1. How do I register for courses?
  2. How do I get an advising and registration phone appointment?
  3. I forgot my password, what do I do to recover it?
  4. How do I log onto my Willamette email account, WUmail?
  5. I will be out of the country in June during registration. What should I do?
  6. Many of the 100 and 200 level classes in the on-line class schedule are closed. Will it still be possible to sign up for the class?
  7. How do wait lists work?
  8. I found a course in the catalog that should be available in the fall, but it is not listed in the fall web schedule. Why is that?
  9. Is it possible to adjust my schedule once I register?
  10. How does the colloquium fit in with the other classes I want to take?
  11. How do I select courses when planning for registration?
  12. What level of course should I consider taking?
  13. How many classes will I take this fall?
  14. I'm interested in a class that's scheduled in the evenings. Is this a common class time?
  15. How do I know what level language course to take?
  16. Can I take a different level language course than recommended by my placement test?
  17. My language placement score placed me in the second year of the language. Have I satisfied the General Education requirement of Foundation Language?
  18. How do I know what math course to take?
  19. If I want to take an Activity, how would it fit into my schedule?
  20. If I sign up for a Liberal Arts Distribution course that is also a writing centered course, does it count for both requirements?
  21. To whom should I send transcripts?
  22. To whom should I send AP or IB test results?

1. How do I register for courses?

The key to registering is your Willamette e-mail account and password, which are used to access most secure sites on campus. To set up your e-mail account and password you need your student ID number and the instructions sent to you earlier in the summer. If you've lost your student ID number, you can call the Registrar's Office at (503) 370-6206 or Summer Registration at (503) 370-6573. Next create a new Network Account. Note that you choose a password and it is this password that you need to indicate your Colloquium preferences and fill out the Advising and Course Registration Questionnaire. The Registrar will assign you to a College Colloquium section. Then you make an advising and registration phone appointment during which you will be registered for your remaining fall classes. See the checklist on the First Year Advising Materials Welcome page.


2. How do I get an advising and registration phone appointment?

Once students fill out the Advising and Course Registration Questionnaire and submit their College Colloquium preferences, we contact them to make phone appointments. You should begin receiving either a phone call or an email starting June 1 if you've completed these two assignments. You are welcome to call us at Advising & Registration (503) 370-6573 if you have any questions.


3. I forgot my password, what do I do to recover it?

We can't give you your old password but if you go here, you can reset it.


4. How do I log onto my Willamette email account, WUmail?

Access your Willamette e-mail at wumail.willamette.edu.


5. I will be out of the country in June during registration. What should I do?

We can do Zoom sessions for students who are out of the country and have internet access. If you will be available for a phone appointment in early July we will be scheduling some appointments then. Make sure that you schedule your phone or Zoom appointment before you go. If you will not be available during June and early July, contact Advising & Registration (503) 370-6573 or advising@willamette.edu before you leave to make alternative arrangements. You will have an opportunity to meet with your advisor after you arrive on campus and change your schedule if necessary.


6. Many of the 100 and 200 level classes in the on-line class schedule are closed. Will it still be possible to sign up for the class?

The web schedule reflects the current situation for returning students until the end of May. There will be spaces for first-year students in some classes that are showing closed. If you are interested in a closed class, ask during your summer registration appointment about the possibility of being able to take it. For some classes it may be a good idea to put your name on the wait list for the class so you are in line in case a seat opens up.


7. How do wait lists work?

The wait lists for the first year students indicate an interest in the class. During the summer if a closed first-year level course has an opening we will contact students on the wait list to offer a seat. There will be a time limit to respond before we go to the next name on the list. Open registration will close on August 24. During Opening Days students will meet with their faculty advisor to discuss their schedules and make adjustments if necessary. There is still one more chance of adding the class if a seat doesn't open up before the first day of classes. If you are on the wait list for a class, you can attend it the first day with an add/drop card to see if there is room. If there is a seat in the class because a registered student decided to drop, instructors will sign add cards, usually following the order of the waitlist.


8. I found a course in the catalog that should be available in the fall, but it is not listed in the fall web schedule. Why is that?

The courses listed in the Course Schedule are the ones actually being offered even though some of the offerings may be at odds with the catalog. Departmental staffing patterns (leaves, required courses, etc.) mean that sometimes the pattern of course offerings varies from the ideal. If you are interested in a course normally offered in the fall, contact the department chair once you arrive on campus to find out the next time the course will be offered.


9. Is it possible to adjust my schedule once I register?

Yes. You will have an opportunity to meet with your faculty advisor and change your class schedule (other than College Colloquium) before classes begin. If you need to make changes during the summer, contact Advising & Registration (503) 370-6573 to see if it's possible to make changes during the summer or if you have to wait until Opening Days.


10. How does the colloquium fit in with the other classes I want to take?

You will be placed into a College Colloquium section before any other registration. The rest of your schedule will be built around the colloquium. All the College Colloquia are intended to serve as general introductions to the range of approaches and capacities encompassed by the liberal arts and sciences. None of them are intended as introductions to majors. So you should pick a colloquium because the themes and questions in it interest you, and not because you are anticipating a major.


11. How do I select courses when planning for registration?

Read the information on Registration and Requirements Overview, General Education Summary, and Course Schedule Advice. These pages will give you the background you need to select a list of courses. The Registration Coordinator will have a draft schedule for you to consider. By the end of the advising and registration appointment you will work out the best combination of courses that will meet your educational requirements and goals.


12. What level of course should I consider taking?

Most first-year students take courses numbered at the 100 and 200 level, though some may take a 300 level course. Some courses have prerequisites that must be met to take the course. The 100 level and many of the 200 level courses do not have prerequisites and are appropriate for first-year students. There are some 300 level courses that do not have prerequisites, however, students may be expected to write and discuss the material at a higher level and so are not appropriate for first-year students.


13. How many classes will I take this fall?

The typical course load is 16 to 18 credits and the College Colloquium does count as one of those credits. You may add some partial-credit courses (1-2) for a total of up to 18 credits per semester. If you are taking an ensemble or activity course (Chamber Orchestra or Aerobics, for example) that has an “X” after the course number, you may add this to an 18 credit load without incurring an extra tuition charge.


14. I'm interested in a class that's scheduled in the evenings. Is this a common class time?

We schedule some classes in the evening to spread out our offerings and give students flexibility in putting their schedules together. Many students appreciate having an evening class so they can have blocks of time during the day for studying or participating in an other activity.


15. How do I know what level language course to take?

If you have background in the language, you will need to take a placement test. Follow the instructions given on the Foreign Language Placement website. Some of the placement tests are online and some require you to contact the department. You should take the test as soon as possible, but at least two days before your registration appointment so we can determine the necessary seats for each language. We must have the results of your placement test to register you in the language.

If you have not studied the language before, you do not need to take the placement test. We will simply enroll you in the beginning elementary class during your registration appointment.


16. Can I take a different level language course than recommended by my placement test?

The placement test gives you consent for a particular level. The language faculty strongly advise students to take the level in which they are placed. The faculty will work with you to adjust classes in the first two weeks of the semester if your placement seems incorrect.


17. My language placement score placed me in the second year of the language. Have I satisfied the General Education requirement of Foundation Language?

You've almost satisfied the requirement. To satisfy the requirement, you will need to pass an in-person oral exam (date will be announced in the Opening Days program). You are, of course, very welcome to take the second or third year level course you placed into. Those courses contribute to the Practicum requirement--and they provide you with increased fluency and cultural understanding.


18. How do I know what math course to take?

Consider the advice on the Mathematics Placement pages. You can ask for additional advice by emailing advising@willamette.edu.


19. If I want to take an Activity, how would it fit into my schedule?

Students are registered for some activity courses, like music ensembles and varsity sports, after the ensemble or team is selected early in the semester. You can register for other activities, such as Fitness "X" courses or forensics, if the course has spots available and will fit in with the rest of your schedule. You will also have an opportunity after you arrive on campus to juggle your schedule and add activity courses if they are open.


20. If I sign up for a Liberal Arts Distribution course that is also a writing centered course, does it count for both requirements?

If a course meets a Liberal Arts Distribution requirement and also has a W designation, then it counts as a writing-centered course as well as the Liberal Arts Distribution requirement.


21. To whom should I send transcripts?

Transcripts should be sent to:

The Office of Admission
Willamette University
900 State St., Salem OR 97301


22. To whom should I send AP or IB test results?

You should have them sent to the Office of the Registrar, Willamette University, 900 State St., Salem OR 97301. If you took AP or IB tests this spring and requested that they be sent to Willamette, we will receive them after July 1st.

Willamette University

First Year Students Advising Materials

Address
900 State Street
Salem Oregon 97301 U.S.A.
Phone
503-370-6573

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