Registration Notes
- This information is for students eligible for online registration ONLY. Students who have been instructed to use paper registration forms should go to the Paper Registration Information page.
- Online registration for summer occurs in mid-March; for fall in mid-April for current students, mid-July for new summer and incoming fall students; and for spring in mid-November. Specific dates are noted on the GSLIS Academic Calendar as soon as they are available.
- Course schedules are available at www.simmons.edu/gslis/academics/schedules/index.php.
- All forms noted below are available from the GSLIS Downloadable Forms page.
Online Registration
- What to do before you register
- Advising
- Directions for Registering Online
- Important Notes
- Add/Drop Policy and Schedule Changes
- Tuition Refund Policy
- Maximum Credit Load Policy
- Future Plans
- Name and Address Change
What To Do Before You Register
Advising
Each new student is assigned an adviser. We strongly suggest that each new student contacts his/her adviser prior to registering. Periodic consultations with advisers are also recommended.
Advising Statement
Students are required to meet with their advisers during their first semester of attendance to outline a program of study. All master's students are required to submit their advising statements to the GSLIS Office and complete the TOR during their first term of enrollment. Specific dates are announced each term. Any student who does not complete these tasks during their first term of enrollment will have has a hold placed on his/her account and will be unable to register online until the tasks are completed.
Advising Day
A required Advising Day is held each term for new students. It involves an introduction to the faculty, meetings with the assigned advisers, lunch, and an optional tour of the libraries. Further details will be mailed with your schedule confirmation; it will also be posted on the Advising Day website as soon as it becomes available.
Directions for Registering Online
The following documents were provided by the Registrar's Office (updated August 2006):
- Signing on to AARC (PDF)
- Preferred Lists (PDF)
- Courses requiring Instructor Consent (PDF)
- Wait Lists (PDF19 KB)
General AARC Hints
- Only click on AARC links or buttons once, and then wait for the next page to load. Double-clicks may be read as multiple submissions and cause you to have to start over.
- When you Log Out of your AARC session, the internet browser window you are using will be closed. This is a security measure to prevent anyone on a public terminal from using the "Back" button to access your private information.
- When conducting searches on AARC, and given the choice between a general search parameter and a specific search parameter, you must choose one or the other.
For example: when searching for courses you will be asked to specify a semester (e.g. Fall 2005) or a date range (e.g. September 10 to December 10). A semester is a "general" search parameter and a date range is a "specific" search parameter. If you were to attempt to fill in both fields, AARC would reject the search and you would have to begin again.
Another example: during course searches, you will be asked to provide either a course level (e.g. 300-level courses) or a course number (e.g. 321, as in BIOL-321). If you were to attempt to fill in both fields, AARC would reject the search and you would have to begin again.
Additional AARC Tips
AARC has many additional functions available for you, including viewing your academic profile, viewing your grades, and changing your address on record. Log in to AARC and try all the different functions AARC has to offer!
If you have any questions about using AARC, call the Registrar's Office at 617-521-2111 (x2111 on-campus), or email aarcsupport@simmons.edu.
Again, if you should ever forget your username and password, you must call the Simmons Help Desk at 617-521-2222 (x2222 on-campus). You will need to have your Simmons ID number handy before you call, as they will need that information to assist you.
For your specific registration date and time, please login to AARC approximately one week prior to the registration start date.
Important Notes
- Any non-degree student who has been admitted to the Master's program as a new student for the upcoming term should complete a paper registration form and submit it to the GSLIS Office.
- Students can take courses at either the Boston or Mount Holyoke campus.
- Students who would like to register for LIS 500 (Independent Study) must fill out a proposal that will be signed by the faculty sponsor and submitted to Jennifer Doyle, director of curriculum and communications. You will then need to send an email to consent@simmons.edu, providing the information listed in the directions on the Independent Study Form. You will not be enrolled in an Independent Study until after your proposal has been submitted and you have received confirmation from the Registrar.
- You are allowed to register at or after your assigned time.
- Doctoral students must get Professor Schwartz's approval. Please be advised that if you are not registering for a course during the fall or spring semesters, you must register for LIS 600 to remain in the doctoral program.
- School Library Teacher students who wish to enroll in LIS 495 (Apprenticeship), LIS 498 (Practicum) or LIS 499 (Practicum) must e-mail Dan Fleming, program manager of SLTP, at daniel.fleming@simmons.edu. He will contact you with any questions and register you for the appropriate class(es).
Add/Drop Policy and Schedule Changes
All add/drops can be made via AARC through the end date and time listed under "My Registration Start and End Times." To drop a class after the end date, please see the instructions on the Registrar's Office website at http://my.simmons.edu/services/registrar/guidelines.shtml.
Graduate students are permitted to change course registrations without financial penalty prior to the second class meeting, provided that the change does not result in an increased or reduced class load. No student may enroll in a class after the second meeting has occurred. For changes after the posted dates but prior to the second class, contact the Registrar's Office at 617-521-2111.
Registration is binding, both financially and academically. Should a student decide not to attend a class, s/he must drop the class off her/his schedule via AARC or contact the Registrar's Office. The date on which the drop occurs determines the refund (if applicable) provided to the student.
Tuition Refund Policy
Information regarding the course refund policy is available at my.simmons.edu/services/sfs/accounts/refunds.shtml. Short term and audited courses will be refunded 100% if dropped by the last business day prior to the start of class. There are no refunds after that point. For the full policy, please see our forms and policies page at www.simmons.edu/gslis/resources/forms/index.php.
Maximum Credit Load Policy
Students who enter the program Fall 2005 and thereafter:
- may register for no more than 12 credit hours during the fall or spring term. During the spring term, this total includes any short courses during March spring break;
- may register for no more than 6 credit hours during the six-week summer session;
- may register for no more than 3 credit hours during a short course week in any term.
Students who entered the program prior to Fall 2005 and are taking courses for four credits:
- may register for no more than 16 credit hours during the fall or spring term. During the spring term, this total includes any short courses during March spring break;
- may register for no more than 8 credit hours during the six-week summer session;
- may register for no more than 4 credit hours during a short course week in any term.
Future Plans Form
If you will not be attending Simmons in the upcoming term, it is essential that you complete the future plans form and return it to the GSLIS Office. Upcoming registration dates and details will be emailed to the GSLIS_Info list. You will not receive notification via any other method.
Name and Address Changes
Any student who needs to make changes to their personal information may do so via AARC. Once logged in, click the link for "Student Address Change."
