Waitlist

The waitlist process allows students to become enrolled for classes through their ctcLink account. As spots become available in a full class, students on the waitlist can automatically be enrolled in the class, in the order they appear on the waitlist.

Instructions on how to add yourself to a class waitlist:

HOW TO GUIDE: ADDING YOURSELF TO A CLASS WAITLIST

Log in to your ctcLink account
Select Student Homepage-->Manage Classes--> Class Search and Enroll
Select the correct Term and College (Example: WINTER 2022, Tacoma Community College)
Enter the class name in the search bar (Example: ENGL 101)
Select the correct box to view all open classes
View classes and select your option
Select Next
Under the Add to waitlist if class is full, question, change the radio button from No to Yes and select Accept
Select Enroll and Next
Select Submit
Select Yes in the popup box

The waitlist runs for the last time shortly after the term starts. That date is found each term in the Academic Calendar.

Enrolled Notification

If the waitlist enrolls you into the course, you will receive a message in your Message Center. Log into ctcLink and select Student Homepage--> Message Center.

A generic email communication will also be sent to your email the email will state, "You have a new message from Tacoma Community College. Please login to your Student Homepage in ctclink and select the Message Center Tile". The email communication will not provide specific details about the course or the notification. Log into ctcLink to confirm the message is regarding the waitlist.

Maximum Waitlist Credits

Tacoma Community College has indicated that 11 credits of waitlisted courses are allowed per term. Students will receive the following error if they try to enroll in more than 11 credits of waitlisted classes: "You are unable to add this class at this time. The maximum term wait list unit limit would be exceeded with this change."

Waitlist Process

When seats become available in a closed class section, the class remains closed until the waitlist process runs, automatically enrolling students from the waitlist. The class remains closed until the waitlist empties or the enrollment capacity has been met, whichever comes first.

If a student does not meet the criteria to enroll in the class, the process will select the next student on the waitlist according to their position number.

Students that were on the waitlist and were not enrolled will maintain their position number. Students will have an opportunity to be auto-enrolled the next time a seat is made available, if they resolve the issue that prevented them from being auto-enrolled previously.

If the waitlist process runs and no students are enrolled, then the class will open and other students will be given the opportunity to enroll (even if there are still students on the waitlist that did not meet the criteria to be auto-enrolled).

If there are no students on the waitlist, the class will open as usual when seats are made available.

Criteria that Prevents Waitlist Enrollment

Students will not be enrolled from the waitlist if any of the following occur:

If adding the waitlisted class will result in a schedule of 20 or more credits.
The waitlisted class presents a time scheduling conflict with another class in which they are already enrolled.
Student is still enrolled in another section of that class. Instead a students should set up a SWAP of sections. If set as a swap the waitlist will drop the currently enrolled section with the preferred sections. See below for swap instructions.
If students ADD themselves to the waitlist for a different section of the same class (instead of using the SWAP feature), they must DROP the section in which they are enrolled before they will be moved from the waitlist.
The student has not met class prerequisites.
The student is enrolled in a Co-Requiste course. Examples of Co-Requisite courses are Learning Communities (LC). A LC can have waitlist; however they must be managed manually. The Waitlist process can not facilitate enrolling a student into both sections simultaneously, which is required to meet Enrollment Requirements. Contact the Learning Community Coordinator to learn more.

If students are not enrolled from the waitlist due to any of these issues, they will be passed over and the next eligible student on the waitlist will be auto-enrolled.

Last Day to be Added From Waitlist

Enrollment Services will tun off the autmatic enrollment via the waitlist after the quarter begins. Review the Important Dates Calendar for the specific, "Last day to be added from waitlist" date.

Faculty Note: We encourage faculty take screenshots/notes of the students on the waitlist on the "Last day to be added from waitlist". This is so you are able to prioritize students that were listed when overloading classes. Waitlist will be purged shortly after stopping the waitlist processes.

Swap

Swap allows you to switch from a class you are enrolled in to a different class or to the waitlist for a different class. The basic instructions for using Swap are available through the ctcLink Reference Center.

There will be times when Swap will be convenient. But there are two scenarios when using Swap is essential, and they both involve waitlists.

You are planning to enroll in another section of the waitlisted course. Or
The waitlisted class will put your total enrolled credits over 19 credits.

Scenario 1:

Let’s say that you need to take Math 90 and you really want to take Section 5 because it fits your schedule perfectly and you know that the instructor is fantastic. Unfortunately, Section 5 has just filled up. Section 1 also fits your schedule, and you’ve heard really good things about the instructor, but you know that taking a Math class at 7:30 in the morning is going to be tough for you. You really, really need to take Math 90 Winter quarter. So you decide you will enroll in Section 1 and get on the waitlist for Section 5. Hopefully, a spot will open for you in Section 5 and you will move off the waitlist and into the class.

This is all great, except for one thing ctcLink will not enroll you in two sections of the same course at the same time. So, when you have finally moved to the top of the Section 5 waitlist, and a spot has opened for you in the class, ctcLink will not move you into the class because you are already enrolled in another section of Math 90. Instead, ctcLink will look down the waitlist for the first student who is not already enrolled in another section of Math 90 and will enroll that student in the class. You will simply sit at the top of the waitlist.

Q: So, what do you do?
A: You get on the waitlist using Swap!

Here’s how:

First, enroll in Math 90 Section 1 – the class that is open.
Open the Swap window and select Math 90 Section 1 under Swap This Class. This is the class you will drop if you get into Section 5.
Under With This Class, search for Math 90 Section 5 or enter the four digit Class Number for it. This is the class you want to swap into.

Because Section 5 is full, ctcLink should allow you to add your name to the waitlist for Section 5. By using Swap to put your name on the waitlist, things should work the way you want. When you have moved to the top of the waitlist and a spot opens for you, ctcLink should drop you from Section 01 and enroll you in Section 05. Success!

Scenario 2:

This same thing can happen in another situation. Let’s say that you enroll in English 101 and Math 095. You want to also take Music 110 – Introduction to Digital Music, but it is full. So you get on the waitlist. You really need to take 15 credits though, so you decide to enroll in Biology 140 – Marine Biology. Your plan is to drop Biology 140 if you get into Music 110. Eventually, you reach the top of the Music 110 waitlist, but you are never moved into the class! Instead, other students further down the list are. What’s going on?

Remember that ctcLink will not enroll you in more than 19 credits. ctcLink cannot enroll you in Music 110 because you are already enrolled in 15 credits and adding Music 110 would put you at 20 credits. So you are stuck at the top of the waitlist.

Q: So, what do you do?
A: You get on the waitlist using Swap!

Here’s how:

First, enroll in Biology 140 – the class that you want dropped if you get into Music 110.
Open the Swap window and select Biology 140 in the Swap This Class frame.
Under With This Class, search for Music 110 or enter the Class Number for it. This is the class you want to swap into.

Because Music 110 is full, ctcLink should allow you to add your name to the waitlist for this class.

By using Swap to put your name on the waitlist, things should work the way you want. When you have moved to the top of the waitlist and a spot opens for you, ctcLink should drop you from Biology 140 and enroll you in Music 110. Success!

View your Waitlist Position

Log in to your ctcLink account.
Select Student Homepage
Select View My Classes
Select Term and Tacoma CC
Select Show Waitlisted Classes

Waitlist Override

Although overriding the Waitlist is highly discouraged there are instances that can be sufficient enough to do so. Students who are graduating in the current term is an example of when we would suggest reaching out to the instructor for a permission code. If approved an instructor can assign a permission number to overload the class. For instructions on how to use a permission number visit our enroll in classes site. If an override is not possible for the specific course, reach out to the department Chair to inquire about a course substitution instead. If approved for a substitution of graduation requirements Department Chairs will complete the Degree Progress Update Form.

Combined Section Waitlist

The waitlist process can enroll students into combined sections. However, the Waitlist process assesses course by course and does not assess the combined section as a "set." Let's say Math 97, 98, and 99 are in a combined section. When the Waitlist runs, it checks Math 97 first, then 98, and finally 99. The earliest waitlisted student for the set may have been waitlisted for Math 99; however, the Waitlist will enroll any students for Math 97 or Math 98 before that student.

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