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 comprehensive curriculum delivered through means that  provide flexibility and breadth of experience
to students enrolled locally and at a distance. While most courses are offered
in real time, only a few take place in face-to-face classrooms and most are
offered in a distributed learning mode that makes use of  synchronous experiences in electronic
classrooms and online tools such as Blackboard.

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 DISTRIBUTED COURSE 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.Courses can be taken on either PC or Mac platforms.

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 campus student has registered for a DE Only section, the student services coordinator will notify the student via email to switch to a campus or distributed course. The same applies for a distant student who registers for a campus section of a course when a DE section is also available.