Students

LionPATH assigns major preferences requirement for students

Beginning with Spring 2022 course registration, Penn State pre-major undergraduate students will now be required to complete the new Major Preferences Student Activity Guide (MPSAG) to enroll in courses in LionPATH each semester. The purpose of the MPSAG is to record pre-major students' preferred major(s) each semester, data which will help academic departments gauge interest in their degree programs and help with possible course forecasting (i.e., determining demand of and resources needed for future course enrollment).

The Spring 2022 MPSAG will be rolled out to pre-major undergraduate students as a LionPATH “To Do List” task in mid-September at the same time the Pre-Registration Activity Guide is assigned in LionPATH. As with the Pre-Registration Activity Guide, students will receive an email notification that a new task (completing their Major Preferences Student Activity Guide, or MPSAG) has been assigned and needs to be completed prior to enrolling in classes. For all future semesters, the MPSAG will be an additional required pre-registration activity alongside the Pre-Registration Activity Guide.

Though students and academic advisers will be able to update major preferences at any time through the degree planning and progress navigation in LionPATH, the only way for a student to clear their registration hold will be to complete the MPSAG. Any student in pre-major status must complete the MPSAG in order to register for classes when the task is assigned to them in LionPATH.

The launch of the MPSAG marks the final phase of the Major Preferences tool implementation in LionPATH.  In collaboration with academic advising leadership, the LionPATH Development and Maintenance Organization (LDMO) introduced the Major Preferences tool last spring to help students and advisers track a student’s majors of interest over time.

Tips and resources

Here are some key points for pre-major, undergraduate students:

·       A Help Doc is available in the Student Help page of the LionPATH Support site, in the Getting Started with LionPATH section (Completing the Major Preferences Activity Guide).

·       If a student encounters an issue when completing the MPSAG, it is recommended the student clear their browser and cache history from all time, close all browser windows, and then try again. (See IT HelpDesk doc "How do I clear Cache and Cookies on my computer?")

·       Depending on timing, the MPSAG may still appear in a student’s To Do List even if they have recently declared a major. Such students must still complete the MPSAG in order to clear the hold.

Questions regarding this update or any issues should be submitted through a service request via the LionPATH Support Site.

Last Updated September 9, 2021