Open University FAQ
- How do I know if PCE received my enrollment request form?
- How do I get my enrollment request form signed?
- How long does it take to get enrolled?
- The course I want to take has a lecture and a lab, how do I fill out my form?
- What should I do if I think I made a mistake on my enrollment request form?
- I submitted my enrollment request form, but I'm not enrolled in the course!
- I submitted my payment, but I'm not enrolled in the course!
- I'm not a Chico State Student. How will I access my online course?
- My online payment isn't processing.
- I've decided I don't want to take a course. How do I cancel my request?
- I want to drop my course. Can I get a refund?
- Contact Us!
How do I know if PCE received my enrollment request form?
After you complete your form and verify your approval through your email, a copy of your submission will automatically be sent to PCE. PCE registration staff will route your form for all required approvals. When PCE has sent your form for signature, you will receive an email that your form is "complete." This is how you will know it has been routed for signature. This does not mean the process is complete.
Once all approvals are received you will get a notification via email from Adobe Sign requesting your signature on the form. Please open and sign the form. After you sign the form you will receive a pdf copy of the fully signed form in your email. Please forward the fully signed copy of the form to pce@csuchico.edu to continue processing your enrollment. PCE will not process your enrollment request unless you submit the fully signed copy of your form.
How do I get my enrollment request form signed?
PCE will route your enrollment request form for all necessary signatures.
How long does it take to get enrolled?
Enrollment requests will be accepted 10 business days prior to the first day of the semester, however enrollment in courses will not begin until the first day of the semester. Some instructors do not sign enrollment requests until the second week of the semester. On average, it can take 7-10 business days for the form to process for all signatures. When you have been approved to enroll in a course you will receive an email request to sign your enrollment request form. If your form is denied you will receive a notification via email that the request has been cancelled and the reason for the denial.
When you receive the request to sign the form via email, please open and sign the form. After you sign the form you will receive a pdf copy of the fully signed form in your email. Please forward the fully signed copy of the form to pce@csuchico.edu to continue processing your enrollment. PCE will not process your enrollment request unless you submit the fully signed copy of your form. After forwarding your fully signed form you should expect to be enrolled in the course within 2 business days.
The course I want to take has a lecture and a lab. How should I fill out my add/drop form?
For courses with a lecture/discussion and activity/lab component, the number of forms you need to submit depends on if the course sections are combined.
- Combined courses will appear under the same heading. Enrollment in the act/lab section will automatically enroll in the dis/lec section. Only 1 enrollment request is required for these courses:
- Courses that are not combined will appear under different headings. The act/lab component will notate a corequisite for the dis/lec course. Enrollment in the act/lab section does not automatically enroll in the dis/lec component. 2 enrollment request forms are required for these courses:
What should I do if I think I made a mistake on my enrollment request form?
Please email us at pce@csuchico.edu and we will help you verify the information that you have entered on your form and make any corrections. Please DO NOT submit another form.
I submitted my enrollment request form, but I'm not enrolled in the course!
Submitting the enrollment request form does not complete your enrollment, it is only the first step so please do not submit multiple, duplicate enrollment requests. The steps to a successful enrollment are:
- Submit your online enrollment request form.
- Verify the approval of your submission from the emailed link provided by Adobe Sign after you've completed the form.
- When PCE sends your form for approvals you will receive an email notification that your form is "complete". This does not mean your enrollment is complete, it means your form is routing for signatures.
- Kick back and wait. The time it takes for approvals to return can vary. Approvers need to complete their own level of review of your form. Some instructors wait until the second week of the semester to approve Open University enrollment requests. If your form is denied you will receive a notification via email that the request has been cancelled and the reason for the denial.
- Once all approvals have been received you will receive an email from Adobe Sign requesting your signature on the form. Please open and sign the form. After you sign the form you will receive a pdf copy of the fully signed form. Please forward the copy of the fully signed form to pce@csuchico.edu to continue processing your enrollment. PCE will not process your enrollment request unless you submit the fully signed copy of your form.
- Once PCE receives your fully signed copy of your request, we will email you with the final steps to complete your enrollment including a link to make your payment. Please note that the course listed on the link provided will be for a generic course and will not reflect the course you are enrolling in. We have to use a generic course for system programming purposes. When you make your payment, please include your course information in the Order Comments section during the checkout process.
- THIS STEP IS VERY IMPORTANT!!! Make your payment using the link that will be provided to you in the email in Step 4. If you are planning on utilizing a Sallie Mae loan to pay your fees, please respond to the email with the payment link to let us know you have applied for a Sallie Mae Loan. Enrollments will not be completed without payment or certification of a Sallie Mae loan. If you experience difficulties with the online payment system, please contact us at pce@csuchico.edu so we can assist you with completing your payment.
- After completing your payment or providing your Sallie Mae information, we will process your enrollment. Enrollments are manually processed during our regular business hours in the order which they are received. Our normal business hours are Monday - Friday from 8:00am - 5:00pm. It can take up to 2 business days to process enrollments. You will know your enrollment has been processed when you receive an emailed receipt for your payment. Payments for enrollments that have not been completed will be held in a "pending" status. You will also receive an automated email that will contain your course detail and other information. The automated email process runs every night at midnight but you don't have to wait for that confirmation to access your course materials. Typically course materials are accessible through Blackboard Learn within 2 hours after enrollment.
I submitted my payment, but I'm not enrolled in the course!
Submission of payment does not process your enrollment. Enrollments are manually processed during our regular business hours in the order which they are received. Our normal business hours are Monday - Friday from 8:00am - 5:00pm. You will know your enrollment has been processed when you receive an emailed receipt for your payment. Payments for enrollments that have not been completed will be held in a "pending" status. It can take up to 2 business days to complete enrollments. Please do not submit multiple payments through the online payment portal.
I'm not a Chico State Student. How will I access my online course?
If you do not have a Chico State student record, we will create one for you and send you all of the information you will need to activate your Chico State student account. Blackboard Learn is Chico State's Learning Management System. You will gain access to Blackboard Learn after you activate your student account. For more information, please visit the Portal Overview Informationwebsite. If you have difficulty activating your account, please contact IT Support Services at 530-898-4357.
My online payment isn't processing.
If you are encountering problems with processing your payment, please contact us at pce@csuchico.edu. Please do not submit multiple payment attempts.
I've decided I don't want to take a course. How do I cancel my request?
Please email us at pce@csuchico.edu to cancel your request if you have not yet been enrolled in the course. If you have been enrolled, please complete the enrollment request form to drop the course.
I've decided I want to drop my course, how do I do that?
- Submit the online enrollment request form to request to drop the course.
- PCE will receive a copy of your submission after you have approved the form via the emailed link provided by Adobe Sign.
- PCE will route your form for all necessary signatures. Once all signatures have been received, you will receive a request from Adobe Sign to sign the form. After you sign the form you will receive a pdf copy of the fully signed form. Please forward the copy of the fully signed form to pce@csuchico.edu to continue processing your drop. PCE will not process your enrollment request unless you submit the fully signed copy of your form.
- When PCE receives the fully signed copy of your request, we will complete your drop and send you a confirmation email.
I want to drop my course. Can I get a refund?
Drops completed prior to the first day of the term are eligible a full refund less a $5 processing fee.
Drops completed on or after the first day of the term, but before the 4th Friday of the term are eligible for a 65% refund, less a $5 processing fee.
Drops completed after the 4th Friday of the term are not eligible for any refund.