a class after the second meeting has occurred. For changes after the posted dates but prior to the second class, contact the Registrar’s Office at 617-521-2111.

Registration is binding, both financially and academically. Should a student decide not to attend a class, he or she must drop the class off his or her schedule via Workday or contact the Registrar’s Office. The date on which the drop occurs determines the refund (if applicable) provided to the student.

Tuition Refund Policy

Information regarding the course refund policy is available at Student Financial Services. Short term and audited courses will be refunded 100% if dropped by the last business day prior to the start of class. There are no refunds after that point.

Maximum Credit Load Policy

Students are generally limited to taking no more than four classes in a fall or spring term, and two classes during a summer term. See “Credits Allowed per Semester” on the Forms and Policies page.

Name and Address Changes

Any student who needs to make changes to their personal information may do so via Workday. Once logged in, click the link for “Student Personal Information.”

Withdrawal from School or Courses

A SLIS graduate student may withdraw from a course without academic penalty at any time prior to its last scheduled meeting. Please see the Add/Drop policy above.

A SLIS graduate student who finds it necessary to take a leave of absence from the School, for either the fall or spring semester, or to withdraw from the entire program, must contact Em Claire Knowles, Assistant Dean for Student and Alumni Affairs, to discuss their leave or absence or withdrawal. No withdrawal becomes official until such written notice has been received. Financial aid recipients must also consult a financial aid officer before withdrawal from a course(s), or the program.

This process is for graduate students only. Undergraduate students should contact the Office of the Registrar for more information on taking a leave of absence or withdrawing from the College.

Additional Workday Tips

Workday has many additional functions available for you, including viewing your academic profile, viewing your grades, and changing your address on record. Log in to Workday and try all the different functions Workday has to offer!

If you have any additional questions about using Workday, call the Registrar’s Office at 617-521-2111 (x2111 on-campus), or email [email protected].

For your specific registration date and time, please login to Workday approximately one week prior to the registration start date.

Some things to keep in mind as you register each semester:

  • Some courses are offered only once a year, or once every other year: try to plan ahead using the links below.
  • Occasionally a course will not be offered as planned because faculty are not available to teach it in a given semester. For example, a professor may go on sabbatical or an adjunct may be unavailable.
  • Registration priority is determined by the number of credits you have completed and have in progress. Students with more credits register first.
  • Taking four courses during fall and spring semester is possible but is not generally recommended for new students. Please take a look at the Credits per Semester Policy on the Forms & Policies page for more specific information.
  • Archives and SLTP students should keep in mind that internships and practica are part of their program requirements, and should leave time for these work experiences.
  • All SLIS students are strongly encouraged to find internships and jobs to gain experience while they are in school, so you may want to consider this in planning your coursework. See the Career Resources section to get started.
Important Notes
  • Students are allowed to register at or after his or her assigned time.
  • Students can take courses at either the Boston or Mount Holyoke campus.
  • Students who would like to register for LIS 500 (Independent Study) must fill out a proposal that will be signed by the faculty sponsor and submitted to Assistant Dean for Student Services Em Claire Knowles. She will then send an email to [email protected], providing the information listed in the directions on the Independent Study Form. You will not be enrolled in an Independent Study until after your proposal has been submitted and you have received confirmation from the Registrar.
  • Doctoral students must get Professor Tang’s approval. Please be advised that if you are not registering for a course during the fall or spring semesters, you must register for LIS 600 to remain in the doctoral program.
  • School Library Teacher Program students who wish to enroll in LIS 498 (Elementary Practicum), LIS 499 (Secondary Practicum), or LIS 495 (Practicum Equivalent Experience, for those students working full-time as the school library teacher of record in a Massachusetts public school), must attend an informational meeting relative to the practicum experience with the Director of the School Library Teacher Program and submit an application form to the Director of the School Library Teacher Program. The dates and times for these mandatory meetings are distributed to students in the program via the SLTP listserv. Students need to attend one of these sessions in the semester prior to their completing their elementary and secondary practicum. You must have also satisfactorily completed all of the Requirements for Scheduling Practicum Experiences, which can be found in the current edition of the School Library Teacher Handbook. It is important to note that once the Director has approved your practicum site, the Director registers you in the course. You do not register yourself. If you have any questions about the practicum, please contact Melanie Kimball at [email protected].