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Glossary of Terms, Errors & Menu Options
Being a W&M student comes with its own lingo and vocabulary! Learn what the icons in PATH represent, the definitions of many registration-related words, and what common error messages are telling you.
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PATH Icon Legend
| Icon | Description | Definition |
|---|---|---|
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Blue cart | A blue cart icon indicates the course is in one of your carts - the primary cart, the alternatives cart, or a cart of your own creation |
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Hourglass | An hourglass symbol indicates you are on the waitlist for the course. Hover over the icon with your cursor or view the course details panel to see your waitlist position |
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Black check mark | A black check mark indicates you are fully registered in the course |
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Green check mark | A green check mark indicates you have taken the course previously. Most courses are not repeatable, but some courses are repeatable |
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Pencil | A pencil indicates you are editing the registration options for the course |
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Black or yellow triangle | A black or yellow triangle with an exclamation indicates a warning. Potential issues include adding a closed course, a time conflict detected, a pre-requisite or co-requisite error, or missing instructor approval |
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Red dash | A red dash indicates you are attempting to remove the course |
Glossary of Terms
Alternatives Cart
Used by undergraduate degree-seeking students to save alternative course options during the cart-building phase of registration for fall and spring terms.
Course/Section Attribute
An attribute describes a course in some way. The most common use identifies courses that satisfy a COLL curriculum requirement in DegreeWorks. Examples: ALV for Arts Letters Values or MATH for math proficiency.
CRN (Course Reference Number)
Each section in the course schedule has a unique number to identify it. The CRN is listed in PATH at the top of the course details panel for a specific section.
Drop
Removing a course from your schedule before the add/drop deadline. If you wish to drop a course in PATH, select the course from your primary cart, then select the Drop button at the bottom of the course details panel. Strict add/drop deadlines apply each term.
Grade Mode
How a course is graded. The most common grade modes are standard grade (Letter grade from A to F) and pass/fail (either P for pass or F for fail is assigned).
Hold
An administrative "hold" on your student record that can prevent registration, graduation, etc. The most common holds are for overdue student accounts, parking fines, library fines, health services fees, etc. You can also have a hold for academic issues with Student Success and for not declaring a major (once you have more than 54 earned hours). If your hold prevents registration, you must contact the office that placed the hold and take care of the issue before you can register.
Level
Indicates the level of the student and the level of coursework. At W&M we have the following levels: Undergraduate (UG), Law (LW), Graduate Business (GB), Graduate Education (GE), Graduate Arts & Sciences (GA), Graduate Marine Science (GM), and Graduate Computing, Data Sciences & Physics (GC).
myW&M
myW&M is a hub for students, faculty, and staff. Students can select icons for email, PATH, Blackboard, and Banner, among other commonly needed links.
Part of Term
A set of dates within the larger semester. Most courses in the College of Arts & Sciences, Graduate Marine Science/VIMS, and Graduate Computing, Data Sciences & Physics will be in Part of Term 1, Law courses will be in Part of Term L, Graduate Business courses will be in Part of Term M, and Graduate Education courses will be in Part of Term E. Most (but not all) online programs offered through Graduate Business, Graduate Education, and Law will have courses in Parts of Term A and B.
PATH Class Search and Registration
W&M's course search and registration tool.
Primary Cart
The main cart used for registration by all students. Courses in your Primary Cart with a black check mark are courses for which you are fully registered. This cart is also used by undergraduate degree-seeking students during the cart-building phase of registration to build their preferred schedule and set their registration priorities.
Registration Restrictions
Used by departments to ensure that the appropriate students can register for a course. Examples of registration restrictions include prerequisites, social class, and student level (undergraduate, graduate education, etc).
Social class
A social class is assigned to each undergraduate student when starting at W&M, which loosely equates to your expected year of graduation. Commonly referred to by class year (2028, 2029, etc.) or by class (social senior, social junior, etc.).
Submit Schedule / Submit Registration
Buttons used to confirm schedule changes you are attempting through PATH.
Variable Credit Course
A course that can be taken for a range of credit hours. Typically, the student can choose whether they take the course for 1-4 credit hours. In PATH, you can choose the credit hours for variable credit courses in the Registration Options panel that displays when adding the course. If you have already added the course, you can select the Edit Registration Options button on the course details panel to update the credit hours.
Withdraw
Removing a course from your schedule after the add/drop deadline. Withdrawing from a course results in a grade of "W" on your official transcript.
Common Registration Error Messages
Errors are listed in alphabetical order by message
| Error Message | Explanation | Action to Correct Error |
|---|---|---|
| Administrative staff are reviewing your registration records at this time. Please try again later | You likely have more than one active session open in PATH Registration | PATH only allows one active registration session at a time. Logging into PATH Registration from multiple web browsers, windows/tabs, or devices will cause registration errors and performance issues |
| Closed Section | The course has reached the enrollment limit |
Select another course or section Alternatively, add yourself to a course waitlist if one is available. Students offered a space from the waitlist will receive an email notification and must add the course by the deadline listed in the email |
| Co-Requisite | The course requires enrollment in another specified course and/or section during the same semester | You must add all co-requisite components to your Primary Cart before submitting registration; otherwise, you will continue to receive the co-requisite error |
| Course Link | The course requires enrollment in another specified course and/or section. Review the required link(s) in the details for the course | You must add all linked components to your Primary Cart before submitting registration; otherwise, you will continue to receive the course link error |
| CRN does not exist | The five-digit CRN you entered is not recognized by PATH | Confirm you have the correct CRN. Be sure to enter it correctly |
| Duplicate Course | You have already registered for this course/section | Drop the course from your schedule, then attempt to re-add the other section |
| Instructor Permission Required/Instructor Approval | The course instructor must approve your enrollment in the course | Contact the instructor. If permission is granted, you will be given an INSTRUCTOR override. If granted an override, you must add the course |
| Level Restriction | You do not have the correct level required for taking the course (ex: undergraduate attempting to register for a graduate-level course) | Select another course appropriate to your enrollment level |
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Major Restriction (Field of Study Restriction) |
Enrollment in the course is limited to the specified Major(s) | Select another course or contact the instructor for an INSTRUCTOR override. If granted an override, you must add the course |
| Prerequisite/Test Score | You have not met the prerequisite established for the course | Select another course or secure an INSTRUCTOR override. If granted an override, you must add the course |
| Repeat Count Exceeds 0 | You have registered for a course that is not repeatable and already exists on your record | Select another course |
| Social Class Restriction | The course requested is restricted to student social classification (based on expected graduation term), such as Class of 2027, Class of 2028, etc. | Select another course, or speak to the instructor about an INSTRUCTOR override. If granted an override, you must add the course |
| Time Conflict | The meeting time of the course you selected overlaps with another class selected | Select another course or section; if both instructors approve, you can complete a Time Conflict Override form (pdf) |
| You have taken this course | You have previously completed this course. Most courses are not repeatable, but some courses are repeatable (examples: some topics courses, ensembles, or music lessons are repeatable) |
This is a registration note for your reference (not an error). The course is not repeatable if "Repeat Count Exceeds 0" displays as a registration error (see above) |
Banner Self-Service Options
| Banner Self-Service Menu Option | Description | How to Get There in Banner (Student tab) |
|---|---|---|
| Holds (in Student Profile) | Displays the various holds that may affect registration | Student Records > Student Profile > Holds drop-down menu |
| Prepare for Registration | Displays your student and academic status, holds, time ticket information (if assigned), and any overrides you have received | Registration > View Your Schedules & Prepare to Register > Prepare for Registration |
| Registration Notices (in Student Profile) |
Displays your assigned registration periods for the term selected Make sure you have selected the correct term above your photo |
Student Records > Student Profile > Registration Notices drop-down menu |
| Student Profile | Access your unofficial transcript, view your grades, and check for holds. Also includes links to registration, Degree Works, and Enrollment Verifications | Student Records > Student Profile |
| View Registration Information | View registration for current and past semesters. View things like instructor, grade mode, status, credit hours, etc | Registration > View Your Schedules & Prepare to Register > View Registration Information |