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Faculty_CourseMatchVideo.mp4Overview
Overview
Course Match is the new preregistration system all students will use to preregister for the Spring 2026 semester. First-Years have already used it during Summer 2025 preregistration.
Why Course Match?
Why Course Match?
Course Match builds conflict-free schedules for students based on their ranked preferences, class-year priority, and any enrollment management restrictions you set before preregistration in the Course Planning Interface (CPI) or in the Major and Correlate Preference Form.
If students rank courses by their true preferences, Course Match's algorithm helps create a schedule with more courses students truly want or need to take. This in turn may reduce the need for Special Permissions requests due to higher student satisfaction with their initial schedules.
Course Match Basics
Course Match Basics
Students set the maximum course load they want to take this semester. They then must select and rank double that amount in course units/credits.
Students will only see courses they are eligible to take. Courses that require special permission or have prerequisites the student has not met will not appear in their list. Students are encouraged to consult the Schedule of Classes and use the Special Permission and Prerequisite Override Jotform to request access to select and rank these courses in Course Match.
The most critical step for students is to rank their courses with consideration of both personal preference and academic requirement, as their rankings heavily influence their final schedule. Students rank their courses by dragging and dropping them into four categories: Favorite, Great, Good, Acceptable. Moving a course from one category to another signals a large preference shift. Shifting course order within a category signals small preference differences.
How a student ranks their course heavily influences course placement. Rankings should reflect the students academic needs and preference. They should not be based on perceived demand for a course – doing so could skew the results of course placement.
The system shows each student 8 potential conflict-free schedules based only on the student’s current course rankings. These 8 examples are not guaranteed; rather, they are meant to help students understand how their rankings might combine into a full schedule. Because Course Match has not yet run the full computation of all student rankings together, the schedules shown at this stage reflect only how the individual student has ranked their courses. If a student does not like the potential schedules they see, they can return to adjust their rankings to improve their options. Once preregistration closes, Course Match will run its full computation using all student rankings to create final schedules. The computation generates every possible schedule combination based on all students’ rankings and assigns a value to each. It will give each student the highest value choice it can while also attempting to give every student a full schedule based on their target credits/units.
Similar to the previous preregistration system, class-year priority continues to apply and impacts the likelihood of a student being enrolled in the courses they select: Seniors have priority over Juniors, Juniors over Sophomores, then Sophomores over First-Years.
What’s changed for Preregistration on Course Match:
What’s changed for Preregistration on Course Match:
Advising holds replace PINs. After the advisor meeting, students cannot begin the preregistration process until their advisor removes the hold in Ask Banner. Double majors must have holds released by both of their advisors.
Students only see courses they are eligible to take. Courses with prerequisites or special permission will not appear in Course Match. Students are encouraged to consult the Schedule of Classes to view those courses. If they wish to enroll, they must submit the Special Permission Prerequisite Override Jotform (available during preregistration).
Approving a student’s Special Permission or Prerequisite Override request does not guarantee enrollment. To learn more about this important change, reference “Managing Enrollment” in the guide.
Students rank courses as Favorite, Great, Good, or Acceptable, which guides Course Match in assembling their schedule.
Favorite: The student’s absolute top choice (Only one allowed). This is the class that they need/want the most above all others. This category is optional, so if they don’t have a single favorite, just leave it blank and place their top 2 or 3 courses at the top of the Great category instead.
Great: These courses closely align with the student’s top academic needs and preferences (Select as many as they like).
Good: These courses somewhat align with the student’s top academic needs and preferences (Select as many as they like).
Acceptable: Courses that the student is willing to take and could fit into their schedule, even if those courses are not their top choices (Select as many as they like).
Ranking is the greatest determining factor of getting enrolled in a course.
Registration draw numbers are gone. Placement is no longer tied to the former lottery system, though class year priority still applies.
What’s the same for Preregistration on Course Match:
What’s the same for Preregistration on Course Match:
Students still select and order their courses by academic requirement and preference.
Class year priority still applies: Seniors have priority over Juniors, Juniors over Sophomores, then Sophomores over First-Years.
Vassar still uses Units, which function the same as credits in Course Match. 1 Unit = 1 Credit
Zero-credit courses (like labs or some music classes) are still 0 credits. However, they temporarily appear in Course Match as .1 credits for system compatibility. Once students are enrolled, they will display the correct 0-credit value.
The Registrar still accepts the Special Permissions List from departments and programs, but instead of emailing the list, it will be filled out as a Google Form (coming soon).
Managing Enrollment
Managing Enrollment
Additional mechanisms help you to manage enrollment for your courses, beyond rankings and class-year priority.
Additional mechanisms help you to manage enrollment for your courses, beyond rankings and class-year priority.
Prior to preregistration:
Prior to preregistration:
You can set class-year restrictions (e.g., Seniors only) set in the Course Planning Interface (CPI) to help students get into courses specific to their class-year (Senior seminars). Due October 17
The Major and Correlate Preference Form can offer certain declared majors or correlates a higher chance of placement in select courses. Due October 17, 2025
Layering restrictions between the CPI and the Major and Correlate Preference Form helps manage enrollment prior to preregistration to also help reduce the need for Special Permissions.
Example: To reduce Special Permissions Jotform requests, you could restrict a Senior Seminar as “seniors-only” through the CPI, then add a major preference so that seniors in your department or program have a very high likelihood of getting enrolled. This would not prevent other senior majors from getting enrolled, but if the course is ranked similarly between the major and non-major, the major selected in the form will be prioritized.
During preregistration:
Special Permission/Prerequisite Override Jotform
Special Permission/Prerequisite Override Jotform
Through this form, students initiate requests for instructor approval to be considered for enrollment in a course with Special Permission or with prerequisites that they do not satisfy.
For Special Permissions requests, faculty will have 3 options in the Jotform:
[New Option] Special Permission for a Non-Required Course or Special Permission Non-Required is offered for those non-essential courses that still need Instructor approval.
IMPORTANT: Ranking remains the determining factor for student enrollment after receiving the instructor’s approval for Special Permission for a Non-Required Course. Approval does not give the course special priority, and it is treated like any other ranked option in Course Match, meaning the course simply becomes visible in Course Match for the student to select and rank like any other course. Therefore, student rankings are still the important factor in determining whether they get placed in Special Permission for a Non-Required Course.
Special Permission for a Required Course or Special Permission-Required is the approval option for courses that are essential to a student’s graduation (e.g., senior seminars).
IMPORTANT: Unlike approving Special Permission for a Non-Required Course, a course flagged as required (through a departmental list or Special Permission JOT form), is treated differently from other courses in Course Match.
How? Course Match prioritizes this Special Permissions-Required course above all others, regardless of how the student ranks it. However, although placement is very likely it is not guaranteed.
Students will be able to remove the course from their selections after it was designated Special Permission - Required. Departments and instructors may want to consider whether they’ll let the student add the class again in later registration phases if they removed the Special Permission - Required course during Phase I.
If Special Permission - Required is granted to more students than there are seats available, Course Match will honor the seat limit and not all students will get enrolled.
Deny is the option if instructors do not want to give the student any special permission to enroll in that course.
For Prerequisite Override requests, instructors may choose to Approve or Deny a student’s request. A few more things to know about Prerequisites during the Course Match implementation:
Prerequisites are a great way to avoid requiring all students to get special permission. If you can define Vassar courses as prerequisites, then the only approvals you’ll need to evaluate are for students that did not already meet the prerequisites.
Approving an override makes the student eligible for placement. It does not guarantee enrollment.
[Coming Soon]: The Special Permissions List Google Form
This form is an alternative to the Special Permission Jotform. Although it’s preferable for students to use the Jotform, up to 25 students receive special permission for a course, per form. If you want to include more than 25 students for the course, you may submit another list with the remaining students in the form. For each form, submit:
Students’ first and last names
Students’ 999###
Course information
Students will then receive the status “Special Permission - Required” for this course.
Faculty Roles & Responsibilities
Faculty Roles & Responsibilities
As an Instructor:
Review and act on Special Permission/Prereq Override Jotform requests by the end of preregistration on November 21st.
Submit the Special Permission List Google Form through your Administrative Assistant (up to 25 students) by November 19th at 5:00 p.m.
Confirm course restrictions in CPI through your Administrative Assistant (caps, year-restrictions, etc.) which gets submitted by October 17th.
Decide whether to submit the Major & Correlate Preference Form through your department or program. The Administrative Assistant will fill out and submit this form by October 17th.
If you are also an Advisor (Keep an eye out for the incoming Advisor page on this website!):
Meet with students to review course selections.
Release advising holds promptly in AskBanner (both advisors for double majors).
Encourage students to:
Rank honestly by true preference.
Add more courses than the minimum (3–4× their intended credit load).
Use categories carefully (Favorite = big jump above Great).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How does the algorithm allocate seats?
Course Match evaluates every possible schedule combination based on each student’s ranked preferences, class-year priority, and any enrollment rules set by departments.
Each potential schedule is assigned a “value” that reflects how well it matches the student’s preferences. The system then allocates seats by giving each student the highest-value schedule possible while ensuring that every student receives the most complete, conflict-free schedule and that overall fairness is maintained across the student body.
In simpler terms, Course Match aims to give each student the best schedule it can—based on their rankings—while balancing course demand across all students.
What do the ranking categories mean?
The ranking categories – Favorite, Great, Good, and Acceptable – are meant to reflect how well each course fits the student’s academic needs and preferences, not to rate their feelings about the quality of the course itself.
Favorite: The student’s absolute top choice (Only one allowed). This is the class that they need/want the most above all others. This category is optional, so if they don’t have a single favorite, just leave it blank and place their top 2 or 3 courses at the top of the Great category instead.
Great: These courses closely align with the student’s top academic needs and preferences (Select as many as they like).
Good: These courses somewhat align with the student’s top academic needs and preferences (Select as many as they like).
Acceptable: Courses that the student is willing to take and could fit into their schedule, even if those courses are not their top choices (Select as many as they like).
Is there still class-year priority?
Is there still class-year priority?
Yes, class-year priority continues to apply. Seniors have priority over Juniors, Juniors over Sophomores, then Sophomores over First-Years.
How are prerequisites enforced?
How are prerequisites enforced?
A few weeks before preregistration begins, watch for an email about the Prerequisite Review process. After prerequisites are verified, it will be entered into Banner and pulled into Course Match.
Students who have met the prerequisite for a course will automatically see the course in Course Match. They can select and rank it without needing any further approvals.
A student who has not met a prerequisite but still wants to take the course must submit a Special Permission Prerequisite Override Jotform.
The instructor will either approve or deny this request.
An approved form allows the student to view and rank the course in Course Match
Note: Approval does not guarantee enrollment.
How does Course Match handle cross-listed courses?
For cross-listed courses, seats are divided between departments, and will hold true to those limits. Students are advised to add all cross-listed sections and rank them closely in their selections to increase the likelihood of registration. Course Match has conflicts embedded to not allow students to be registered for more than 1 of the cross-listed courses.
Does ranking more classes reduce a student’s chance of getting their top-priority courses?
No. Adding more options never hurts. It simply gives the algorithm more valid schedules to choose from, which increases the likelihood of building a complete schedule with the top-ranked courses included.
What forms should I know about and how do they work?
Major and Correlate Preference Form - Due October 17
This Google Form will allow departments and programs to indicate enrollment preference for declared majors and correlates.
In addition to the regular course detail collection process (CPI), this supplemental form identifies how to apply preferences for your courses. Course Match will then give those students a stronger chance of placement compared to others.
Special Permission Prerequisite Override Jotform - Due November 21
A student interested in taking a course that is Special Permission or a course with prerequisites that they do not fulfill may submit this form to be considered for enrollment in the course.
This Jotform will indicate if a course requires Special Permission, and whether it is Special Permission for a Required Course or Special Permission for a Non-Required Course.
For more information on this form, check out the FAQs below.
[Coming Soon!] Special Permission List Google Form - Due November 19
While students submitting the Special Permission/Prerequisite Override Jotform is preferable, this form is replacing the Special Permissions list emailed the Registrar.
This list allows faculty to send a list of up to 25 students per form to receive special permission. Faculty wanting to include more than 25 students for the course may submit another list of the remaining students in the form.
Include the students’ first and last names, their 999###, as well as the course information.
What is the Special Permission & Prerequisite Override Jotform?
Students submit this form when a course requires instructor approval (Special Permission) or when they need a prerequisite override to attempt registration.
Important! Special Permission courses and courses with prerequisites are not visible to students in Course Match until they receive permission, either through their name being on a department/program list or through the Special Permission JotForm. Students are encouraged to refer to the Schedule of Classes to view the complete list of available courses. If students express interest in these course types, they should fill out the Special Permission and Prerequisite Override Jotform during the add/drop period.
Changes in the Jotform:
This form now distinguishes between Special Permission for a Required Course and Special Permission for a Non-Required Course [new option].
Special Note:
Students can delete a Required Course permission from their selections in Course Match, which may affect their final schedule.
If Special Permission- Required is granted to more students than there are seats available, Course Match will honor the seat limit and not all students will get enrolled.
Prerequisite overrides only make a student eligible for placement; they do not guarantee enrollment.
What are the two Special Permission course types in the Special Permissions & Prerequisite Override Jotform?
[New Option] Special Permission for a Non-Required Course or Special Permission Non-Required is offered for those non-essential courses that still need Instructor approval.
IMPORTANT: Ranking remains the determining factor for student enrollment after receiving the instructor’s approval for Special Permission for a Non-Required Course Approval does not give the course special priority, and it is treated like any other ranked option in Course Match, meaning the course simply becomes visible in Course Match for the student to select and rank like any other course. Therefore, student rankings are still the important factor in determining whether they get placed in Special Permission for a Non-Required Course.
Special Permission for a Required Course or Special Permission-Required is the approval option for courses that are essential to a student’s graduation (e.g., senior seminars).
IMPORTANT: Unlike approving Special Permission for a Non-Required Course, a course flagged as required (through a departmental list or Special Permission JOT form), is treated differently from other courses in Course Match.
How? Course Match prioritizes this Special Permissions-Required course above all others, regardless of how the student ranks it. However, although placement is very likely it is not guaranteed.
Students will be able to remove the course from their selections after it was designated Special Permission - Required. Departments and instructors may want to consider whether they’ll let the student add the class again if they removed the Special Permission - Required course during Phase I.
If Special Permission- Required is granted to more students than there are seats available, Course Match will honor the seat limit and not all students will get enrolled.
If instructors do not want to approve the student for either special permission types, they select the Deny option.
Can faculty submit lists of students instead of relying on the Special Permission Jotform?
Yes. However, students should use the form whenever possible. Faculty and Administrative Assistants may submit lists for Special Permission courses via the Special Permissions Google Form.
Lists must include the student’s name and 999#, be submitted by November 19 at 5:00 p.m. so they can be processed before Course Match computation. These students will then be treated as SP–Required; however students will be able to remove this course on Course Match.
What is the Major & Correlate Preference Form?
It is a supplemental form used in addition to the CPI that lets departments and programs indicate enrollment preference for declared majors and correlates in a specific course.
Submitting major/correlate preferences increases the likelihood that students with a declared major or correlate are placed into courses most critical to their program of study. It can also reduce or even eliminate the need for Special Permission, meaning fewer Jotform requests for instructors.
Example: Your department offers a Senior Seminar, so you might set a class-year limit (in CPI) for seniors only and also submit the preference form to indicate that certain majors receive preference. Non-seniors would not be able to enroll, and majors would have the strongest likelihood of placement. This will not prevent a non-major from enrolling; it just gives an advantage to majors.
This form does not guarantee majors/correlates a seat. Rather, major and correlate preferences give students a boost, but placement still heavily depends on how a student has ranked that course. Non-majors may still be placed in the course, but they will have a lower likelihood of getting enrolled assuming they rank similarly.
What if the course in the Major & Correlate Preference Form is cross-listed?
A separate form must be submitted for each course code, and you should include the same majors and correlate sequences on each form.
Example: INTL-238-01 cross-listed with ASIA/ENST/GEOG requires forms for INTL-238-01, ASIA-238-01, ENST-238-01, and GEOG-238-01. Departments should coordinate to ensure the same preferences are submitted across listings.
How can I set up my course to limit the need for Special Permission?
You have the option to layer restrictions on a course, which could eliminate a Special Permission requirement. For example, you may limit seats to seniors in the CPI and give preference to majors via the Major and Correlate Preference Form to ensure seniors are enrolled in a senior seminar.
A student has expressed concern about being registered for ZZZ-999-99. What is this course?
They recently requested and received special permission for a course. At the time their request was approved, they had not yet made their course selections. To ensure the permission-only course appeared in Course Match, a placeholder course (ZZZ-999-99) may have been added for them. Once they’ve entered their actual course selections, they should ensure they have deleted the placeholder course.
Why does my 0-unit course show as 0.1 credits in Course Match, but in the Schedule of Classes it still shows as 0 units?
In Course Match, all courses must be assigned a greater than “0” credit value, so courses that are normally “0” units at Vassar temporarily appear as “0.1” during the preregistration process. This is only for system compatibility. Once registration is finalized, the enrolled courses will reflect the correct number of units.
Why do some courses show a scheduled day and a 1-minute meeting time, even though the Schedule of Classes lists no days or times?
In Course Match, every course must be assigned a day and time for system compatibility, even if the course is normally “arranged” with no set meeting times. For these cases, a placeholder day and a 1-minute time slot are used temporarily. Once registration is finalized, these courses will correctly appear with no assigned day or time in the student’s schedule.
Can I see how many students ranked my course?
Not during preregistration. Neither students nor faculty can see how many students ranked a course. This is intentional. Course Match works best when students rank honestly based on their own preferences, not perceived demand.
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