Information and Instructions for Faculty

Wait List

The Wait List feature is available to faculty (and students) using Student Services Online (SSOL).   

Wait Lists are used by instructors and departments to manage enrollment in courses. Some instructors or departments require students to join a Wait List before the cap is reached. In these cases, the instructor or department will manage entry to the course over the registration period. Please check departmental websites for additional information about Wait List management.

On the day an instructor admits a student from a Wait List, the student will see a status of "Approved" in SSOL. The student will then be automatically enrolled overnight. The Wait List tool will close on Friday evening at the end of the Change of Program period in the fall and spring semesters.

Auto-fill Wait List: Allows students to enroll into a course as seats become available, and students can see their position number on Auto-fill Wait Lists in SSOL.

Self-managed Wait Lists: Allows instructors to manually add students to a course, and students will not see a position number in SSOL.

  • Instructors and departments can set a course to self-managed in SSOL. This SSOL setting will allow students to add the course until the cap is reached. After the cap is reached, the Wait List will then be self-managed.
  • If the instructor or department wants to set up a self-managed Wait List that prevents students from freely adding the course before the cap is reached, please contact your department administrator and ask that the course be blocked to adds on SSOL.

We have developed the following reference documents:

The Wait List feature for course registration in SSOL went live for participating schools on the first day of classes of Fall 2013, Tuesday, September 3.

Post-Change of Program Add/Drop Period

The Post-Change of Program Add/Drop Period tool provides an electronic mechanism for students to add/drop courses after the Change of Program period by electronically routing requests to the course instructor and, where appropriate, the student’s advisor, using SSOL (https://ssol.columbia.edu). The tool allows the student to add a course in SSOL following online approval from the instructor and, where necessary, the advisor, as well as electronically manage course drops.

Our Faculty Quick Guide (PDF) shows the brief, step-by-step process for using the Post-Change of Program Add/Drop Period tool.

Change of Grade Tool

This feature is currently available to most students at Columbia University and is available to faculty using Student Services Online (SSOL).   

The Electronic Change of Grade tool provides an electronic mechanism for managing grade changes in SSOL after an initial grade has been submitted, significantly shortening the time required to post grade changes in SIS and display them to students.

Our Change of Grade Overview (PDF) shows the brief, step-by-step process for using the electronic Change of Grade tool.