Today was registration day for the class of 2023, and many Barnard first-years found themselves unable to register for their required First-Year Seminar (FYS) or First-Year Writing (FYW) classes.

As part of their Foundations requirements, Barnard students must take both classes their first year, enrolling in one per semester. These classes are capped at 15 students, so while many are offered, a student’s schedule can often revolve around which section they get into, as sections fill up quickly.

However, many students with registration times after 11:30 AM today found all sections to be full, with no clear reason why. Bwog reached out in the Barnard Class of 2023 Facebook group to ask students who were unable to register what their registration times were. All had appointments after 12:00, except for one Bwogger with an 11:30 AM time, who was also unable to get an FYW section.

It is unclear how many students were unable to register at this time, but the number of spaces offered for FYS and FYW classes in total accommodates the entire first-year class size, meaning that everyone should have been able to register. Some upperclassmen students have said that this happens every year, and that affected first-years should expect the deans to resolve this issue soon.

First-Year Dean Wendy Garay sent the following email to all Barnard First-Years, indicating that one possible source of the issue is students double-registering.

Dear All,

It has come to my attention that you are experiencing difficulty registering for First-Year Experience courses. Please know that we are working to address this issue. In the meantime, please be sure that you are not registered for multiple sections of First-Year Writing or First-Year Seminar courses as this would prevent others from finding a seat. If you registered into multiple sections, please remove the excess section(s) from your schedule immediately so that your peers may register for these spaces.
That said, there are enough seats for all of you in FYS/FYW courses.
Final reminder…
 
If you took First-Year Writing or First-Year Workshop last term, then you should enroll in First-Year Seminar this term. Students that took First-year Seminar in the fall, should enroll in First-Year Writing this spring.    
We will be in touch with additional information concerning registration as it becomes available.
Best regards,
Dean Garay
We will continue to update this article with more information.
Image of Barnard Gates from Bwog Archive