Tele-BEARS is the on-line course registration system for students.  Fall registration for continuing students begins in April.  New students enroll during their CalSO orientation sessions in June & July; students unable to attend CalSO enroll after all CalSO orientations have ended.

Students enroll in classes during three phases.

• Phase I:
  • For fall enrollment, phase I begins in April and ends in July. For spring enrollment, Phase I begins in October and runs through mid-November.
  • Students are assigned an initial 24-hour appointment window; thereafter, they can access Tele-BEARS during open hours (Mon-Fri 7-8 am and 7 pm-midnight; Sat-Sun noon-midnight) until the end of Phase I.
  • Students can enroll in up to 10.5 units.
• Phase II:
  • For fall enrollment, Phase II begins in July and ends a week before classes begin.  For spring enrollment, Phase II begins mid-November and ends one week before classes begin.
  • Students are assigned an initial 24-hour appointment window, thereafter, they can access Tele-BEARS during open hours through the end of Phase II.
  • Effective Fall 2009, undergraduates will not be able to add an additional class if they are already enrolled and/or waitlisted in 16 or more units. Students enrolled and/or waitlisted for 15.5 or fewer units will still be allowed to add or waitlist for an additional class. Students must also register in accordance with unit requirements, unit limits and the unit ceiling. 
• Adjustment Period:
  • The Adjustment Period begins one week before the first day of classes and ends the Friday of the fifth week of classes.
  • During this period, students can add, drop, change grading options, change unit options, add to waitlists, and drop from waitlists.

Departmental advisers can access Tele-BEARS using the login "oskibear" and the password "oski-bear1".  Remember to drop any classes that you enroll Oski in so they don't show up on class rosters!

Departmental advisers can use the DB2 database to view Tele-BEARS appointment times using the Tele-BEARS/OLADS System --> Review Student PIN/AC screen.

Students can view Tele-BEARS appointment times using Bear Facts.

For detailed information, see Tele-BEARS Info for Faculty.

Tele-BEARS has several features designed to increase instructor control over student enrollment, including wait lists. Unless otherwise requested, Tele-BEARS will create a wait list when the course - or any particular seat reservation category - is full. Advisers with scheduling responsibilities have access to the DB2 database that controls wait lists.  Wait lists can be set up in one of two ways: automatic and manual.

• Automatic wait lists move students in sequential order into courses automatically as space becomes available.
• Manual wait lists allow instructors to control enrollment from the wait list.  Instructors work with the department scheduler to enroll specific students from the wait list as space becomes available.

As long as a wait list exists, all enrollments must come from the wait list, with two exceptions:

• Class Entry Codes (CECs) override the wait list.  A CEC represents one seat in a class.  It is a five digit number given to the student by the instructor or the scheduler (with the instructor's permission) which allows the student to enroll in the class through Tele-BEARS.  CECs are generated by the departmental scheduler on DB2 using the Tele-BEARS/OLADS - Update Enrollment Reservation screens.
• Course restrictions allow specific types of students to enroll. For example, in a class of 100 students, 25 seats can be restricted to level 1 (freshmen), 25 to level 2 (sophomores), 25 to majors in English, and 25 open seats.  A wait list develops after a category becomes full.  Thus, if the 25 open seats are taken and a student does not fit into the other three categories, the student will be put on the wait list.  A student who fits into one of the categories can enroll directly, bypassing the wait list.  This is why there can be a wait list even though the class has seats available. 

A student wanting to add a full class must put him/herself on the wait list through Tele-BEARS (or receive a CEC). Once on the wait list, the scheduler can move the student into the class (with the instructor's permission).

Instructors can ask departmental schedulers to drop students for non-attendance or who do not meet the prerequisites for the course. Instructor drops must be completed before the instructor drop deadline (usually the fourth Monday of the semester), after which this function is removed from DB2.  Students who wish to drop the course after this deadline have until the fifth Friday of the semester to do so themselves through Tele-BEARS.

NOTE:  The wait list size can be limited, increased or set to zero by the departmental scheduler.

Certain courses are designated as Early Drop Deadline (EDD) courses.  The deadline for dropping these courses is the Friday of the second week of instruction. 

Requests for more than 20.5 units must have the approval of a major advisor if the student is a declared major. If the student has not declared a major, requests for class schedules above 20.5 units must be approved by a College adviser.  There is no petition for such requests, but the student is encouraged to bring a written statement justifying this exception.

When deciding requests, the following guidelines are recommended:  

• review the transcript, looking for previous course loads near 20 units and strong grades;
• ask the student to explain why each course is desired;
• for double majors, confer with the second major advisor before deciding; and
• consult with a College adviser if you have any concerns.

The best way to help students is to remind them to check their schedules during the fifth week of classes.  This will help them avoid failing grades on their transcripts for courses they did not know they were enrolled in.

It is especially important for students to check their status in wait listed courses during the fifth week of classes since departments have until the fourth week of classes to add students manually from wait lists.

Remind students that, generally, they are not dropped for non-attendance by instructors, even if the instructors say they will drop students who don't attend.  It is the student's responsibility to drop any classes which s/he does not intend to take.

The Berkeley Summer Sessions Office determines procedures and deadlines for changing summer class schedules:

• Except for students enrolled in Summer Session A, L&S students can make changes to their study lists (add or drop classes, change grading option, change variable units) through the last day of instruction of the last summer session using Tele-BEARS or the Record Change Form. Students wishing to add a Summer Session A course after that session has ended must request a retroactive change using the same form.
• If a student is enrolled in more than one session and wants to drop a class (or classes) in just one of the sessions, this is treated as a drop request (or late drop if the deadline has passed), and not a withdrawal.
• Students who wish to terminate enrollment in summer sessions altogether after instruction has begun must withdraw by filling out the Record Change Form and having it signed by an L&S adviser before the end of last day of instruction of the session in question or before the final, whichever comes first. 
• In cases where the final has been taken, the student must appeal in writing via the Record Change Form. 
• As is true during the academic year, students can cancel registration without a transcript notation before instruction has begun for their first class.

Faculty letters must be submitted on departmental letterhead in sealed envelopes signed across the back by the instructor and given to the student to submit with the packet.  It is best for letters to come from faculty, but a letter from a GSI co-signed by the professor is acceptable.

Faculty verification for a late add request consists of a letter from the instructor explaining the administrative error (e.g., the wrong course control number was provided) or miscommunication that caused the student to not be enrolled in the class.  Letters should NOT state "I support this late add" as this is implied through the instructor's signature on the Request for Exceptional Change of Class Schedule petition.  Instructors who do not want the student to add their class should not sign the petition nor submit a letter.

Faculty verification for a late drop, change of grading option or change of unit request consists of a letter from the instructor addressing academic performance and attendance before and after the circumstance leading to the request.  Letters SHOULD NOT state that the instructor supports or approves the late request, such as:

"Jane is an excellent student who has had some issues this year. It's OK with me if she drops my course."

Letters SHOULD include evidence of attendance, exams taken, papers or drafts submitted, etc. before and after the mitigating circumsance, such as:

"Jane was doing B or B+ level work until the first half of October when she had an accident.  She missed a midterm and had to submit a draft paper late.  We discussed ways for her to recover, but the effects of the accident make it impossible for her to complete the work in this course with a passing grade."

Letters do not need to include details of what happened to the student nor be letters of recommendation explaining how wonderful the student is. 

Advisor codes (ACs) are four-digit numbers that students with 75* or more units (including units in progress but discounting high school enrichment) use, along with their student ID and PIN numbers, to access the Tele-BEARS system at the beginning of each enrollment period.

* The 75 unit policy goes into effect for Spring 2010 enrollment. The previous limit was 85 units.

Advisor codes are created by the Registrar's Office when Tele-BEARS appointments are generated.

Most, but not all, departments use ACs as a way to force students to meet with major advisers once each semester.  ACs are unique to each student and can be given out via face-to-face or email advising.

Students in double majors must request their ACs from both departments, as each department can only view half (two digits) of the AC.

A student or adviser can find out whether an AC is needed by looking on Bear Facts --> Tele-BEARS Appointment screen or DB2's Tele-BEARS/OLADS System --> Review Student PIN/AC screen.

Major advisers can view ACs for their declared students and all undeclared students.

Students need to enter the AC only once, the first time they log in to Tele-BEARS to begin enrollment for a new semester.

Advisers can block a student's access to Tele-BEARS at any time to prevent future schedule changes until certain conditions are met.  For example, an adviser might release an AC with the understanding that the student use Phase I to enroll in the last prereqs for the major.  After a few days, the adviser can check the student's enrollments and if the student is not in the prereqs, block access to Tele-BEARS to prevent future schedule changes until the student meets with the adviser. 

Likewise, an adviser might release an AC to an undeclared student for Phase I with the understanding that the student will declare the major after current coursework is finished with suitable grades.  If the student does not achieve suitable grades or fails to complete major declaration paperwork, the adviser can block access to Tele-BEARS, preventing future schedule changes until the student meets with an adviser.

To block access to Tele-BEARS, go to DB2's Tele-BEARS/OLADS System --> Review Student PIN/AC screen and type an "N" over the "A" at the end of the "AC Release Code" line.  Please note that DB2 does not automatically notify students that their access has been blocked, so it is imperative that advisers notify students when they take this action.

To unblock access to Tele-BEARS, type an "A" over the "N" on the same screen.

Undeclared students with 75* units (including units in progress but discounting AP units) need an Advisor Code (AC) to enroll in classes.  If such a student is on track for declaring the major at the end of the current or the subsequent semester and the major adviser has no concerns, the AC should be released to the student.  ACs for all undeclared students are available on DB2 --> Tele-Bears/OLADS Menu --> Review Student PIN.

If the student is NOT on track for declaring the major soon, the student should be referred to an L&S adviser with signed Conditions to Declare a Major (Intent to Declare) form.  This form can be used in three situations:

1. Students who are completing final prereqs in the current or a future semester, but admission to the major is questionable.
2. Students who are not eligible to declare the major.
3. Students with Undeclared Senior blocks.

Please note that the form does not guarantee that the AC will be released to the student.  The AC is ONLY released if the form shows a feasible program plan. Unfeasible plans include requiring straight A's in current prerequisites (and the student's record shows this is unlikely), capped majors with no explanation for why an exception will be made to declare this student after the deadline, and other ambiguous situations.  In the case where the L&S adviser will not release the AC, the student will either be sent back to the department for more documentation or be advised about alternate majors.

* The 75 unit policy goes into effect for Spring 2010 enrollment. The previous limit was 85 units.

Students must finish their degree requirements by the end of their eighth semester for single majors, and the end of the ninth semester for double majors.  When counting semesters, include fall and spring semesters only (not summers) taken at Cal and elsewhere (community college, study abroad, etc.).

If a student with a single major wishes to stay longer, s/he may do so until s/he exceeds 130 units (not counting AP units), at which point registration will be blocked.  For example, if “John” has 130 or fewer units at the end of spring semester, he may enroll the following fall semester in as many units as he wants.  But, if he has 130.1 units, he may not enroll in the fall.

If a student with a double major wishes to stay longer, s/he may do so until s/he exceeds 136 units.  For example, if “Jane” has 136 or fewer units at the end of the fall semester, she may enroll in the following spring in as many units as she wants.  But, if she has 136.1 units, she may not enroll in the spring.

Students blocked from enrolling in fall and spring terms because of the unit ceiling policy may enroll in Berkeley classes during summer sessions or through UC Extension's Concurrent Enrollment program.

To resume studies after withdrawing or after being absent for one or more semesters, students must file for readmission at the L&S Advising Office by June 1 for the fall semester and November 1 for the spring semester. It is recommended that students file much earlier to obtain access to Tele-BEARS in a timely manner. There is a $60 processing fee for this application.

Student who do not wish to attend the University for a semester before instruction has begun must formally request a cancellation of registration from the University.

New undergraduate students who wish to return to Berkeley in a future semester should wait until the beginning of instruction and withdraw instead of cancel. New students who cancel registration are required to submit a new admission application to attend in a future semester; students who withdraw only need to submit a readmission application packet, which is a much simpler procedure.

Students who have not enrolled in units, have not made payments or have a block are not eligible to withdraw. Instead, students must cancel their registration through the Registrar's Office.

NOTE:  Dropping classes is different from withdrawing from the university.  A student who drops all classes but does not withdraw will be administratively cancelled by the Registrar's Office after week nine.  However, students who cancel their registration early are able to request readmission in time for the next Tele-BEARS period.

Advisers can check a student's registration status using DB2's Student Profile System screen.

Students wishing consideration for change of College must attend a workshop.  Students cannot meet with an L&S adviser until after they have attended a workshop.

There are two definitions of "concurrent enrollment": 

1. Enrollment in regular UCB courses through the University Extension Concurrent Enrollment Program.
2. Enrollment at UCB and another institution at the same time during the fall and spring semesters.

Students wishing to enroll at UC Berkeley and at another institution simultaneously must see an L&S dean to request approval for concurrent enrollment. Approval for concurrent enrollment is granted only in exceptional circumstances (typically in relation to availability of courses or hardship). Students should document such circumstances in preparing for the dean's appointment.

Students are expected to enroll in at least 13 units at UCB (unless approved for a short study list) in addition to  coursework taken elsewhere.

Students are allowed to enroll at UCB and another institution simultaneously during the summer without permission of the dean.

University rules for repetition of courses apply whether the student is repeating the course at Berkeley or another UC. 

Briefly, students who repeat a course in which they received any grade above an F at any institution other than another UC will not receive any additional units or grade points.  Students repeating an F can receive units for the repeat.  The student can be awarded College or major requirement credit as determined by the College or their major department.  The Admissions Office will determine if the course at the other institution is a duplication of the course at Cal. 

Students who repeat a course in which they received a D+, D, D- or F at another UC may be awarded both additional grade points (in the case when students repeat a D+, D or D- to a higher grade) or both units and grade points when repeating an F to a higher grade.  Be aware that all UC's, with the exception of UC Merced, are on the quarter system.  Therefore, it is unlikely that a student can make up the entire grade deficit with a repeat at another UC.  Again the Office of Admissions will determine is if the course is a duplication of work at Cal.

The Admissions Office does not remove or replace any previous below-C grades from the student's transcript.

Sometimes students can benefit from enrolling elsewhere at a community college, four-year college, or another UC campus.