Undergraduate Advising and Registration Information for Fall 2020

Dear Students,

We hope that you and your families are healthy and safe and that you are starting to settle into the online format for each of your courses. We recognize that this has been an exceptional time, filled with many challenges. Please know that the Academic Life Team is here to support your academic needs this semester, as always.

Below you will find some important information to help you make decisions about grading options this semester and prepare for fall registration, which begins on April 20th.

For all students:

Discuss the Pass/D/F grading system options with your advisor

You will want to decide whether to opt into the Pass/D/F grading option for any of your classes. You can view a list of Frequently Asked Questions about this policy here. The deadline to opt in is April 24th and you should discuss this option with your advisor and professors. The form to opt in can be found here.

Withdraw from a class (or classes) if there is no way to pass

After you’ve consulted with your professor and advisor, if there is no way to pass a class, then you should withdraw from this class. The deadline to do so with this form is Friday, April 10th by 4:30 pm. and you can find the course withdrawal form here. Normally, you cannot drop below 12 credits and still be eligible for housing, financial aid, or athletics, but this is an unusual semester. Dropping below 12 credits at this time will not affect your financial aid. (If you have specific questions about financial aid, contact your financial aid specialist or finaid@mcdaniel.edu).

Take your math placement test, if needed

The online math placement test is scheduled for Tuesday, April 7th (not the 6th as indicated in a previous email). The test will be open from 8 am to 8 pm. If you plan to take the online math placement test, please register for MAT-1003-02 for the spring semester. If you are unable to register due to a conflict with a class, please send an email from your McDaniel email to regoffice@mcdaniel.edu requesting to be registered.  You will need to do so by 4:30 pm on Monday, April 5th in order to be registered for the tests.

For students registering for Fall 2020 classes:

Registration for fall classes will open on April 20th.

Step 1: Browse the Fall 2020 schedule.

Use self-service to add some courses that you are considering to your Fall 2020 schedule. Review how-to videos about registration, if needed

• Intro to Student Planning
• Preparing for Registration
• Registering for Classes 

Step 2: Declare your major if you a sophomore

Sophomore students must declare a major before they can register for fall classes and you can do that with this form. First-year students can declare a major if they are ready to do so using the same form.

Step 3: Make an appointment and discuss your plans with your Advisor

Be sure to meet with your advisor by phone or video conference to discuss your fall courses. Your advisor will need to clear you before you can register for fall classes. When your advisor clears you after your meeting, you will receive an email with the subject line “Cleared for Registration.”

Step 4: Check your registration date/time

Registration happens the week of April 20th, but each student has been assigned a specific date/time. Check your registration date/time when you log onto Student Planning and set a reminder for yourself on your phone or where you’ll be sure to check. Below are steps to check your registration time:

• Go to the McDaniel Portal Self-Service Menu (left side of page)
• Select Student Menu
• Select Student-Registrar's Ofc
• Select Student Planning and Registration
• Registration date/time will appear in the upper right

Step 5: Take care of any holds that would prevent you from registering

When you log on to Student Planning, you will see a bar in the top right corner if you have a hold that will prevent you from registering. Contact the office listed to see what you need to do to have the hold lifted so that you can register on time. Sometimes it is a simple matter such as signing a form.

Step 6: Register for at least 12 credits for Fall 2020

You will need to register for at least 12 credits to be a full-time student, which is important for financial aid, housing, and athletics in the fall. To stay on track for a 4-year graduation, you should register for 16 credits. If you are waitlisted for a course, just be sure to add a temporary course that you can later drop so that you have at least 12 credits.  You may register for up to 22 credits: 20 credits at the regular tuition rate and 2 credits at the overload rate. All courses that are exempt from the overload fee are listed with a course type of OVL. When your registration is successful, the sections will appear in green on your Student Planning Schedule.

Consider registering for an online summer course

Registration for summer sessions 1 & 2 is going on now and all summer courses will be taught online. https://www.mcdaniel.edu/academics/special-academic-opportunities/2020-summer-session Summer classes can help you stay on pace for a 4-year graduation if you have had a semester where you completed fewer than 16 credits, as well as help you meet McDaniel Plan requirements.

Contact the Registrar’s Office for technical questions about registration

You can reach the Registrar’s Office at regoffice@mcdaniel.edu or 410-857-2755.

Your academic deans and academic life counselors are here to support you! You can reach us at academiclife@mcdaniel.edu or by calling 410-857-2251 (M-F 8:30-4:30).

Sincerely,

The Academic Life Team