October 27, 2023

Hello Bates Students,

Due to tragic events and the ongoing challenges associated with them, we are adjusting the timeline for academic advising and course registration for Winter 2024 to permit more time and flexibility, as well as adjusting the last day for students to drop a Fall 2023 course. We are hoping that these new dates and deadlines will create some stability and consistency while also offering much-needed flexibility.

The new dates are below. 

First, today, October 27, was the original deadline for students to select the grading mode of A-F as well as to drop a Fall 2023 course. We are pushing that deadline to Friday, November 10. This new deadline (as well as those detailed below) will be posted to the Important Dates and Deadlines Calendar on the Student Advising Portal by Monday, October 30.

Please note: for a student to change a grading mode from pass/fail to A-F, they simply need to email registrar@bates.edu with the name and number of the course (e.g. PLTC 216 or SOC 238) and note that the grading mode should change from pass/fail to A-F. 

This communication and all of the dates and deadlines detailed below will also be posted to the Student Advising Portal hopefully by Monday, October 30 as well (replacing the information that is currently posted under the “Important Communications with All Students” Drop Down).

• Friday, November 3, 2023 – Winter 2024 course schedule will be available for students to view at Garnet Gateway. Students cannot yet register but they will be able to review course options and meet with advisors to discuss plans. Students will receive another email reminder about this registration and advising timeline on this date.

• Friday, November 3 through Friday, November 17, 2023 (4 PM) – Academic Advising can take place for Winter 2024 course registration (Winter 2024 schedule of courses viewable to students on Garnet Gateway) – registration holds on Garnet Gateway can be lifted by academic advisors.

• Saturday November 11 (Midnight) – Friday, November 17, 2023 (4 PM) – Students can select courses (not first-come/first-served) – advising can continue and registration holds can be lifted throughout this week. Students may select up to 4.5 credits at this stage of the registration process.

• Monday, November 27 (Noon)  – Course placement from initial selection process made available to students. 

• Monday, November 27 (Noon) – Thursday, November 30 (11:59 PM) – Students craft short petitions on Garnet Gateway for open seats in courses that they selected during the previous week but in which they did not get placed and submit them to instructors.

• Friday, December 1  – Tuesday, December 5 (4 PM) – Faculty review petitions on Garnet Gateway. If faculty accept the petition, the Registrar places the student in the course.

• Thursday, December 7 – Add/Drop opens at 7AM. Students may adjust their schedules to include up to 5.5 credits. They may add any course that has available seats
  • Add period without permission of instructor ends Wednesday, January 17 (required permission of instructor runs from Thursday, January 18 to Wednesday, January 24, 2024)
  • The last day to select pass/fail grading option is the same as the last day to add a course (Wednesday, January 24, 2024)

• Winter 2024 classes begin Wednesday, January 10

Second, you can watch the video, which explains the entire registration process, at the Student Advising Portal. Go to the portal, and click on the Drop-Down Menu labeled, “How to Register for Winter 2024 Courses.” However, please note that the deadlines in the video are now inaccurate. Please use the dates in this communication. The process for registration remains the same.

Third, remember that students must be registered for no fewer than 3.0 credits per semester to be enrolled at Bates. Standard academic progress per semester is 4.0 credits. The maximum permitted credit count per semester is 5.5 credits. (And, you can only register for up to 5.5 credits during the Add/Drop period. During the initial round of registration in November you can register for up to 4.5 credits.)

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Important Information by Class Year

Class of 2027 (First-Years)

Please connect with your pre-major academic advisor (your FYS instructor) to review your academic planning and to have your advising hold lifted. It is recommended that all students complete all of their MOI credits by the end of their sophomore year, so please attend to which MOIs you have not completed and consider registering for courses in those areas. Also, you may want to discuss with your academic advisor any ideas you have about possible majors or possible “plus one” areas including minors or general education concentrations. Standard academic progress after 2 semesters at Bates is 8 Bates credits completed; minimum academic progress after 2 semesters at Bates is 6 Bates credits (so, not including outside credits from AP, IB, or A-Levels)  completed.

Class of 2026 (Sophomores)

Please be sure to have your “Major Plus One” fully declared by March 1, 2024. If you are intending to study abroad, the deadline for major declaration was February 1, 2024. If you have not completed your MOIs, please consider doing so during the Winter 2024 semester. Do not wait until your senior year to complete your MOIs. Standard academic progress after 4 semesters at Bates is 16 credits completed; minimum academic progress after 4 semesters at Bates is 14 credits completed.

With regard to major declaration: to initiate major declaration, click on the link at your Garnet Gateway titled “Declaring Majors, Minors, and Concentrations” and follow the prompts (being sure to click the button that says “Send to Chair.”. Doing so will only initiate the major declaration process. To complete major declaration, you will need to meet with a faculty members (likely the chair) of the academic unit in which you will major (you will receive an automatic email prompting you to set up a meeting with them). After that meeting, you will need to return to Garnet Gateway and finalize your major declaration by clicking on the button that says “Declare.”

Class of 2025 (Juniors)

If you are currently studying away or abroad from Bates, your advising hold is already lifted. However, you may want to check in with your academic advisor(s) to review your course registration plans either by email or by setting up a Zoom video call at a mutually convenient time.

If you are studying abroad in Fall 2023, please be sure to complete and turn into the registrar all forms to ensure that your credits from abroad are applied to your major, to your minor, and/or to your general education concentration (if applicable) when you return to Bates during the Winter 2024 semester.  All forms and all information on what you must do to have your credits from study abroad applied to your degree are available here.

Standard academic progress after 6 semesters at Bates is 24 credits completed; minimum academic progress after 4 semesters at Bates is 22 credits completed.

Class of 2024 (Seniors)

If you studied abroad and have not filed your forms to have the credits applied to your major(s), minor(s), or general education concentrations, please do so as soon as possible. All forms and information on how to complete them are here.

Standard academic progress after 8 semesters at Bates is 32 credits completed. Please be sure to review your Degree Audit with your academic advisor to ensure that all of your degree requirements would be fulfilled by the end of the Winter 2024 semester (e.g., your Major+1, your MOIs, your 3Ws, and your total of 32 credits).

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If you have additional questions, please connect with your academic advisor(s). If you do not know who your academic advisors are, they are listed at the top of your Degree Audit, which you can access at Garnet Gateway and they are also listed in your “Success Network” on BatesReach, which you can also access at Garnet Gateway.

Thank you.

Steve Engel

Associate Dean of the Faculty and Professor of Politics

Megan McHenry

Registrar