Enrolling & Waitlist FAQs

"How do I register for an online class?"

Visit SWC Admissions for registration information.

"What should I do if I am on your wait list?"

As you've probably noticed, online courses fill quickly. If you are on the waitlist, please send me an email on the first day of the semester to indicate that you are still interested in the course. I will give you an update within 24 hours, and I will also provide you with further instructions. I assume that students who are on the waitlist but do not contact me are no longer interested, just like on-ground waitlisters who do not attend the first class meeting.

You should know that most semesters I can only add a few people from the waitlist, and they are often added several days or even a week after the class has started. To be successful in this situation, you will need to be ready to catch up quickly.

"This is an online class, so why can't you add everybody on the waitlist? We don't need desks! Please-please-please?"

Online classes have a maximum number of spaces, just like classes on campus, and this is for your benefit. Teaching and learning in an online environment is very time consuming, and this is especially true for English courses, where writing is a central part of what we do. I am an active member of each of my online classes, which means that I participate in class discussions and work with students individually and in groups throughout the semester. The more students I have in a class, the less time I have for each of them. This is one reason that SWC faculty are not permitted to add students beyond the course maximum, whether the class is on-ground or online. We want our students to have the best possible experience.