Introduction to the Course Registration System (iBid)

Introduction to the CourseRegistration System (iBid)Cesar Flores, Associate Director, Academic ServicesMeghan Keedy, Assistant Director, Academic ServicesAutumn 2011

Overview• iBid Definitions• Autumn Quarter Timeline• How to Bid for Classes• Tips and ResourcesBreak• iBid Q & A with Academic Services from 3-4pm

iBid Definitions andAutumn Quarter Timeline

DefinitionsChicago Booth’s bidding system (iBid) follows theprinciples of supply and demand or “Dutch Bid”.• iBid: System through which students register for coursesat Booth• Bid: Amount of points allocated toward a course• Points: Currency of iBid• Bid wealth: How many bid points you have for each phaseof bidding

Definitions• Add/Drop: Actions through which courses are added to aschedule or dropped from a schedule• Phases: Six bidding rounds allow students to create acourse schedule• Course Price (aka Lowest Successful Bid): The lowestsuccessful bid for a course sets the price for that course‣ if the course does not close, the price is zero

Definitions• Home Program: The program in which you are enrolled‣Examples: Evening MBA, Weekend MBA, Full-TimeMBA• Course “Seat”: The open spot in a course for whichstudents bid• Primary Bid: The course/section you allocate bid points to.• Bid Alternate: An attribute assigned to a course bid

Bidding Timeline for Autumn Quarter• Returning students from all programs have completedindependent Phase 1 and 2 bidding.• New FT MBA program students bid:• Phase 1: Sept. 8 @ 5 pm – Sept. 11 @ 11:59 pm (CST)• Phase 2: Sept.14@5pm–Sept.15@11:59pm• All students (new and returning participate in bidding)• Phase 3: Sept. 16 @ 5 pm – Sept.18 @ 11:59 pm• Phase 4: Sept.19@5pm–Sept.20@11:59pm• Phase 5: Sept.21@5pm–Sept.26@5pm• Booth classes begin: Sept. 22• Phase 6: Sept. 27 @ 5 pm – Oct. 5 @ 11:59 pm (Add/Drop)

Phase 1Bidding Timeline• Students place bids on seats in home program coursesresulting in course registration or a schedule.• This is an add-only phase.Phase 2• Students may continue to place bids on open seats to addhome program courses to their schedule.• Students may also drop courses beginning in this phase.• Courses dropped in this phase result in a 100% bid pointrefund.

Phase 3Bidding Timeline• Students may now place bids on open seats in all programs.• Students can continue to drop courses.• Courses dropped in this phase result in a 100% bid pointrefund.Phase 4• Students may continue to place bids on open seats in allprograms.• Students can continue to drop courses.• Last phase to drop courses for a 100% bid point refund.

Bidding TimelinePhase 5 (Waitlist)• Students can continue to drop courses.• Courses dropped beginning Phase 5 do not receive bid point refunds.• Students may continue to place bids on open seats in all programs.• Students who place bids in Phase 5, but are unsuccessful in adding the course(s),are automatically added to the Waitlist in bid point order (regardless of homeprogram). Additionally, if …‣ a seat opens during Phase 6, the first person on the Waitlist is automaticallyenrolled without notification (verify within the iBid interface)‣ you are added to a course from the Waitlist, you pay the points you bid on thecourse in Phase 5‣ you subsequently drop the course, you will not receive a refund of these points‣ you remove yourself from the Waitlist or if the Waitlist ends before you areadded to the course, all of the points you bid for the course will be refunded

Phase 6 (“Clean-up”)Bidding Timeline• Last phase for students to finalize their schedules with thecorrect number of courses they wish to take for that quarter.• Bidding actions (add/drop) in Phase 6 occur in real time.‣ Courses “added’ in this phase are on a “first-come; first-serve basis”with no bid points deducted from your bid wealth‣ Courses “dropped” in this phase do not receive bid point refunds• Course dropped after Phase 6 (Wednesday, Oct. 5 @ 11:59pm) will result in a tuition penalty.

How to Bid: Accessing iBidand Placing Bids

Access iBidLog into the Chicago Booth PortalClick “Bid for Classes” link in the iBid portlet, locatedin the right-hand column

Student View – The Portal

iBid Home Page

Create/Alter Schedule

Placing a Bid

Bid Points• All students begin with a bid point wealth of 8,000points• The minimum amount you can bid is 1 point• Bid points must be allocated between the coursesyou register for throughout your time at Booth• 2,000 points are accrued for each completed courseand are available to use in upcoming quarter biddingcycles.

Bid/Drop/Add ScreenAcademicAreaCourseNumberandSectionCourse nameCreditsCapacityQuarterandYearDay andTimeProfessorBid ActionBoxes

Placing a Bid

Primary Bid and AlternatesAfter entering your primary bid, you can choose to bidwith an alternate to create further flexibility in thebidding process.Students may choose from the following alternatechoices:1. No alternate (the default)2. Any section offered by the same instructor3. Any other section of the course‣ Choosing an alternate does not decrease your chances ofsecuring your primary bid. All primary bids are reconciledfirst.

Bidding Alternate

Alternate Verification

Check Your BidsCheck your waitlisted courses here

Check Your Bid Results

Dropping a Course• Starting with Phase 2, you can drop a registered course• Drops are processed live and are automatic during a Phase.• If you erroneously drop a course, you need to re-bid in orderto attempt to re-add.• Remember: Bid points are not refunded after Phase 4

Seat LimitsBooth Faculty set the seat limits for their courses• 65 is the average class size• Classes may seat more than 65 if the demand isgreat, but will not exceed 70• Lab classes are typically smaller than 65In order to maintain the integrity of iBid:• Seat limits are not adjusted after Phase 1• Students must attend the course/section they areenrolled in.

Bidding Basics• You may bid for and/or be enrolled in up to 5courses at a time.• Note: Because you’ve already been registered for the LEADcourse, you’ll only bid on 4coursesduring the Autumn biddingcycle.• iBid will allow you to bid on courses that meet at thesame time, but you must adjust before registrationends.• Course “swapping” is not a functionality within iBid.• Course prices are generated with each new biddingphase.

Bidding BasicsDuring a phase of bidding, iBid prevents you frombidding on:• Courses you are currently enrolled in or havepreviously taken• Multiple sections of the same course – you mustenter a bid for a designated course section andmake use of the bidding alternates to show yourflexibility.

Bidding BasicsBidding on courses with “strict” pre-requisites:• You must have taken the listed pre-req class atBooth or obtained a waiver from the faculty member• Once you’ve obtained a waiver, the BoothRegistrar’s Office will enter it in iBid so that you maybid on the course.• Note: Receiving a waiver does not mean you areenrolled in the course; it allows you to bid on thecourse.

Tips and Resources

Bidding TipsBefore you bid:• Develop a list of particular courses and/or faculty you absolutely mustexperience while at Chicago Booth• Determine where you can be flexible, especially with the required Foundationcourse(s) and the Functions, Management, and Business Environment courses.• Determine your academic, career preparation, personal, and social commitmentsprior to bidding each quarter.• Study the archived bidding history found on the iBid interface.• Review course evaluations for a specific course and/or faculty member.• Get to know the market through conversations with classmates or meeting withan academic advisor.• Learn from others’ successful and less successful bidding experiences.

Bidding TipsWhen you bid:• Be sure to participate in Phase 1 of bidding.• Limit the number of bid points you use to secure lower priority courses.• For higher priority courses, bid the amount you would be willing to pay.• Bid unique amounts to avoid a tie-break situation (random selection).• Bid with alternates whenever possible to maximize your opportunity insecuring the course you desire.• Factor in the day/time of the week when the course is offered.‣ For example, there may be more demand for a section occurring onWednesday afternoons than one taking place on Friday mornings.• Don’t bid on closed courses during Phase 1, since no one will be dropping.

Bidding ResourcesiBid Interface contains a wealth ofuseful information:• What courses are offered and which have open seats (CourseSeat Limits)• Consider the required work load (Course Descriptions andCourse Evaluations)• If bidding on popular or non-home courses, consider bidding ona back-up course (Course Price History and Course SeatLimits)• Questions on course price determination in different scenarios(iBid FAQ)• Course Planning Guide found on the Academic Serviceswebsite.

Bidding ResourcesRegistration Communications from ChicagoBooth’s Registrar’s OfficeAmy Wright, RegistrarLinnea Battles, Assistant Registrar• iBid Deadlines and Reminders• Quarterly Tuition and Billing Information• Quarterly Key Dates and Deadlines• Student Account Restrictions

Bidding ResourcesAcademic Planning sessions provided by Full-TimeMBA Academic ServicesChristine Gramhofer, DirectorCesar Flores, Associate DirectorTeresa True, Assistant DirectorMeghan Keedy, Assistant DirectorDave Comp, Associate Director, International Programs• One-on-one advising sessions with an advisor• Walk-in questions answered on the spot

• Academic Services• Full-Time MBA Program Office• Alper Suite, HC 122• Monday – Friday, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm• AcademicServices@lists.ChicagoBooth.edu• http://programs.chicagobooth.edu/as/

iBid Q & AwithAcademic Services

Some frequently asked questions…Q: I bid for a course with the alternate “any other section of the course” butwasn’t registered for it or any of the other sections. A friend of mine bid lessand was registered for one of the other sections. Why wasn’t I successful?A: It’s likely that your friend chose that section as their primary bid.Remember, primary bids are prioritized first in iBid. Even if they bid fewerpoints than you, their primary bid is satisfied ahead of your alternate choice.Q: I want to bid on 30000-85, but the system won’t let me. Why not?A: Looking at the section number (-85), you can tell that this course is offeredin the Evening/Weekend Program, not the Full-Time Program. You are ableto bid on courses outside your home program starting with Phase 3.