Web Registration, step-by-step, for entering students

Step 1 – Getting Started

Students who are registering for courses for the first time start by going to the Office of the Registrar and Academic Systems web page at http://www.bates.edu/rsfs.xml.

Begin by choosing “For Students” on the left of the screen to view the information available on the web site. It is a good idea to familiarize yourself with this information before beginning registration and you should continue to reference it while a student at Bates. After this review, click on the Garnet Gateway icon on the bottom right of the main page.

This brings you to the login screen of the Garnet Gateway. Before logging into the Garnet Gateway, click on the “Course Information” link on the left of the screen. This is the “public” course and schedule area and includes general Catalog and course schedule information. Here you can view what is being offered in the fall semester to assist with your planning. The Web Catalog contains course descriptions, while the schedule shows the time and the place where courses are offered www.bates.edu/catalog. There are links built in to move from one to the other.

To begin the registration process, log into the Garnet Gateway. The Garnet Gateway is the Bates secure online records service. It is here that you are able to view personal information on academics and finances and make changes to your record. No one else may gain access to this information without your ID and PIN.

Step 2 – Logging into the Garnet Gateway

Log into the Garnet Gateway by entering your Bates ID number, available on the label attached to the Garnet Gateway instructions, and then enter your personal identification number (PIN), initially assigned to you by Admissions and also included on the label.
Next, under the "student" menu choose the "registration" menu, then the "register or add/drop courses" menu. It is here where you will register for courses and make course adjustments.

Step 3 - Choosing a First-Year Seminar

Begin building your schedule by choosing a first-year seminar. Enrolling in a first-year seminar is strongly encouraged. The instructor of your seminar will also be your academic advisor and you will have the opportunity to take a small-sized course especially designed for first-year students. Please refer to the First-Year Seminar brochure enclosed in your packet or the web schedule and Catalog to view available first-year seminars.

One easy way to view all of the seminars is to go to the “register or add/drop courses” menu item, select the “look up courses to add” function and search for all first-year seminars. If a seminar has space available, you may register for it by checking the box to the far left of the course and submitting it. This then becomes the first course on your fall schedule and you may the schedule other courses around it. Another way to register is to enter the CRN (the course reference number, found in the course schedule) directly into the grid at the bottom of the “register or add/drop courses” page. If space is not available, and you would still like to take the seminar, check back later to see if anyone has dropped it and if there is now room. You may make registration adjustments until mid-August when we close registration until the day before classes start. Then you may continue to add or drop courses until the last day to add a course in September.

Step 4 – Choosing 3 additional courses for fall semester

After selecting your first-year seminar, you may select 3 additional courses for fall semester by going to the “register or add/drop courses” menu item. You may find the “look up courses to add” tool helpful as you search for courses to add to your schedule. There is also a web registration worksheet enclosed, also available on our web site, that may prove useful if you prefer to plan your courses on paper before entering them on the web. You may add and drop courses until the faculty legislated dates listed in the Catalog.

FAQ’s (Frequently asked questions)

I submitted my course selections and received the following message:

Registration Errors

What do the various error messages mean?

Errors appear below your current schedule with a stop sign. The course associated with the error disappears after you exit the student menu or log out unless you clear the error with an action as listed below. 

Registration Error Status message	Action
CLOSED – XXXWAITLISTED (This means that the course is full.)	Clear the error**
CLASS RESTRICTION (This means that you are not in the required class, i.e. some 200 and most 300 level courses are not open to first-year students.)	Clear the error*
CLOSED SECTION (This means the enrollment limit has been met for that section.)	Clear the error**
DUPLICATE CRN (You have added the same CRN twice.)	Clear the error*
BOTH LECT & LAB/DISC REQ (You have selected a course that requires a laboratory or discussion section, or vice versa.)	Add the course again with the laboratory or discussion section.  One may not be taken without the other.
MAXIMUM HOURS EXCEEDED (You may register for a limit of 4 courses. You may add a 5th course in the fall although 4 is the normal load.)	No additional courses may be added***
PREREQUISITE NOT MET (This means that you have not met the prerequisite requirement.)	Clear the error**
REPEAT HRS EXCEED 1 (You may not repeat a course unless you received a failing grade.)	Clear the error
TIME CONFLICT WITH CRN #12345 (You may not register for two courses with meeting time conflicts.)	Clear the error or drop the other course*
INSTRUCTOR/DEPT CHAIR SIGNATURE REQ (The instructor or department/program chair must post an override via the web in the fall before you may register.)	Clear the error**

 

* To clear the error, click on "student menu" and then again select "register or add/drop courses".

**Appropriate faculty members may grant exceptions and permissions in the fall by applying the appropriate web override to the student's record. An instructor's signature on an official "exception/override card" delivered to Libby Forum by the student will also result in the appropriate override being posted.

***Course overloads require the permission of the Committee on Academic Standing and are not typically granted for first year students.

What if I do not have web access?

Please contact us at registrar@bates.edu. We will send you materials that you can return to us via US mail or fax and we will register you for courses.

What if I cannot access the Garnet Gateway and get an error message on my computer?

It could be that you are trying to access it during backups (it is typically closed 10pm-10:20pm eastern time) or the site from which you are attempting access does not allow a connection. Some businesses and institutions have firewalls, therefore we suggest you try another computer at your local library, internet café, or copy center.

How do I drop courses?

In the "register or add/drop courses" area, select “web drop” from the pull down menu next to the course, then select “submit changes” and wait for a confirmation from the system that the drop was completed. You may drop courses until the faculty legislated date listed in the Catalog (± 7 weeks into the semester).

How do I know if there is space available in a course during the add period?

Select the "look up courses to add" option in the "registration menu." Courses with space available may be selected by placing a check in the box to the left of the course and submitting the course registration. Courses that are full have a "C" instead of a checkbox, meaning that the course is closed. Keep checking the web periodically to see if room has opened in a course in which you desire entry since there is a lot of dropping and adding activity during the first several days of a semester.

Must I register for 4 courses now or may I wait to register for courses in the Fall?

We encourage students to register over the summer. You may wait if you would like to speak first with your advisor, however, remember that courses are available on a first come first serve basis during add/drop.

I would really like to take a particular course but there is no longer any room left. What can I do?

There are a great deal of registration adjustments made, especially during the first few days of the semester, so if you do not immediately get into a course that you desire, keep checking the Garnet Gateway to see whether space has become available. Also, when you arrive on campus, you may want to go to the first meeting of the class to see whether the instructor may be willing to go over the stated enrollment limit and grant you an enrollment override.

What if I receive a prerequisite error but I believe I may have the required background to enter the course?

If you do not have the stated prerequisite or believe you should be taking a course at a higher level, wait until you arrive on campus and speak with the instructor of the course. S/he may then decide to grant you permission to gain entry, and place a “prerequisite” override on your record that will then allow you to register for the course. Please note: instructors may not register you for courses and may only grant permission for you to enter a course by placing the appropriate override on your record. Students are responsible for registering for all courses.

One of the courses that interests me states that “instructor permission” is required to gain entry. How can I get permission?

Wait until you arrive on campus and speak with the instructor of the course. S/he may then decide to grant you permission to gain entry, and place an “instructor permission” override on your record that will then allow you to register for the course. You can try emailing the instructor. Please note: instructors may not register you for courses and may only grant permission for you to enter a course by placing the appropriate override on your record. Students are responsible for registering for all courses.

I have taken Advanced Placement courses (AP). How will they affect my registration?

If you have been awarded AP credit by Bates it will show on your transcript once the credit has been evaluated and posted. Some AP credits have a specific course equivalency while others are granted as unspecified departmental credit. If course equivalency credit is granted you may not then also register for the course. If you decide, however, that you would prefer to take the course at Bates and not receive the AP credit, please email registrar@bates.edu and we will remove it from your record. Otherwise you will receive a registration error when you try to register for the equivalent course. If there is AP credit that you believe you should have been awarded, and it does not show up on your transcript, it may be because you did not score high enough. It may also be that we did not receive the scores from the College Board and you need to make arrangements to have them sent to us. Our web page has an equivalency chart for your reference that also includes the address of the College Board if you need to arrange for scores to be sent. More information is available on our web site. Click on “For Students” and see “Non-Bates credit”.

What if I have advanced credit other than AP credit?

Please see the section “Non-Bates credit” on our web site to review our policies. Most other non-Bates credit may be evaluated after you arrive on campus.

What happens if I miss the faculty legislated registration adjustment (add/drop) dates?

Please see our policy on our web site about making late registration adjustments. We strongly emphasize that students are responsible for their class schedule, making sure it is accurate and that all adjustments are made within the legislated dates. Faculty are not responsible, nor are they able, to register students for courses. Late fees are assessed if late adjustments are granted and our policies are listed on our web site.

What if I continue to have questions about registration?

The best way to contact us if you are away from campus is at registrar@bates.edu. Once you arrive on campus you may come to Libbey Forum during our open hours, M-F, 9-4. We have trained staff available to assist you and a public computer which you can use to access the Garnet Gateway with staff available to answer questions.

We hope you enjoy reviewing our exciting variety of courses and find the Garnet Gateway a friendly, easy method for registration. We look forward to having you join the Bates community this fall.

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