Banner FAQs for Students

Registrar's Office

Banner & Course Request
FAQs for Students

How do I log in to Banner Self-Service?

How do I find my Student Status on Banner Self-Service?
Where do I find holds on my record?
What does the hold on my record mean?

What are registration overrides?
Where do I find registration overrides on my record?
Does a registration override mean that I am registered for the class?
Does a registration override guarantee that I can get into the class?
NEW - I've been given a Capacity Override, why can't I register for the class?

What is an alternate PIN? Do I need one? Where do I get one?
Why do only first-year students and sophomores need an Alternate PIN?
Where do I find the name of my advisor?
Why is only one advisor listed on Banner Self-Service? What is a primary advisor?
Do I have to see my primary advisor to get my alternate PIN?
What if I do not have an advisor? What if my advisor isn't on campus anymore?

Where do I find the classes offered/search for classes online?
When do I enter my course requests online?
Can I submit my course requests if I have an unpaid bill at the College?
What if I will not have internet access during the Course Request Period?
Can I enter Independent Study/Research classes on Banner Self-Service?
Can I enter internships on Banner Self-Service?
Do I need to enter classes if I will be studying off campus in the upcoming term?
Can I request classes on campus if I have been approved to study off campus in the upcoming term?

Where do I find interdisciplinary classes, like electives for Film Studies, Women's Studies, etc.?
What does this Registration Add Error mean?
How do I get "Permission of the Instructor"?
Where do I find prerequisites and restrictions on Banner Self-Service?
Where can I find the capacity/enrollment for a class?

Where do I find class priorities on the web?
How are priorities determined?
How many people can select a class during the Course Request Period?
What does "random assignment" mean?
What happens if I do not have high enough priority to be registered for a class?
Can I be placed on a wait list for a class?
Where can I see my schedule on Banner Self-Service?
How do I add/drop a class on Banner Self-Service?

How do I view my transcript on Banner Self-Service?
How do I view my degree audit on Banner Self-Service?

Why doesn't my class year code coincide with my expected graduation date?

Note for Mac Safari users

How do I log into Banner Self-Service?

Banner Self-Service can be accessed through the internet

Open your preferred browser and enter:http://gateway.dickinson.edu

Enter your User Name, which is the first part of your Dickinson email address (example: professor@dickinson.edu - User Name = professor).

Enter your Network Password.

Click the Banner Self-Service tab

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How do I find my Student Status on Banner Self-Service?

Once you have logged into Banner Self-Service:

Select Student & Financial Aid from the Main Menu.

Select Course Selection from the Student & Financial Aid Menu.

Select Student Status from the Course Selection Menu.

If prompted for a Term, select the upcoming term from the drop-down menu and click Submit.

The Student Status screen will then appear. This screen will show you if there is any part of your record that will prohibit you from selecting courses online during the Course Request, Schedule Adjustment or Add/Drop periods. This includes:
• Holds – to view what the specific holds are click on the View Holds link at the bottom of the page
• Academic Standing – students who have been required to withdraw from the College have an academic standing that prohibits online course selection
• Student Status – students who will not be active for the chosen term have a student status that prohibits online course selection

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Where do I find holds on my record?

Any holds on your record can be viewed on Banner Self-Service. To access the Holds screen, log onto Banner Self-Service, then:

Select Student & Financial Aid from the Main Menu.

Select Student Records from the Student & Financial Aid Menu.

Select Holds from the Student Records Menu.

The Holds screen will then appear.

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What does the hold on my record mean?

HOLD

ASSIGNED BY OFFICE

EXPLANATION

PROHIBITS*

Abroad Enrollment Form Needed Registrar Student has not submitted the Enrollment at Another Institution Form for coursework taken abroad Registration

Bad Debt Write Off

Student Accounts

Student/alum has overdue balance

Registration, Transcript

Comptroller's Hold

Student Accounts

Student/alum has past due loans

Registration, Transcript

Discipline Case Pending

Registrar

Student who's transcript is held due to pending discipline case

Transcript

First-Year Hold

Registrar

First-year and transfer students can't add/drop classes at this time

Registration

Global Education Hold Global Ed Student needs to contact Global Education for more information Registration

Health Center Hold

Health Center

Student has outstanding paperwork for Health Center

Registration

Student Health Insurance

Student Accounts

Student hasn't completed health insurance waiver or signed up for the College's insurance

Registration

Loan Debt Hold

Student Accounts

Student/alum has defaulted on loan

Registration, Transcript

Major Declaration Hold

Registrar

Student hasn't declared major

Registration

No Charging Hold

Student Accounts

Student not permitted to charge anything to their account

Non-matriculated Hold

Registrar

Certain non-matriculated students can't add/drop classes on Banner Self-Service

Registration

Off Campus Hold

Global Ed

Student is registered to study abroad for the upcoming term

Registration

Return from Abroad Hold

Registrar

Student is returning from abroad before scheduled to return

Registration

Registration Hold

Registrar

Student not permitted to add/drop classes for various reasons

Registration

Registration Processing

Registrar

Student can't add/drop or see schedule due to registration processing

Registration, Transcript, Grades, Degree Evaluation, Schedule

Student Accounts Hold

Student Accounts

Student has a balance on student account

Registration, Transcript

Transcript Hold

Registrar

Student/Alum not permitted to receive official transcript for various reasons

Transcript

Upperclass Hold

Registrar

Upperclass students can't add/drop classes at this time

Registration

*Registration - making any changes to classes during the Course Request, Schedule Adjustment, and Add/Drop periods

Transcript - printing of official transcript by the Registrar's Office and student's ability to view transcript on Banner Self-Service - advisors can still view advisee's transcript on Banner Self-Service

Degree Evaluation - student's ability to view a degree audit on Banner Self-Service - advisors can still view advisee's degree audit on Banner Self-Service

Schedule - student's ability to view their schedule of classes on Banner Self-Service

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What are registration overrides?

Registration overrides are codes that a professor can put on your record via Banner Self-Service that will permit you to enter a specific class online for which you would not normally be eligible. These codes DO NOT register you for the class. Rather, once on your record, they permit you to request the class via Banner Self-Service.

Registration overrides can be use for prerequisites, corequisites, major/class restrictions, and permission of the instructor restrictions, just to name a few.

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Where do I find registration overrides on my record?

Registration overrides can be found on the Student Status screen on Banner Self-Service. To access that screen, click here.

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Does a registration override on my record indicate that I am registered for the class?

NO. A registration override just means that you are no longer prohibited from adding the class on Banner Self-Service due to the restriction indicated. Once the override is on your record, you still need to log onto Banner Self-Service and add the class to your schedule.

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Does a registration override guarantee that I can get into the class?

Not necessarily. If the only restriction that kept you from getting into the class is overridden, then you should be able to get into the class. However, if there are multiple restrictions on a class and only one is overridden, then you may not be able to get into the class.

For example, if you are a junior and have a class restriction override on your record for a senior-only class which is filled to capacity, you will be able to override the class restriction but you will not be able to register for the class until a seat becomes available.

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I've been given a Capacity Override, why can't Iregister for the class?

When you are given a Capacity Override for a class, you have to register for the class using the Add or Drop Classes link on Banner Self-Service, not the Search for Classes link. The reason is that the Search for Classes link will still show the course as Closed, instead of listing an open checkbox beside the class for you to check and register.

So what you need to do is log into Banner and, from the Course Selection menu, click on the Add or Drop Classes link. At the bottom of that screen there will be several boxes. You should enter the CRN of the class (the 4-digit number assigned to classes in Banner) in one of the boxes and click the Submit Changes button. This should add the class to your schedule.

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What is an alternate PIN? Do I need one? Where do I get one?

An Alternate PIN is a system-generated random 4-digit number preceded by "AP" that must be entered for all first-year students and sophomores to select classes. This Alternate PIN can be obtained from your advisor each semester prior to the Course Request Period.

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Why do only first-year students and sophomores need an Alternate PIN?

Faculty advisors are an important part of the Dickinson education. To strengthen this relationship, students in their first and second years at Dickinson are required to have an advising session with their faculty advisor each semester to discuss their academic plan. This advising session offers opportunities to consider multiple issues, including academic major, study abroad programs, exploring possible internships and other related academic planning.

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Where do I find the name of my advisor?

You can see the name of your primary advisor on Banner Self-Service. To do so:

Log into Banner Self-Service through the Dickinson Gateway - gateway.dickinson.edu

From the Student & Financial Aid Menu, click on the Student Records link

From there, click on Student Information. Your primary advisor's name will appear on this screen about halfway down the page.

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Why is only one advisor listed on Banner Self-Service? What is a primary advisor?

The Student Information link on Banner Self-Service is programmed to only list the student's primary advisor, even though a student may have more than one advisor. Banner requires that a primary advisor be coded in the system, however there is no special functionality or meaning to this designation at Dickinson.

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Do I have to see my primary advisor to get my alternate PIN?

If you have more than one advisor in Banner, each one will have access to your Alternate PIN.

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What if I do not have an advisor? What if my advisor isn't on campus anymore?

All students have at least one advisor. To find the name of your advisor in Banner Self-Service, click here.

If your advisor has left campus, you have been assigned another advisor.

If you have a declared major, you were reassigned to the department chair. If desired, you may choose another advisor in the department by completing the Change of Advisor Form.

If you are undeclared, you were reassigned to Rebecca Hammell, Associate Director of Advising. Now may be the perfect time to declare your major! Complete the Declaration of Major Form and submit it to the Registrar's Office.

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Where do I find the classes offered/search for classes online?

Go to Banner Self-Service by logging into the Dickinson Gateway - gateway.dickinson.edu. You can search for classes two different ways - neither of which requires the first-year and sophomore Alternate PIN. From the Students Main Menu, select Course Selection then choose either:

• Search for Classes – for a concise listing of the schedule of classes
• Class Schedule Search – for a more detailed look at the schedule of classes
• Note for Mac Safari users - click here

For people who do not have a Banner Self-Service Username/PIN, you can access the schedule of classes from the main Registrar's web page by clicking on the Class Schedule Search link from the menu on the left.

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When do I enter my course requests online?

The dates for the 3-DAY Course Request Period are posted on the Academic Calendar online (click on Academic Calendar), and on the Registrar's web page - click here, then select the desired term.

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Can I submit my course requests if I have an unpaid bill at the College?

Probably not. The most important thing is to confirm that your account is clear well before the Course Request period begins. To find out how to check Banner Self-Service for any Student Accounts holds, click here. If you have a hold, the computer will not let you enter any of your course requests.

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What if I will not have internet access during the Course Request Period?

Even though you can enter your course requests from anywhere in the world via Banner Self-Service over the internet, if you know ahead of time that you will not have any internet access during the Course Request Period, send an e-mail to reg@dickinson.edu with the reason you won't have access and your course selections. The Registrar's staff will enter them on your behalf, if there are no holds on your record and you meet all of the requirements for the classes.

If you encounter an emergency situation during the Course Requet Period and are unable to get to a computer with web access, please call our office (717-245-1315) immediately and we will help you. Otherwise, you will have to wait until the Schedule Adjustment Period to register for classes. (This will be after other students have already requested and been assigned courses.)

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Can I enter Independent Study/Research classes on Banner Self-Service?

No. In order to register for this type of class, complete the Special Course Options Form and submit it to the Registrar's Office anytime before the Friday of the Add/Drop Period.

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Can I enter internships on Banner Self-Service?

Internships for academic credit can be entered via Banner Self-Service along with your other courses. Internships earning a transcript notation will be entered by the Career Center upon successful completion.

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Do I need to enter classes if I will be studying off campus in the upcoming term?

No. Complete your required paperwork with the Office of Global Education by the published deadline for your program. The Office of Global Education will inform the Registrar's Office of all students approved to study off campus. If you are confirmed and approved for off-campus study next semester, you do not need to do anything online.

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Can I request classes on campus if I have been approved to study off campus in the upcoming term?

No. Students can only be registered for off campus study or on campus courses, not both.

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Where do I find interdisciplinary classes, like electives for Film Studies, Women's Studies, etc.?

Interdisciplinary classes - classes with various subjects which fulfill requirements in Film Studies, Judaic Studies, Latin American Studies, Medieval & Early Modern Studies, Russian Area Studies, and Women's Studies - are coded with an attribute in Banner. To find a listing of all interdisciplinary studies classes for a particular area using Banner Self-Service:

On the Class Schedule Search page or the Search for Classes page, click on the first Subject listed (normally American Studies).

Scroll to the end of the Subjects list, hold down the Shift key and click on the last Subject listed (normally Women's Studies).

In the Attribute Type list, click on "___" Electives, example Film Studies Electives.

Click on the Class Search button.

This will bring back a list of all of the interdisciplinary classes for the chosen area.

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What does this Registration Add Error mean?

When making your course requests on Banner Self-Service, if your request was not successfully submitted you will receive a Registration Add Error. Here is a list of the most frequent errors:

• CLASS RESTRICTION – your class year doesn’t meet the class year restriction for this class
• CLOSED SECTION – this class has reached its capacity
• CORQ_CRS# REQ – this course has a corequisite class (CRS#) that must be entered at the same time as this class
• DUPL EQUIV WITH SEC-CRN – this class is equivalent to another class (CRN) which you have already entered or which was taken previously
• DUPLICATE CRN – you have already entered this class
• MAJOR RESTRICTION – your major doesn’t meet the major restriction for this class
• PERMISSION OF THE INSTRUC – all students must receive permission from the instructor before entering this class
• PREQ and TEST SCORE-ERROR – you have not met the prerequisite(s) for this class
• RESERVE CLOSED – this class may appear to have open seats but they are reserved for first-year students
• RPT HRS EXCEED # – you have already taken this class and cannot repeat it
• TIME CONFLICT WITH CRN – this class’ meeting time overlaps with another class’ (CRN) meeting time

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How do I get "Permission of the Instructor"?

In order to get an professor's permission to register for a class, you should contact the professor directly - email is a good way to do this. If he/she gives you permission, the professor will place a registration override on your record. The override does not register you for the class, rather it will allow you to register for the course on Banner Self-Service.

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Where do I find prerequisites and restrictions on Banner Self-Service?

If there are any prerequisites and/or restrictions on a class section, you can find them at the bottom of the Detailed Class Information screen on Banner Self-Service. This screen can be accessed in two ways:

Using Class Schedule Search - once you have entered criteria and found the class listings, click on the title of the class - for example, Research and Methods in American Studies - 7037 - AMST 401 - 02

Using Search for Classes from the Course Selection Menu - once you have entered criteria and found the class listings, click on the CRN of the class, then click on the title of the class - Senior Research Seminar - 2002 - PHYS 492 - 01

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Where can I find the capacity/enrollment for a class?

Capacity and enrollment information can be found on the Detailed Class Information screen (which is available to the general public) or on the Search for Classes screen (by secure login only).

To access the Detailed Class Information screen, use the Class Schedule Search, available on the Course Selection menu or on the main Registrar's web page. Once you have entered criteria and found the class listings, click on the title of the class - for example, Research and Methods in American Studies - 7037 - AMST 401 - 02.

If the class is NOT cross-listed, you will see the following under the Registration Availability heading:

Capacity FY Seats Actual

Seats 25 0 17

- Capacity lists the total seats for the course
- FY Seats lists the number of seats reserved for incoming first-year students (fall semesters only)
- Actual lists the number of students enrolled/registered

If the class IS cross-listed, you will see the following under the Registration Availability heading:

Capacity FY Seats Actual

Seats 25 0 17

Cross List Seats 25 0 23

- Capacity (in both rows) lists the total seats for all the cross-listed sections of the course
- FY Seats (in the both rows) lists the number of seats reserved for incoming first-year students for all sections of the cross-listed course (fall semesters only)
- Actual (in the Seats row) lists the number of students enrolled/registered for this section of the cross-listed course
- Actual (in the Cross List Seats row) lists the number of students enrolled/registered for all sections of the cross-listed course

To access the Search for Classes screen, log into Banner Self-Service, select the Student & Financial Aid Menu, then select Course Selection. Click on the Search for Classes link, and enter criteria to view the class listings, you will see the following headings:

... CRN ... Cap* FY Seats * Act* XL Cap** XL Act** ...

7711 25 0 9 0 0

7016 25 0 17 25 23

*If the class is NOT cross-listed reference these columns (example CRN 7711 above):
- Cap (Capacity) lists the total seats for the course
- FY Seats lists the number of seats reserved for incoming first-year students
- Act (Actual) lists the number of students enrolled/registered

**If your class IS cross-listed reference these columns (example CRN 7016 above)
- XL Cap (Cross List Capacity) lists the total seats for all the cross-listed sections of the course
- XL Act (Cross List Actual) lists the number of students enrolled/registered for all the cross-listed sections of the course

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Where do I find class priorities on the web?

Class priorities for each semester can be found on the Registrar's web page by selecting Course Information by Semester, then the desired term.

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How are priorities determined?

Each department makes the decision about the categories of students with priority in the course. They take in to consideration the numbers of majors who need the course, other majors who use the course as a requirement and/or elective, etc.

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How many people can select a class during the Course Request Period?

The computer will accept an unlimited number of requests for each course; we turn off the 'capacity' check during this time period so that everyone who would like to request the class has access to do so. During processing, if demand exceeds capacity, students will be randomly assigned based on priority.

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What does "random assignment" mean?

When there are more students who want to take a class than there are spaces in the class, the computer will first prioritize the students according to the priorities published on the web page. Then, if there are still more students who want the class than there are spaces available, students are randomly selected from within the category. In other words, assignment is not based on the first letter of your last name, or by when you entered your course request online.

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What happens if I do not have high enough priority to be registered for a class?

If you request a course but are not registered once the students who've requested that course are matched with the priorities, your course request will be dropped.

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Can I be placed on a wait list for a class?

Wait lists are not be used in Banner. The College has determined that the waitlist functionality in Banner does not function efficiently for us. During the Schedule Adjustment and Add/Drop periods, you will be able to add yourself to a class if there is space available.

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Where can I see my schedule on Banner Self-Service?

There are two places you can view your schedule on Banner Self-Service. Once you have logged in:

From the Main Menu, select Student & Financial Aid

From the Student & Financial Aid Menu, select Course Selection

From the Course Selection Menu, select either:

Week at a Glance - to view a weekly version of your classes in calendar format with very basic information

Student Detail Schedule - to view a listing of your schedule including more details, such as status, number of credits, etc.

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How do I add/drop a class on Banner Self-Service?

Once you have logged in to the Dickinson Gateway click on the Banner Self-Service tab , to add a class:

From the Main Menu, select Student & Financial Aid

From the Student & Financial Aid Menu, select Course Selection

From the Course Selection Menu, select either:
a. Search for Classes - Then enter your search criteria (including at least 1 subject) and click Class Search. Place a checkmark in the box beside the class you want to add and click Register.
-OR-
b. Add or Drop Classes - Then enter the CRN of the class you want to add in one of the boxes in the Add Classes Worksheet at the bottom of the page
, and click Submit Changes.
If the class was entered correctly, it will show under Current Schedule with a status of “Web Registered.”

If you receive an error message, your choice will show under Registration Add Errors. Correct your request or select another class.

To drop a class:

From the Main Menu, select Student & Financial Aid

From the Student & Financial Aid Menu, select Course Selection

From the Course Selection Menu, select Add or Drop Classes

In the Action column beside the class you want to drop, select Web Dropped from the drop-down menu, then click Submit Changes.

If the class was successfully dropped, it will no longer appear under Current Schedule.
NOTE: You cannot drop the last class from your schedule. Contact the Registrar's Office for more information.

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How do I review my transcript on Banner Self-Service?

Once you have logged in to Banner Self-Service:

From the Main Menu, select Student & Financial Aid

From the Student & Financial Aid Menu, select Student Records

From the Student Records Menu, select Academic Transcript

Select Undergraduate from the Transcript Level drop-down menu

Select Web Transcript from the Transcript Type drop-down menu

Click on the Display Transcript button.

Transcripts are arranged differently in Banner than in DOC. Transfer credit will be separated from Institutional credit and appear first on the transcript.

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How do I review my degree audit on Banner Self-Service?

Once you have logged into Banner Self-Service, select Student Records then click on Degree Evaluation. Continue following the instructions on each screen to generate/view your degree audit.

Or check out pages 11-19 of the Student Self-Service Guide to find out how to access your degree audit (degree evaluation) using Banner Self-Service.

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Why doesn't my class year code coincide with my expected graduation date?

Explanation of Class Year Codes & Expected Graduation Dates in Banner:

Class Year Codes (FY, SO, JR, SR) in Banner are based solely on the number of credits a student has completed. This code is automatically calculated each time a student's academic history changes, and cannot be manually changed. There are certain times of the year when class codes are likely to change - at the end of each term (fall, spring, summer) when we roll students' grades to academic history. However, it's possible that a student's class year would change when we post transfer credit to their record (which happens continually throughout the year).

Expected Graduation Dates in Banner are initially entered when a student's record is created in Banner. Because the academic calendar is not finalized 4 years in advance, we default a date of May 1 with the appropriate year for incoming students - ex. this year we used 05/01/2010.
As soon as the calendar is finalized we will correct the expected grad date in batch. We will review all students' expected grad dates annually at the end of the spring semester (as we do now) and manually update them as needed, then send a comprehensive status report.

A student's class year code may not always coincide with his/her expected graduation date. For example, a student entering Fall 2006 who gets college credit for 8 Advanced Placement exams, may have a class year code of SO and an expected grad date of 05/01/2010 because he/she will plans to stay at Dickinson for 4 years. Another contrary example, a student who studied abroad during the 2005-2006 academic year, may still have a JR code at the end of spring because his/her credits haven't transferred yet, but his/her grad date is 05/20/2007.

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Note to Mac Safari users:
The Course Catalog Search, Class Schedule Search and Search for Classes screens in Banner Self-Service may not have the scroll bar shown for the Subject, Attribute and Part of Term listings at this time. However, you should be able to scroll through these lists using your the arrow keys on your keyboard. Internet Explorer users on the Mac have not reported experiencing these issues and we anticipate that this will be fixed for Safari users in a future Banner upgrade. Thank you for your patience.

Disclaimer
Updated 09/29/08; D. Bolen