Credit Load and Overloads
Each term a student has a normal load and an overload maximum. Up to the normal load a registration needs nothing extra. Between the two it is an overload, which the student asks for and both their advisor and the registrar must approve. Above the overload maximum it is refused.
Setting the limits
Admin > Academic Settings > Credit Limits, separately for undergraduate and graduate students:
| Field | Setting key | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate, Standard Maximum | MAX_CREDITS_UNDERGRAD | Normal load. 17.5 (migration 297) |
| Undergraduate, Overload Maximum | MAX_CREDITS_UNDERGRAD_OVERLOAD | The most an approved overload allows |
| Graduate, Standard Maximum | MAX_CREDITS_GRADUATE | Normal load |
| Graduate, Overload Maximum | MAX_CREDITS_GRADUATE_OVERLOAD | The most an approved overload allows |
Fractional values such as 17.5 are kept. A student whose academic level is graduate (GR) uses the graduate pair, and everyone else the undergraduate pair. If a level's values are missing, the older single setting MAX_CREDITS_PER_TERM is used for both (21 when that is missing too). An overload maximum below the standard maximum is treated as equal to it.
A term's credits are everything the student holds in it: enrollments that occupy a seat plus open plans. On a variable-credit section the student's chosen credits count, not the section minimum.
How an overload is requested
The student plans courses on their degree audit as usual. Planning past the normal load is allowed, with a notice: "above the normal 17.5-credit load. You may request an overload (up to ... credits) when you submit." The planning dialog does not offer to plan past the overload maximum, and submitting refuses it in any case.
When the student clicks Register Planned Courses for a term over the normal load, a Credit overload dialog asks Why do you need to take an overload this term? The reason is required. Request overload submits the request, marked as an overload, with the term total and the reason. A term over the overload maximum is refused with the total, and the student must remove a course.
How an overload is approved
An overload needs two approvals, in order:
- The student's primary advisor approves it in Registration Approvals. That records the advisor's approval. The request stays in the queue, now marked Approved by the advisor ... the registrar decides.
- The registrar approves it. That sets the credit-limit override on the request, with the student's reason, and enrolls the courses as usual.
The registrar cannot approve ahead of the advisor. A student with no current primary advisor needs only the registrar. A superuser acts as the registrar.
In the queue an overload request carries an Overload badge and Credit overload: N credits this term.
Registration requests built by staff
A registration request built in the cart is checked against the normal load. Above it, validation shows a CREDIT_LIMIT message. The registrar excuses it with Override
Override credit limit (overload), which needs a reason.
Direct registration from the staff Course Registration screen does not check the credit limits.
Variable-credit sections
Some courses can be taken for a range of credits (directed study, practicum, applied music). The student chooses the credits when the section allows it.
- The course must be a variable-credit course, with a minimum and maximum (see Course fields).
- On the section, tick Students choose their credits and set the Credit increment (1 by default, e.g. 0.5). The section's own credit range overrides the course's.
- Clear Billing Credits on such a section. A variable section bills the credits the student chose, and an explicit billing figure would override that, so saving refuses it.
The section form refuses the flag on a section of a fixed-credit course, and a range that does not span at least one increment.
The student chooses credits in the planning dialog, and staff choose them in Course Registration and Cohort Registration. The server accepts a value between the minimum and maximum, in increments from the minimum (the maximum is always allowed), and defaults to the minimum. The choice is recorded as the enrollment's credits attempted, so billing, the GPA, the degree audit and the credit limits all use it. On a fixed section any value sent is ignored.