Class Prerequisites

Starting with winter 2017 registration, Schedule Builder checked to see if students had completed the required prerequisites for College of Engineering courses.

For spring 2017 registration, Schedule Builder checked to see if students have completed the required prerequisites for College of Engineering and College of Biological Sciences courses.

For summer 2017 registration, Schedule Builder checked to see if students have completed the required prerequisites for College of Engineering and College of Biological Sciences courses.

For fall 2017 registration and on, Schedule Builder checks to see if students have completed the required prerequisites for all courses.

While in the past some faculty were manually checking prerequisites, this fully automated tool will provide accurate and consistent prerequisite checking and verification.

The purpose of prerequisite checking is to assist instructors in their UC Davis Academic Senate Regulation 527 responsibility by verifying students have taken specific prerequisite courses, or have submitted a petition for review. The system provides a tool for instructors to drop those students who do not meet the prerequisite check or do not have equivalent work documented in a petition.

Academic Senate Regulations 527A. The instructor in charge of a course is responsible for determining that enrolled students have completed the prerequisite course(s) listed in the General Catalog. Students who have completed equivalent work may be admitted to the course at the instructor's discretion.

Academic Senate Committee on Elections, Rules and Jurisdiction (CERJ) recommendations on prerequisites.

Academic Senate prerequisite proposal procedures.

Important things to understand:

• Davis Division Academic Senate regulations give authority for deciding whether to check prerequisites to each course instructor, thus each instructor will need to make the decision whether to check prerequisites for their course at the time of scheduling and have the Department Scheduler record the decision on the Student Information System (SIS) scheduling forms as appropriate.
• Sometimes instructors are not identified until late in the scheduling cycle so as long as the instructor of the course is identified before registration begins each term, prerequisite checking can be adjusted. After Pass One registration begins, as indicated on the Registration Calendar for each term, no adjustments to prerequisite checking can be made. In the absence of an instructor of record the Dean or Department Chair will have to decide if prerequisites should be checked.
• Many students have satisfied prerequisites by taking a course that Banner does not know about. In these cases, students will have to submit a petition with an explanation and proper documentation to the instructor. This process is automated through the registration system. The student will be registered and given a seat in the course while their petition is pending review. If the instructor denies the petition, the student will be removed from the seat and another student can register or  be taken from the waitlist to fill the seat.

How does the system work?

The Class Search Tool, UC Davis Catalog, Schedule Builder class search and SISWeb class search all indicate what, if any, prerequisites are required for all courses. Students can select their desired classes in advance using Schedule Builder (SB). If they have not met a prerequisite for a class, SB generates an error message and provide the opportunity to submit a prerequisite petition. Once registration begins, this information populates the instructor's Photo Roster Tool. The Photo Roster Tool now allows the instructor to make a decision about these prerequisite petitions, at their convenience.

SIS searches all student records for the prerequisite course and the grade received in that course when the student registers. If SIS finds that the student has met the prerequisite for the course, the student will be allowed to stay registered with no further action required.

If SIS finds no prerequisite or a failed grade in the required course, it searches for an already submitted petition. If no petition is found, the student is asked if they want to submit a petition to the instructor explaining how they have met the prerequisite. If the student does not submit a petition, they will not be allowed to enroll in the course. If the student submits a petition, a seat is held in the class or a spot on the waitlist until the instructor denies their petition.

When should I start reviewing the Prerequisite Petitions?

Instructors should wait until PassTwo to start reviewing the petitions. If an instructor starts to deny petitions prior to this date, it can cause inequity during student registration.

How/When should I communicate with the student directly?

If the instructor or advisors have any questions, concerns, or need to follow up with a student, they need to communicate with the student via email. The student's email address is provided in the roster.

If they have a student that has failed the prerequisites and does not have a petition on file, they should inform the student to submit a petition.

What are some cases where Schedule Builder will not recognize that a student has met the prerequisite?

Schedule Builder will only check for prerequisites that are listed in SIS. SB will not check for cross-listed enrollment, recommended prerequisites, or other text; e.g., "introductory course in biology" or "completion of Subject A requirement." SB also has no way to verify "consent of instructor" prerequisites. In this case, it is the student's responsibility to contact the instructor for consent to take the course.

What if the student is enrolled in a prerequisite course in the current term?

When students are currently enrolled in the prerequisite course while registering for the next term, the system will assume they will pass the course. Once final grades are posted, the system will check to see if the student passed the course. If the student did not pass, a note will be placed on the instructor's roster for a decision to approve or deny the student's registration in the course.

Can I add a student to my class using a PTA?

You can always add a student to your class using a PTA, assuming the proper timelines are met, but you should remember that adding a student in this manner overrides ALL restrictions in the system, including prerequisite checking.

This is also an option for those who erroneously dropped a student from the course.

What do I do if I cannot drop the student myself?

After the 20th day of instruction and at the request of the instructor, the Office of the University Registrar drops a student who has not completed the appropriate prerequisites. To make such a request, the instructor or department must submit the names and ID numbers of the students to be dropped on university or department letterhead with the term, course, CRN and their signature indicating that the students have not met the prerequisites for the current course they are enrolled in. Instructors should refer to the General Catalog to determine course prerequisites. The Office of the University Registrar can only drop a student if the reason for dropping them is listed in the course catalog.