Navigating Iowa State University: AccessPlus, Immediate Access ONE, and Registration Essentials

Iowa State University (ISU) offers a range of resources and programs designed to support students throughout their academic journey. This article provides a comprehensive overview of key aspects of the ISU experience, including AccessPlus, Immediate Access ONE, registration procedures, and academic policies.

Accessing Academic Information with AccessPlus

AccessPlus serves as a central hub for students to manage their academic records, registration, and other essential information. Students enter the system via AccessPlus by using their university ID and password. The registration system provides messages after each entry, indicating whether each request has been processed. Students may also review their current schedules at any time during registration. Using the AccessPlus registration system is a privilege, which may be revoked if abuse is detected. Abuse includes, but is not limited to, creating and using an automated program to search for course openings and/or enrolling in a section with the intent of reserving space in that particular section for another student.

Degree Audit and Academic Advising

Students are responsible for knowing the requirements for their degree and planning their schedule to meet those requirements. Students should use the degree audit information to help them review progress towards their degrees(s), plan their course of study to complete degree requirements, and select courses for the next term. Students may request a degree audit for any major available at Iowa State. Students should have an academic advisor in each major (curriculum), with one adviser being designated as the registration adviser. Each adviser will have access to the student's information.

Declaring a Double Major or Seeking Two Degrees

ISU allows students to pursue a double major or even earn two bachelor's degrees simultaneously under specific conditions. A double major is a program for a single degree in which all requirements for two or more majors (curricula) have been met. The majors (curricula) may be in different colleges or within the same college or department. To declare a double major (curriculum), students should complete the form, "Request for a Double Major/Curriculum or Two Degrees." This form, available from advisers and classification offices, should be completed at least one term prior to graduation. One major (curriculum) should be designated as primary and the other secondary for purposes of record keeping, but the student's rights and responsibilities are the same in both majors. The adviser of the primary major will serve as the student's registration adviser, but both advisers will have access to the student's information. Degree programs must be approved for each major (curriculum) by the appropriate department and college.

Students may receive two bachelor's degrees if the requirements for each major (curriculum) are met and the total number of semester credits earned is at least 30 more than the requirements of the curriculum requiring the greater number of credits. This rule applies whether or not the degrees are awarded at the same time. Students should request approval to pursue two degrees by completing the form, Request for Double Major/Curriculum or Two Degrees. This form is available from advisers and classification offices.

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Minors

Many departments and programs in the university specify requirements for an undergraduate minor. A record of requirements completed appears on students' transcripts. All minors require at least 15 credits, including at least 6 credits in courses numbered 300 or above taken at Iowa State University. The minor must include at least 9 credits that are not used to meet any other department, college, or university requirement. Courses taken for a minor may not be taken on a pass-not pass basis. for additional information regarding policies which govern minors. To declare a minor, students must submit a completed Request for a Minor form to their college office at least one term before graduation.

Immediate Access ONE: Streamlining Course Material Acquisition

Immediate Access ONE is a program designed to provide undergraduate students with required course materials in a convenient and cost-effective manner.

Enrollment and Coverage

When you sign up for undergraduate courses, you are automatically enrolled in Immediate Access ONE. The charge is sent directly to your U-Bill to pay for it as you would with your tuition and fees. Most required books, eBooks, coursepackets, and lab manuals are included in Immediate Access ONE. Homework platforms (Connect, MyLab, Advantage, PackBack, etc.) and access codes are included, too. Immediate Access ONE is for every undergraduate student. Regardless of major! All graduate-level courses will continue to utilize the Immediate Access Program or purchase print books.If you are taking an undergraduate course and a graduate course, you will have required textbooks and expenses for Immediate Access ONE and the individual charges for the graduate course.

Materials Included and Excluded

Most required books, eBooks, course packets, and lab manuals are included in Immediate Access ONE. Homework platforms (Connect, MyLab, Advantage, PackBack, etc.) and access codes are included, too.

What's not included:

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Course supplies such as lab coats, goggles, art supplies, and lab supplies
TK20 Access Code
Lab Archives, a required digital content, is not able to be included in the flat-rate and will be charged separately to the student's U-Bill
Commercial Software and subscriptions like: Perusal content, Kindle eBooks without an ISBN, Marvel Unlimited subscription, Adobe Software, Video Games, and Movie, TV, or Music subscriptions (Netflix, Spotify, Hulu, etc.)

Due to the University's security protocol or content restrictions, some digital content may not be able to be included in Immediate Access ONE.

Accessing Digital Content

To access your digital content/textbooks for any given course, log into the course page in your Canvas account.

Click on the "Immediate Access" link on the Canvas course navigation menu on the left side of your Canvas course page.
You should see a title card for all of your digital and physical titles that have been requested for the course.

All textbooks with a digital match will be delivered digitally through Canvas unless requested otherwise by the instructor.

Print Materials

Immediate Access ONE is a Digital-First course materials program. If a required course material isn't available digitally or the professor requests print, a printed copy will be provided. Required print books are available for pick-up at the ISU Book Store. Required print materials are available for pick-up at the Iowa State University Book Store located in the Memorial Union. You can also have them shipped from ISU Book Store (shipping charges apply).

Opting Out of Immediate Access ONE

Students who prefer to purchase their materials independently have the option to opt out of Immediate Access ONE. You will be opting out of Immediate Access ONE for ALL your classes, not on a class-by-class basis. Opting out of Immediate Access ONE does NOT drop you from your classes. If you opt-out, your Canvas access to digital material will be cut off either immediately upon opting out or within 2 weeks after the opt-out deadline. If you opt out of Immediate Access ONE, you will be able to purchase your required books individually either from the ISU Book Store or from the retailer of your choice.

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If you opt out during this period, you will receive a refund. If you change your mind, you can also re-enroll in Immediate Access ONE via Canvas within the first 10 days of classes.

Packback Integration

Packback is an online learning tool where instructors and students can engage with each other. There are three types of Packback used at Iowa State.

Packback Questions with Instruct- an online discussion platform
Packback Deep Dives With Instruct- an online writing tool
Packback Bundle (includes Questions, Instruct, and Deep Dives)- an online discussion platform and writing tool

A Packback subscription is only good for one course so if you have multiple courses using Packback, you will need purchase Packback multiple times. Packback is included in Immediate Access ONE. If you opt-out of Immediate Access ONE your access will be cut-off and you will need to purchase Packback for each course using it. You can purchase PackBack directly from your booklist.

Returning and Keeping Materials

Students keep any print materials they receive. Students can sell these books back to the ISU Book Store for Textbook BuyBack. If you dropped the class that required a print book or opted out of Immediate Access ONE, you need to return any printed materials provided. If you do not return the book before the return date or the book is returned damaged, a fee will be charged to your U-Bill to replace the print book. If you do not pick up the printed books/materials assigned to you, they will be forfeited and you will not be credited for books you didn't pick-up.

Accessibility

If you have questions about accessibility and using digital content or need an academic accommodation, please contact the SAS for assistance.

Registration Policies and Procedures

Registration and the payment of assessed fees are required of all who attend classes. Registration is a process by which students become officially enrolled in classes for a given term. The process involves consultation between the student and the student's academic advisor. All undergraduate students are assigned an academic advisor based on their major/curriculum. Students who attend classes must complete registration and pay their assessed fees. To validate their enrollment in each course at the beginning of the semester, students must attend the first or second meeting (first meeting if the class meets only once a week). Students who add a course after the term begins must attend the next class meeting. The instructor has the option to offer a registered place in the course to another student when a registered student fails to attend and has not obtained prior approval of the instructor.

Registration Start Dates and Times

Students are assigned a registration start date and time, which is the first day and time they can use the registration system. Registration start dates are assigned based on projected year in school classification (computed by combining total credits, current term credits, and current term test out credits). Students may choose to delay their registration until a later date; however, courses will begin to fill on the first day of registration. Any delay in registration may reduce course selection options. Continuing students register for the following term during the middle of the current term. A late registration fee is assessed for registration initiated on or after the first day of classes for fall and spring terms. This fee is not charged for the summer term. If registration is not initiated by the end of the fifth day of classes, students must obtain written permission from their advisors, the instructors for the courses they plan to take, as well as approval from the dean of the college in which they are registered.

Schedule Changes

Procedures for schedule changes vary by the time period of the semester. Period 1 ends on the fifth day of classes in the fall and spring semesters. Schedule changes during period 1 do not require advisor signatures. Instructor or departmental approval may be required for adds or section changes for some courses during period 1. Course drops during this period do not count toward a student's ISU course drop limit, and will not appear on a student's permanent record.

Period 2 ends the Friday of week 10 in the fall and spring semesters. It is important for students to make well-informed decisions when adjusting their course schedules, particularly because such decisions often have financial and/or academic implications. Course drops after period 1 count toward a student's ISU drop limit and appear as an X on the permanent record. Drops and other schedule changes that are judged to be beyond the student's control may be processed as administrative actions if approved by the college dean. Administrative drops do not count toward a student's ISU drop limit and do not appear as an X on the permanent record.

Period 3 is anytime after period 2. Specific deadlines for adding and dropping half-semester courses are published in the university calendar. Prorated adjustments to add and drop deadlines are made for other partial term courses. Processing a scheduling change for a required course is usually considered administrative. There is no fee for administrative schedule changes. Administrative drops do not count toward a student's ISU drop limit and do not appear as an X on the permanent record.

Prerequisites and Restrictions

A prerequisite indicates the specific academic background or general academic maturity considered necessary by the faculty for the student to be ready for maximum success in the course. Some courses or sections are restricted to students who meet specified criteria including curriculum/major, college, and/or year in school. In addition, some sections may be restricted to new students to ensure that sufficient spaces are available when new students register during summer orientation. A department may waive a restriction for a student who has extenuating circumstances. The student must obtain the authorization from the department on a Request for Schedule Change or Restriction Waiver form.

Credit Limits

For fall and spring semesters, the credit limit is 18 credits for undergraduates and 15 credits for graduate students. For summer session, the limits are 12 credits for undergraduates and 10 credits for graduate students. A student may be required to drop credits before adding another course. In some cases, the college dean may approve a higher or lower credit limit for individual students. Students may request a change in their credit limit by contacting their advisor.

Course Drops

Undergraduate students are limited in the number of courses they may drop during their academic career. Lecture and laboratory courses which are offered as separate courses, but are required to be taken concurrently are considered as one course drop. Exceptions to the drop limit may be made for courses that must be dropped for reasons beyond the student's control. The number of drops students have left is indicated on their grade report (available on AccessPlus) each term. Students are responsible for not exceeding their limit.

Auditing a Course

To audit a course means to enroll in the course without receiving credit for the course. Students are assessed tuition and fees as though they are taking the course for credit, but the audited course does not count in determining full-time student status. However, an audited course does count towards the maximum allowable credits per semester. Audited courses do not apply toward V.A. benefits.

Changing status to audit: Changing a course from credit to audit requires dropping the course for credit and adding it as an audit on a schedule change request form. After day 5 of the semester, the drop will count toward the total allowable ISU drops.

Rights and privileges: Once enrolled in an audited course, auditors have the same rights and privileges as any student taking the course for credit. Their names appear on the class list with a notation that they are auditing the course. Audited courses do not appear on the student's permanent record except by special request from the student.

Reinstatement After Academic Dismissal

The procedures delineated in this section apply to students who were dismissed from Iowa State for academic reasons. Reinstatement is not automatic. The college Academic Standards Committee reviews each petition and other relevant information, and reinstatement is based upon that review. Students can only be reinstated after at least one academic semester (fall or spring) has elapsed since they were academically dismissed. Students who have been dismissed from enrollment two or more times are not eligible for reinstatement until at least two academic semesters (fall and spring) have elapsed since their last academic dismissal. Students who were dismissed by one college and subsequently reinstated by another college cannot transfer back to the original college unless permission is granted by the Academic Standards Committee of the original college.

To be considered for reinstatement to the university, students must submit a petition to the Academic Standards Committee of the college in which they desire to enroll at least 45 days before the beginning of the semester. Students who have not been enrolled for a period of 12 or more months or who are international students must also file a reentry form prior to their return. Juniors and seniors with extenuating circumstances may request a waiver of their required semesters of absence. As a condition of reinstatement, students will reenter on academic probation and must accept whatever additional requirements are stipulated by the college Academic Standards Committee.

Students may appeal a decision regarding their academic status if they believe that new information can be provided or extenuating circumstances exist that would alter the application of any rule in this section. The appeal should be made in writing to the Academic Standards Committee of the college in which the student is enrolled. If the student is dissatisfied with the committee's action, he or she may submit an appeal in writing to the dean of her or his college within seven calendar days after they are notified of the committee's action. If the issue is not resolved within the college, further appeals may be made in writing to the provost and subsequently to the president of the university.

Academic Forgiveness Policy

Eligibility: Students must have demonstrated satisfactory academic performance as evidenced by earning a GPA of at least 2.00 over a minimum of 12.00 credit hours taken after returning to the university.

Conditions: All courses and credits that were taken during the chosen terms will be removed from consideration for GPA and degree requirements. Students may not combine courses from multiple terms to comprise the semester(s) or quarter(s) dropped.

Reentry After an Absence

Students who have been absent from Iowa State University less than 12 months may be admitted as a returning student. The student must apply for reentry to the university. International undergraduate students must complete a reentry form regardless of the length of their absence. International Students must also complete the Returning to ISU electronic form for the International Students and Scholars Office in order to receive their new I-20 or DS- 2019. Returning students who want to change their curricula should follow the same procedure as in-school students.

Undergraduate and nondegree undergraduate (special) students who plan to attend Iowa State University after an absence of twelve months or more must complete a reentry form. International Students must also complete the Returning to ISU electronic form for the International Students and Scholars Office in order to receive their new I-20 or DS- 2019. The reentry form should be completed and returned to the Office of the Registrar, 10 Enrollment Services Center, well in advance of the term of reentry. Reentering students must also contact their departmental office/advisor to prepare a class schedule. Iowa State University requests the information on the reentry form for the purpose of making a reentry decision. Generally, a request to reenter Iowa State University will be approved within the Office of the Registrar. Students who were dropped from enrollment at Iowa State University must obtain reinstatement by the Academic Standards Committee of the college that they wish to reenter.

Senior Year Plus: Dual Enrollment Opportunities

Senior Year Plus (SYP) serves as an umbrella for a variety of programs designed to provide high school students access to courses that have the potential to generate college credit.

Advanced Placement (AP) Courses

AP courses are college-level courses offered by high schools. The courses, curriculum requirements, and optional tests are provided by The College Board. Based on the examination score and the postsecondary institution's policies, students may be eligible for college credit or advanced standing at the college or university they later matriculate.

Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO)

The Postsecondary Enrollment Options Act was enacted in 1987 to promote rigorous academic pursuits by providing high school students access to enroll in nonsectarian courses in eligible postsecondary institutions. Now offered through Senior Year Plus, the program is available to eligible juniors and seniors as well as freshmen and sophomores who are identified as gifted and talented according to the school districtâs criteria and procedures.

Concurrent Enrollment

The concurrent enrollment program, also known as district-to-community college sharing, promotes rigorous academic or career and technical pursuits by providing opportunities for high school students to enroll in eligible nonsectarian courses at or through community colleges. Per Senior Year Plus, concurrent enrollment courses are offered through contractual agreements between community colleges and school districts within their service area.

Career Academies

Career academies are programs of study offered to high school students through an agreement or contract between their high school and a community college. They bridge high school and community college CTE programs. In Iowa, career academies are programs of study that combine a minimum of two years of secondary education with an associate degree in a career preparatory program.

Summer College Credit Program

The summer college credit program was enacted as part of the Future Ready Iowa Act (House File 2458) and is designed to increase participation in career and technical education programs aligned to in-demand occupations.

Funding and Reporting

Supplementary weighting provides additional weighted funding for students enrolled in a program involving sharing between institutions. For concurrent enrollment, weighted funding provides districts with funding to pay community colleges for delivery of concurrent enrollment courses. The funds are used to help offset the cost of the college courses. The Department provides instructions for school districts seeking supplementary weighted funding.

Workday Student: A New System for Student Records

Workday Student is a comprehensive system designed to manage student records and receivables. Following a final student data upload to Workday from the university's legacy systems, Workday will be one step closer to becoming the go-to for student records and receivables. Data cleanup and verification in Workday will continue through the first half of fall semester, but users no longer will be able to complete processes in the legacy systems, known as ADIN (Administrative Information System) and AccessPlus. They'll become read-only systems. New and returning students registered for fall classes in Workday, so faculty and staff should use that system to view the most accurate fall semester information.

As the fall semester progresses, final data will be loaded into Workday and verified. Around the middle of the semester -- mid-October or so -- Workday officially will become the system of record with the most comprehensive student information data. The university community will be notified when this change occurs.

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