Banner and Bannerweb are Smith College's integrated database applications, which manage information regarding students, financial aid, alumni/development, finance, position control/payroll and general information. Bannerweb, for students, allows them access to their grades, transcripts, financial aid and billing data, course schedules and online registration.
In many ways, Bannerweb is analogous to the ACData system that Amherst College employs, with the notable exception that ACData does not allow online course registration.
In order to register for Five College courses, Smith students must simply search through the Five College Course catalogue, which is located at http://www.fivecolleges.edu/sites/courses, and apply as they would for their other courses.
Previously, students were required to fill out a four-part pink Five College interchange registration form, in addition to following normal registration procedures required for their other classes.
Though they are still required to obtain advisor approval and any necessary signatures, the process can now be completed electronically as opposed to having to obtain a hard copy of all the necessary paperwork from their advisor and the class instructor.
The procedure for dropping Five College courses remains the same as Smith students were able to do so using Bannerweb in the past.
Amherst College currently does not have an analogous process nor has it announced any intention to institute one. Though the issue has come up for vote during Meetings of the Faculty, the initiative for online registration has never been passed.
When pre-registering for a course that does not require the permission of the instructor, Amherst students must fill out a form, obtain the approval of their advisor and submit a hard copy of the form to the Office of the Registrar.
Should the course require instructor approval or should the student be registering prior to the start of classes, the Office of the Registrar additionally requires not only the approval of the professor, but also of the Office of the Registrar at the institution at which the course is offered.
As with Amherst students, Five College courses are open to any Smith student who is in good academic standing, with the exception of first-year students who are required to obtain the permission of their class dean in order to enroll.
Students at either institution may not take more than half of their semester courses at another institution and may only enroll in courses that will count towards their academic program.
The pre-registration period for Smith College students ends this Friday.