UC Santa Barbara announced a change to the process of course selection for Winter Quarter 2022 on Oct. 26, limiting the number of units that students may enroll in at each pass time.
Luca Disbrow / Daily Nexus
Students may now only enroll in a maximum of 10 units during pass 1 — the initial registration period — followed by a maximum of 15 units during pass 2 and 21 units during pass 3. These limits contrast from previous quarters, when students could enroll in up to 13.5 units during pass 1, 19 units during pass 2 and 21 units during pass 3.
The change will prevent students from achieving full-time status, which requires a minimum enrollment of 12 units, until their second registration period.
UCSB spokesperson Andrea Estrada said the new process intends to make course availability more equitable across the student body and help to ensure all students achieve full-time status.
“The goal of the lowered pass time units is to have greater availability of courses for the students with the latest registration pass times in the hopes that everyone ends the first pass with two courses that will be productive towards their education goals,” Estrada said in a statement to the Nexus.
Estrada said that in the past, students with early pass times would fill up spots in highly demanded general education courses, leaving students with later past times struggling to register for necessary classes.
“In recent years, that has resulted in some first-year students being unable to register for even 12 units on registration pass 1. There are ample seats still available, but all are in courses with prerequisites or other enrollment restrictions,” Estrada said.
According to a mass email from the Dean of Undergraduate Education and Registrar, the decision was informed by an analysis of UCSB enrollment data and guided by the enrollment practices of other UC campuses.
Estrada added that the fall quarter course shortage did not motivate the change, as the new unit limits were planned in advance of the school year.
“However, it is certainly related to that issue in that this plan could alleviate some of those shortages that students have been experiencing.” Estrada said.
The Winter 2022 course schedule is currently available, and students will be able to view their pass times starting Nov. 1 through GOLD.
