Wait List FAQ

• How does the Wait List process work?

  You must meet several eligibility conditions to get on the class Wait List. As seats in the class open, you will be automatically enrolled in the order in which you joined the Wait List. An email will be sent to your @buffalo.edu account letting you know of the automatic enrollment. You will also receive a notification if the Wait List process was unable to successfully add you to the course. If the waitlist process could not successfully add you to the course, it will skip over you and move on to the next student on the list. You will remain on the wait list, but must resolve the issue and wait for another seat to be open.

• How many credits may I Wait List for?

  Each student is permitted to Wait List up to 8 credit hours in the fall, spring and summer terms and 4 credits in the winter term.

• What if I am no longer interested in being on the Wait List?

  If you are no longer interested in being on a Wait List, it is your responsibility to drop the course (remove yourself from the Wait List). If you do not remove yourself from the Wait List and the result is enrollment in a course, you must drop the course before the end of drop/add. Otherwise you will be responsible for any financial and academic impacts.

• How do I know if I am eligible for Wait List?
  • The class must be enabled by the department to accept Wait List seats.
  • The class has to be in a Wait List status.
  • You must have a valid enrollment appointment or it is the open enrollment period.
  • You have no negative service indicator(s) (hold(s)) that prevent registration.
  • You meet class pre‐ and co‐requisites, and class reserves (if any).
  • Registration complies with UB’s repeat policy.
• How often will the Wait List process run?

  The Wait List process will run at least once every 24 hours when enrollment begins for the semester. Beginning the week before the start of the term through the end of the drop/add period, Wait List will run hourly.

• What will prevent the Wait List process from enrolling me in a class?

  You will not be prevented from signing up for the Wait List in these situations, however, if a seat becomes available, HUB will not be able to add you to the class and you will be skipped over. You will remain on the Wait List, but the seat will be given to the next eligible person on the Wait List. You may be able to Swap Classes in these scenarios:

  • You are already registered in another section of the class.
  • The Wait Listed class poses a time conflict with another course on your schedule.
  • Enrolling in the Wait Listed class would make you exceed the maximum unit load for the term.
  • You have a negative service indicator (hold) that prevents enrollment into a class.
• Will every class have a Wait List? Is the Wait List unlimited?

  No. Each department will choose which class sections have a Wait List. The system also has limitations in place which will impact which classes are able to have a Wait List and which are not. Each department will also determine how many spaces to keep on their Wait List. If a Wait List becomes full, the class will appear as closed.

• How do I know if a class has a Wait List?

  The Wait List option only shows in HUB once all of the seats in the class section have been filled. When a Class Search is performed to include these classes, users will notice a clock icon beside classes that have available Wait List seats.

  

  Once the Wait List capacity has been reached, the Wait List feature is unavailable and the red closed class icon will display beside the section in Class Search.

  

  For classes that are closed but that you would like to attempt to enroll in, it is recommended you continue to check HUB regularly, as space in the class (green circle) or space on the Wait List (clock icon) may open at any point.

  
• When can I join the Wait List?

  For a course that has Wait List enabled, the Wait List will become available as soon as the section fills up. It will remain available until the Wait List capacity is reached, at which point the class will close completely. A Wait List may be available as early as the first day of enrollment, and students may add themselves to the Wait List through the end of Drop/Add as long as space remains. After the Drop/Add deadline no students will be moved from the Wait List into the course.

• If I join the Wait List, am I guaranteed a space in the class?

  You are not guaranteed a spot in the class by joining the Wait List and should not expect to be enrolled. You will only be enrolled if another student drops the course before the end of drop/add and you meet all eligibility requirements at the time enrollment is processed.