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SOLUS Central: SOLUS FAQ

 

Your questions have answers.

Here you can find answers to commonly asked questions related to the SOLUS Student Centre.

Be sure to check the side navigation bar as well!

You can also contact us via e-mail at solus@queensu.ca

 

Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak - Current Services and 2020-21 Dates and Deadline Adjustments

The Office of the University Registrar (OUR) is here to provide service to you.
We continue to offer online and remote service delivery to help reduce the global spread of the COVID-19 virus.
Our commitment to provide support to you remains our priority during this time and our core operations will continue.  As many staff within the OUR are working remotely, we would ask that your inquiries be directed as follows:
If you need a completed form (e.g. Verification of Enrolment required by an RESP provider to access funds) or letter (e.g.  degree certificate) from us, go to our Document Request page for easy instructions.
We are regularly updating our website and will be adding “how-to” videos to help you get what you need as quickly as possible.
Please continue to monitor the Queen’s University’s COVID-19 webpage (https://www.queensu.ca/covidinfo/) for the most up to date information.
 

Fall 2020 Process Changes and Deadline Adjustments

In response to operational changes at the university due to the ongoing global pandemic, the university has implemented initiatives and process changes to help smooth out tuition and fee payments, awards disbursement and registration processes for students. These changes include:
  • Extending the Fall 2020 tuition payment date to September 30 from Sept 1, as course registration is happening in August instead of July. This also consolidates due dates for fall term payments  - On September 30, all tuition and fees will be due, including fall residence fees.
  • Extending fall course drop dates, without financial penalty, to week 8 in the fall term, recognizing the need to provide students more time and flexibility to settle into the term and adjust to the impacts of remote course delivery on their academics. http://queensu.ca/registrar/resources/sessional-dates
  • Maintaining all entrance bursaries and in-program awards that take into account living expenses, even if they were awarded with an assumption that students would not be living at home.  See: https://www.queensu.ca/studentawards/covid-19-important-financial-aid-related-information-and-updates-2020-21-prospective-first-entry
  • Distributing all financial awards per term, instead of annually. This aligns with tuition deadlines and OSAP allocations, and will help maximize clarity regarding student accounts on a per-term basis.
  • Raising the maximum ‘outstanding balance’ allowed on a student account from $50 to allow students to register for courses with debt, recognizing that financial circumstances for students are more uncertain.
  • Currently withholding monthly interest fees on unpaid balances.
  • Currently waiving the $150 late fee on overdue accounts
  • Temporarily revising withdrawal and readmission processes to assist graduate students who could not work on degree requirements for Summer 2020 term.
  • Instituting more flexible deadlines for disbursement of all internal funding related to graduate student research.
1) When students choose courses, will they be able to choose sections/labs/tutorials themselves?
A feature making SOLUS more effective than the previous QCARD system is that of timetabling. In June/July, when it comes to choosing courses, a student is able to choose the section of the course in which they wish to be enrolled. This means that after choosing courses, the student will be able to see their full timetable immediately online.
2) Does course swapping automatically swap labs and tutorials as well?

When it comes to swapping a course with associated labs/tutorials, it really depends on Faculty policy. If they want the student to be in a specific lab that corresponds with a specific lecture (i.e. Lecture A goes with Lab A), the system will automatically swap both lecture and lab/tutorial as though they are one course. If faculty has decided that it doesn’t matter which lab/tutorial corresponds with which lecture, the student will have to swap them both individually.

3) Will SOLUS warn you if you’re missing a lab/tutorial that accompanies a lecture?

Yes, there is a connection made in the system to ensure that you’re not missing any labs/tutorials connected with a course. All of the course components -- lecture, lab, tutorial -- make up the “course” in PeopleSoft. SOLUS speaks to its users using green checkmarks and red Xs. As long as the users see green checkmarks, the system is confirming they have processed everything correctly.

4) Is there a waiting list function available for course registration?

Yes, for some courses, there are waiting lists in SOLUS.

5) When you’re selecting courses, is there a feature available for potential “what if” schedules?

SOLUS has a feature entitled “What-If Report": 

  • 1. On the main page of SOLUS, click on the ‘other academic…’ dropdown box and select What-if Report. Click the Go button.

    1. On the main page of SOLUS, click on the ‘other academic…’ dropdown box and select What-if Report. Click the Go button.

  • 2. On the What-if Report Selection page, click the Create New Report button or click a previously generated report to view it.

    2. On the What-if Report Selection page, click the Create New Report button or click a previously generated report to view it.

  • 3. On the Create What-if Scenario page you can: A. Select different programs to compare how your current credits would fulfill various plans. B. Add courses from the Course Catalog, by clicking the Browse Course Catalog link, to see how that reflects in the degree plans. Click the Submit Request link to generate your What-if Report.

    3. On the Create What-if Scenario page you can:

    A. Select different programs to compare how your current credits would fulfill various plans.

    B. Add courses from the Course Catalog, by clicking the Browse Course Catalog link, to see how that reflects in the degree plans.

        

       Click the Submit Request link to generate your What-if Report.

What-If Report
6) How is add/drop being affected with the new system?

Add/drop, which is now being called “Open Enrollment” will begin in early September and students will be able to add a course until the end of the second week of classes. The refund and drop timelines will remain the same. Nothing changes.

7) If a student is registering for a course that spans two terms (previously known as a full-year course), will they automatically be registered for part B when they enrol for part A?

Yes. The B course will automatically be added when the student enrols in the A course.

8) Will timetickets still be generated for course enrolment?

Yes, there will still be a timeframe for students in certain Faculties to enrol in their courses, like there is today; however they will be called “Enrollment Appointments” in SOLUS. If a student did not have a timeticket prior to the implementation of SOLUS, they will not have an assigned Enrollment Appointment. First-year Arts and Science students will be assigned Enrollment Appointments for the first time in 2011.

9) How will I find out my Enrolment Appointment in SOLUS?

You will click the “Enrollment Appointment” link in SOLUS, in the right panel on the home screen. It’s under the “Enrollment Dates” heading.

10) When there is a conflict in a student’s timetable, will SOLUS block the student’s ability to enrol for those courses?

Yes. If there is a conflict in a student’s schedule and the student (for one reason or another) needs to be in two courses at once, they must ask their department to manually enrol them in those two courses. SOLUS will not allow you to enrol in courses that conflict.

11) Will upper year Arts & Science students need to reapply for their plan (formerly known as concentration) every year, like they do now?

Students must only reapply for their plans if they are changing programs or if they do not meet the academic requirements of their program. Students will apply to change plans through their Faculties.

12) When a student has credits that are transferred from other institutions, will SOLUS be able to recognize the transfer credits as pre-requisites for other Queen’s courses?

If the Faculty determines that a transfer credit is an equivalent for a particular course, that will be recorded in SOLUS and it will show up as a pre-requisite. If the Faculty has not approved the transfer credit as a specific equivalent (e.g. unspecified), SOLUS will have no way of recognizing it. If it is a course equivalency that has been assessed, it will be recognized in SOLUS provided a minimal grade of C is the requirement for the pre-requisite grade, which is something that QCARD couldn’t do.

13) Is the verification of enrolment still available online?

Yes, Verification of Enrolment forms can be downloaded via SOLUS:

  • 1. On the main page of SOLUS, click on the ‘other academic…’ dropdown box and select Enrollment Verification. Click the Go button.

    1. On the main page of SOLUS, click on the ‘other academic…’ dropdown box and select Enrollment Verification. Click the Go button.

  • 2. Select the appropriate year and then click the retrieve button to load your Verification of Enrolment report. Warning: The Verification of Enrolment report will appear in a new window so ensure that you do not have pop-ups blocked.

    2. Select the appropriate year and then click the retrieve button to load your Verification of Enrolment report.

       Warning: The Verification of Enrolment report will appear in a new window so ensure that you do not have pop-ups blocked.

Enrolment Verification
14) Will SOLUS give the student interim (or updated/mid-term) marks instead of just final marks?

This is not something that will change with the implementation of SOLUS. Instructors will only submit their (final) marks at the end of the term. First year Arts and Science students will be able to view mid-year grades for multi-term courses in their Student Center.

15) Will the exam schedule be available earlier in SOLUS?

The exam schedule will be available at the same time it is today: around mid-term, but every student will have a personalized schedule appear in SOLUS, which makes it easier for every student to ensure they view the correct schedule.

16) What kind of user guides will be available to assist students when SOLUS is released?

Online training materials will be available to students. These materials are produced using UPK (User Productivity Kit), where the user can “See it”, “Try it” and “Know it”, with screenshots and explanation frames. Training is still being discussed and plans will be communicated when more information is available. There will also be additional support from the Office of the University Registrar and from Faculty offices around the time of registration to aid students using SOLUS. SOLUS will be available through the student’s portal, like QCARD is today, but will not be available through the Registrar’s website.

17) Is SOLUS compatible with all internet browsers, including Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, and Safari?

The visual aesthetics of the system may be somewhat affected using Firefox and Safari, but the system is functional.

More detail on browsers supported at Queen's can be found at: https://www.queensu.ca/its/software/web-browsers

18) Can I rely 100% on my Academic Advisement Report to know that I am on track for meeting all the requirements for my degree?

No. The Academic Advisement Report is an advising tool to assist students in planning their academic progress at Queen’s University.

Final responsibility for meeting graduation requirements resides with the student. The final authority for Degree Program/Plan information is the Faculty Academic Calendar at http://www.queensu.ca/learn/academiccalendars.

Academic Advisement is only available to students in Arts and Science, Engineering and Applied Science, Education, and Law at this time. Academic Advisement does not include individual student exceptions.

19) I am enrolling in the upcoming Summer session – how do I use SOLUS to register for my classes?

The registration period for courses in the upcoming summer session begins in mid-March.

When you login to the SOLUS Student Centre, select the "Search for Classes" link located in the upper right hand corner of the page. You can search for classes by subject, and once you have made a choice, you can add it to your “shopping cart.”

It is important to remember that all tuition and fees for classes beginning in May or June are due on May 1st. For classes beginning in July, the deadline is July 1st.