Changing prerequisite requirements

<p>Generally so happy with Elon - but here's an annoying issue son is trying to resolve. He has a few courses left to complete in his major and had planned to take 2 of them this spring. Previously, he was fine with the prerequisites for these classes. But, we just noticed a change in the current year course catalogue, and now one of the courses is actually a prerequisite for the other. I'm not sure if he has to abide by this and put off the second course for next year, or if he can take them both this spring as planned. I know that the courses required to complete a major are set the year a student enters and not subject to change from year to year, but not sure if prerequisites work the same way. It's not the end of the world, but it's hard to assemble a 4-year plan if prerequisite requirements are subject to change.</p>

<p>Did he speak to his adviser or department chair about this? They seem responsive to these types of questions with my daughter. I suspect if he mentions how this recent change alters his long range planning, they will likely make an exception for him.</p>

<p>Yes. He actually just texted me that he met with his advisor today and she assured him he could take both classes in the spring as planned. I tend to take things very literally - and am still concerned that the current year course catalogue shows one class as a prerequisite for the other - but guess we will see what happens when he tries to register for both classes next week.</p>

<p>My S had a very similar situation last fall. His advisor assured him he could take the class, but when he went to register it was blocked. The computer system could tell he didn’t have the prerequisite and wouldn’t let him register for that particular class and the prerequisite in the same semester.</p>

<p>That’s exactly what I am afraid of. Was it resolved? Was the advisor able to do some type of override? Or was he simply unable to take both classes?</p>

<p>I guess he had the problem during registration for last spring because he ended up signing up for the prerequisite in winter term and taking the other class in spring. That fixed it for the computer. It wasn’t what he wanted, but he didn’t want to risk waiting for an advisor to override. The classes he wanted were filling up so fast that the timing was critical.</p>

<p>That was a good solution. In my son’s case, the prerequisite class is not offered during winter term, unfortunately. I guess we’ll just have to see what happens when he tries to register for both - see if the advisor was right or not. I always tell him to have plenty of alternate options ready when registering, but am finding that with only 3 semesters left, and trying to complete a major and two minors, it is getting very tricky.</p>

<p>And now as he tries to load his desired classes into OnTrack - it won’t let him take the second class without having completed the prerequisite class - despite what his advisor told him. He is checking with her now. He has a back-up plan, but I just find this situation annoying.</p>

<p>Son contacted department head who told him that the advisor was right and OnTrack was wrong and he would fix it. To be continued…</p>

<p>Registration was a success. For anyone else who has the issue - getting the dept. head to override OnTrck is the key.</p>

<p>Glad to hear.</p>