SIS Course Registration Policy

Policy Rationale

The University, in its policies and procedures, distinguishes between students who attend classes in Knoxville using campus facilities and those who do not. For example, the fees paid by students vary according to whether or not they are registered as on campus students.

The School, working with individual instructors, sets caps or ceilings on enrollment in courses and sections to meet facilities and workload needs. Different course delivery methods require different resources.

Course types

The School of Information Sciences offers a “blended” curriculum designed to provide flexibility and breadth of experience to students enrolled locally and at a distance. While all courses are offered in real time, some are face-to-face, some are virtual, and some are a combination of the two. There are four types of SIS courses: campus courses, combination courses, distributed courses, and DE only courses.

THE CAMPUS COURSE is typically taught during the day in a traditional classroom for students on the Knoxville campus. Information and instructional technology may or may not be used in the classroom. DE students may register for campus courses IF they will travel to campus to attend the class. Ask the Student Services Coordinator to establish a DE section if you are a DE student and one is not listed. DE students must use this section number when enrolling.

THE COMBINATION COURSE is an online course attended by both campus and distant students. All students use information technology, Centra and usually BlackBoard, to attend class and participate in learning activities. Typically, there are two sections for registration: one for campus students, and one for distant students. Campus students have access to a computer laboratory classroom reserved for the course.

THE DISTRIBUTED COURSE (a.k.a. PC Only) is a combination course taught only online. The course is available to all students, but campus students must provide their own computer access. No computer laboratory classroom is reserved for the course.

THE DE ONLY COURSE is a course reserved for distant students. Campus students may register with the permission of the course instructor. If approved, a written notice must be sent by the instructor to the Student Services Coordinator; otherwise, the student will be dropped from the course.

Role of the Student Services Coordinator

The Student Services Coordinator monitors enrollment during the registration period to insure that students have registered for the appropriate sections. If a distant student has registered for a campus section of a combination course, the student services coordinator will switch the student to the DE section and will notify the student via email of the change. The same applies for a campus student who registers for the DE section of a combination course.