SIS9/615 amended

The University of Hong Kong

Student Information System

STUDENT’S GUIDE TO

COMMON CORE COURSE

SELECTION, COMMON CORE
CLUSTER INDICATION AND
TRANSDISCIPLINARY MINOR
DECLARATION

Prepared by: Helen Shuen

Creation Date: June 26, 2015
Last Update: July 19, 2021
Version: 3.1
 The University of Hong Kong Student’s Guide to Common Core Course Selection in SIS
Student Information System

Version History:

Version Updated date Updated by Remarks

number

1.0 July 17, 2015 Helen Shuen First release

1.1 July 21, 2015 Helen Shuen Minor amendments in the wordings

1.2 December 22, 2015 Helen Shuen Minor amendments in the wordings

1.3 August 9, 2016 Helen Shuen Amendments in the graduation requirements

for Common Core Curriculum and course
selection schedule example

2.0 July 23, 2018 Helen Shuen Included information on Common Core
Clusters and Transdisciplinary Minors, and the
related enrollment priority

2.1 July 25, 2019 Helen Shuen Amendments related to Common Core Queue
Position page and 2019-20 course selection
schedule and “priority periods”

2.2 July 23, 2020 Helen Shuen Added the new title ‘The Quest for a Meaningful
Life’ (applicable to cohorts admitted in or after
2020-21) for the UQM cluster; and updated the
course selection schedule and “priority
periods” for 2020-21

2.3 August 3, 2020 Helen Shuen Added “Delivery Mode of Lectures”

information on “Common Core Course
Enrollment Statistics” page and in “Class
Timetable (for 2020-21)” spreadsheet
3.0 July 12, 2021 Juliana Chan Amendments of dates for 2021-22 course
selection schedule

3.1 July 19, 2021 Juliana Chan Amendments of the screen captures for
Common Core Course Enrollment
Statistics page and Class
Timetable page

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Table of Contents

A. Common Core Clusters (CC Clusters) and Common Core Transdisciplinary Minors (CCTMs), and
the related enrollment priority.................................................................................................................. 4

1. Basic Information ...................................................................................................................... 4

2. Timeline for Indicating/Changing CC Cluster Intention or Declaring/Changing CCTM ...... 4

3. How to Indicate/Change CC Cluster Intention or Declare/Change CCTM in SIS .................. 5

4. Reasons Why the CC Cluster Indication/CCTM Declaration may be Unsuccessful ............... 6

B. Course Approval Methods for Common Core (CC) Courses ............................................................ 6

1. Course Selection Period (course approval method: First-Come-First-Served)........................ 7

(a) Preparation Before the Course Selection Period .................................................................... 7

(b) During the Course Selection Period ...................................................................................... 9
(c) Example............................................................................................................................. 12
2. Add/Drop Period (course approval method: Auto-Ballot) ..................................................... 14

3. Comparison of the Arrangements between the Course Selection Period and Add/Drop
Period for Common Core Courses.................................................................................................. 15

C. Common Core Course Enrollment Arrangements for Exchange/Visiting Students.......................... 16

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A. Common Core Clusters (CC Clusters) and Common Core Transdisciplinary Minors (CCTMs),
and the related enrollment priority

1. Basic Information
(a) CC Clusters and CCTMs are available to students of the 2017-18 intake and after. For
example, following clusters are available for different cohorts.

Thematic Clusters Applicable Cohorts Number of Courses Record On

Required
Sustaining Cities, Cultures, and Admitted in or after
the Earth (SCCE) and The Quest 4 Common Core Courses
Thematic for a Meaningful Life 2020-21
Clusters from the same thematic On Academic
The Universe and the Question of Admitted in 2017-18, cluster Attainment
Meaning (QUM) 2018-19, and 2019-20 Profile when
completed
6 Common Core Courses
Common Core Transdisciplinary Minors Admitted in 2017-18 from the same thematic
and after cluster

(b) A CC Cluster consists of four CC courses, and a CCTM consists of six courses, all drawn from
the same thematic cluster. If you have completed a CC Cluster or CCTM, it will be recorded
as an accomplishment on the Academic Attainment Profile.
(c) In cases where the four CC courses completed can fulfill more than one Cluster, you will need
to indicate before graduation the intended Cluster you wish to be recorded on the Academic
Attainment Profile.
(d) You can indicate a CC Cluster or declare a CCTM if you have completed four courses from the
same thematic cluster. However, if you have already completed / enrolled to more than four
courses, you would be eligible for declaring the corresponding CCTM only if ALL the courses
you have completed / enrolled to belong to that thematic cluster.
(e) After declaring the CCTM, you will be given priority to enroll on the remaining courses belonging
to the same thematic cluster during the designated “priority period”. As such, if you are eligible
to declare CCTM and intend to do so, please make sure that you have completed the
declaration before proceeding with the course enrollment in order to enjoy the priority.
(f) For the latest and updated information on CC Clusters and CCTMs, please visit the Common Core website
(https://commoncore.hku.hk/introduction/#cctms).

2. Timeline for Indicating/Changing CC Cluster Intention or Declaring/Changing CCTM

(a) Normally students can indicate/change CC Cluster intention or declare/change CCTM from
Year 2 Semester 1, until final year Semester 1 (unless the major/minor declaration period (if
any) of your programme is different).
(b) CC Cluster indication and CCTM declaration are available during the pre-enrollment
periodNote 1 and add/drop periods. You are NOT allowed to indicate/change CC Cluster
intention or declare/change CCTM during the course selection period in August.

Note 1: Pre-enrollment period is from the start date for previewing course information online
to the day before the course selection period. The detailed course selection schedule is
available at http://intraweb.hku.hk/reserved_1/sis_student/sis/reference-
materials/Course_Selection_Schedule_for_UG.pdf.
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3. How to Indicate/Change CC Cluster Intention or Declare/Change CCTM in SIS

(a) Login to HKU Portal > SIS Menu > Enrollment > Declare Major/Minor/Special.
(b) If your programme requires you to declare a first major, you must select it from the “Major 1”
drop-down menu before you can proceed to indicate CC Cluster intention or declare CCTM.
For details on major/minor declaration, please refer to the Student’s Quick Reference Guide
on Major / Minor Declaration.
(c) Select the CC Cluster/CCTM from the “Common Core Cluster / Transdisciplinary Minor”
drop-down menu, and then click the Submit button. After that, you will see a message about
whether your declaration is successful or not.

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Note: During the course selection period in August, you are NOT allowed to indicate/change CC
Cluster intention or declare/change CCTM. The “Common Core Cluster / Transdisciplinary Minor”
drop-down menu would be dimmed.

4. Reasons Why the CC Cluster Indication/CCTM Declaration may be Unsuccessful

CC Cluster indication/CCTM declaration will be unsuccessful in the following cases:

(a) You have not completed four CC courses from the same thematic cluster as that of the selected
CC Cluster/CCTM.
(b) Although the selected CCTM has the same thematic cluster as that of your four completed CC
courses, you have also enrolled to other CC course(s) with a different thematic cluster. You
have to drop those course(s) with different thematic cluster (as appropriate Note 2 ) in order to
declare this CCTM. Otherwise, you are eligible for the CC Cluster only.

Note 2: You are not allowed to drop enrollments which are in the past semesters.

(c) If your programme requires you to declare a first major, you must declare the first major
before you can proceed to indicate CC Cluster intention or declare CCTM.

B. Course Approval Methods for Common Core (CC) Courses

The course approval method of CC courses is first-come-first-served during the course selection
period in August. You are strongly advised to plan for your CCTM declaration (optional for eligible
students) and CC course selection ahead of time and submit your enrollment requests as soon as the
course selection period begins. The course approval method during the add/drop periods would be
auto-ballot.

Please refer to the detailed course selection schedule.

IMPORTANT:

• You should ensure that your CC course selection does not violate the Common Core
requirements. Please refer to the Common Core website
(http://commoncore.hku.hk/introduction/#prog_req) for details.
• If a student has declared CCTM but selected a CC course not belonging to the same thematic
cluster as the declared CCTM, the enrolment on this course will be disapproved.

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➢ Common Core Course Enrollment Statistics page, screenshot example as follows:

➢ “Class Timetable (for 2021-22)” spreadsheet, which is downloadable from the Class
Timetable page, sample screenshot as follows:

- Y – The class will be divided into group A/B.

- “Blank” – The class will not be divided.

1. Course Selection Period (course approval method: First-Come-First-Served)

(a) Preparation Before the Course Selection Period

CC courses are selected online through the Student Information System (SIS). It is important
to note that CC courses have a fixed quota, and during the course selection period, places
would be given to those students who make their course selection at the earliest times. In
addition, students who have declared CCTM will be given priority during the designated
“priority period” to enrol on the remaining courses belonging to the same thematic
cluster.

To prepare for the CC course selection, you are advised to refer to Section A above on
CCTM declaration (available to the 2017-18 intake or after) as well as the Course Selection
Schedule and the Quick Guide on Course Selection and Enrollment before the course
selection period.

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Take the schedule of the 2021-22 Course Selection Period as an example:

Year 1 students, BASc(SDS)

Year 4 or Year 3 students,
Year 3 Year 2
above BSc(ACD) Year 3 students,
students students
students BSc(IM) Year 3 students and
exchange/visiting students
Online course information
available for planning your From Aug 2021
July 26, 2021
courses (Pre-enrollment (after master registration)
period)
Course Semester 1/ full- Aug 4, 2021 Aug 4, 2021 Aug 4, 2021 Aug 20, 2021
Selection year courses (10:00 a.m.) (12:00 p.m.) (2:00 p.m.) (10:00 a.m.)
Period Semester 2 Aug 4, 2021 Aug 4, 2021 Aug 4, 2021 Aug 20, 2021
starts courses (10:10 a.m.) (12:10 p.m.) (2:10 p.m.) (10:10 a.m.)
Suspension Period (course Aug 5, 2021 Aug 21, 2021 (12:00 p.m.) –
selection will not be available) (9:00 a.m. – 2:29 p.m.) Aug 23, 2021 (2:29 p.m.)
Course Selection Period ends Aug 10, 2021 (4:00 p.m.) Aug 26, 2021 (4:00 p.m.)

After the SIS Self-Service Enrollment page opens and before the official course selection
period begins, you can start to declare CCTM (optional for eligible students), preview the
available courses and put courses into the “Temporary Course List”. You are thus advised to
take advantage of this pre-enrollment period to make your CC course selection before the
official course selection period begins. However, please note that the courses in your
“Temporary Course List” will NOT be considered until you have submitted the
enrollment requests during the official course selection period.

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(b) During the Course Selection Period

(i) First-Come-First-Served Process

You can submit your enrollment requests (i.e. proceeding to Steps 2 and 3 in the
“Temporary Course List” page) for formal approval once the official course selection
period begins.

During the course selection period, students’ selections of CC courses are time-stamped.
Pending approval of course enrollment, you can check your position in the queue as well
as the number of vacancies available in the course via the following page:

SIS Menu > Enrollment > Common Core Queue Position Note 3

Note 3:
• Data of this enquiry page will be made available from the following times (after 15
minutes from the start of course selection period in August):
- On the first day of course selection period for current students:
From 10:15 a.m. for Year 4 and above students
From 12:15 p.m. for Year 3 students
From 2:15 p.m. for Year 2 students
- On the first day of course selection period for freshmen:
From 10:15 a.m.
• The page only shows those Common Core enrollments that are pending approval. To
view the full list of the approved and pending Common Core enrollments, please
refer to “SIS Menu > Enrollment > Enrollment Status”.
• The information on the page is refreshed every 10 minutes.

The system would approve students’ course selections on a first-come-first-served basis

based on the time-stamps. In addition, students who have declared CCTM will be
given priority (during the “priority period”) to enrol on the remaining courses
belonging to the same thematic cluster.

Any enrollments not approved as a result of oversubscription would be placed on a

waiting list (ranked according to the time-stamps). The system would run the enrollment
approval process a few times per day and you can check and make changes to your
course selection online during the course selection period.

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During the course selection period, all sub-classes of CC courses would remain open
even if they are full so that students can choose to put them on the waiting list.

After the course selection period closes, all the waiting lists generated during the
course selection period would be purged. You will not be allowed to make any
changes to your course selection until the add/drop period.

(ii) Enrollment Priority for Students who have Declared CCTM

In the course selection period in 2021-22 Semester 1, students who have declared CCTM
will be given priority over the others of the same cohort for the CC courses (under the
same thematic cluster as their declared CCTM) selected during the “priority period”
indicated below:

Year 1 students,
BASc(SDS) Year 3
students, BSc(ACD)
Year 2 students
Year 4 students Year 3 students Year 3 students,
who have
who have declared who have BSc(IM) Year 3
declared CCTM
CCTM declared CCTM students and exchange/
visiting students
(not eligible to declare
CCTM)
Semester
Aug 4, 2021 Aug 4, 2021 Aug 4, 2021 Aug 20, 2021
Course 1/ full-year
(10:00 a.m.) (12:00 p.m.) (2:00 p.m.) (10:00 a.m.)
Selection courses
Period starts Semester 2 Aug 4, 2021 Aug 4, 2021 Aug 4, 2021 Aug 20, 2021
courses (10:10 a.m.) (12:10 p.m.) (2:10 p.m.) (10:10 a.m.)
“Priority
Period” Semester 1 Aug 4, 2021 Aug 4, 2021 Aug 4, 2021
CC courses (10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.) (12:00-2:00 p.m.) (2:00-4:00 p.m.)
N/A
Semester 2 Aug 4, 2021 Aug 4, 2021 Aug 4, 2021
CC courses (10:10 a.m.-12:00 p.m.) (12:10-2:00 p.m.) (2:10-4:00 p.m.)
“Common
Core Queue From From From From
Position” Aug 4, 2021 Aug 4, 2021 Aug 4, 2021 Aug 20, 2021
page 10:15 a.m. 12:15 p.m. 2:15 p.m. 10:15 a.m.
available

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For example, for a CC course under the thematic cluster SCCE, the system will approve
the enrollments in the following sequence:

Sequence No. Enrollments to be Approved

1 Enrollments submitted during the “Year 4 priority period” by

• Year 5 or above students; and
• Year 4 students who have declared CCTM-SCCE
(according to time-stamps)
2 Enrollments submitted during the “Year 4 priority period” by Year 4 students who
have not declared CCTM-SCCE (according to time-stamps) (These students’ queue
position may be pushed back by subsequent enrollments of students in Sequence No.
1 above.)

3 Enrollments submitted during the “Year 3 priority period” by

• Year 5 or above students;
• Year 4 students who have declared CCTM-SCCE; and
• Year 3 students who have declared CCTM-SCCE
(according to time-stamps)
4 Enrollments submitted during the “Year 3 priority period” by
• Year 4 students who have not declared CCTM-SCCE; and
• Year 3 students who have not declared CCTM-SCCE
(according to time-stamps) (These students’ queue position may be pushed back by
subsequent enrollments of students in Sequence No. 3 above.)
5 Enrollments submitted during the “Year 2 priority period” by

• Year 5 or above students;

• Year 4 students who have declared CCTM-SCCE;
• Year 3 students who have declared CCTM-SCCE; and
• Year 2 students who have declared CCTM-SCCE

(according to time-stamps)

6 Enrollments submitted during the “Year 2 priority period” by

• Year 4 students who have not declared CCTM-SCCE;

• Year 3 students who have not declared CCTM-SCCE; and
• Year 2 students who have not declared CCTM-SCCE

(according to time-stamps) (These students’ queue position may be pushed back by

subsequent enrollments of students in Sequence No. 5 above.)

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7 Enrollments submitted after the “priority periods” by

• Year 5 or above students;

• All Year 4 students;
• all Year 3 students; and
• all Year 2 students

(according to time-stamps)

For CC courses not belonging to any thematic cluster, the system will approve all
enrollments according to time-stamps only (even if they are submitted during the
“priority period”).

Students who have declared a CCTM are allowed to take courses which belong to the
corresponding thematic cluster only. If a student has declared CCTM but selected a CC
course not belonging to the same thematic cluster as the declared CCTM, the Common
Core Queue Position page will show “*” under the Queue Position with a remark “Course
does not match with CCTM. Please drop this course and select another course under your
CCTM.” The course will subsequently be disapproved and removed from the Common
Core Queue Position page.

(c) Example
(i) During the “Priority Period”

For example, there are three CC courses (each course with a quota of 3):
• CCST9051 (under UQM cluster);
• CCHU9001 (under SCCE cluster); and
• CCGL9022 (non-cluster course).

During the “Year 2 priority period” for Semester 1 courses (i.e. 2-4pm on the first day of
2021-22 course selection period for current students), two students select all these three
courses at the following times:

• 2:10 p.m. Student E (Year 2 student without declaring CCTM)

• 2:20 p.m. Student C (Year 2 student who has declared CCTM-UQM)

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After Student E selects the courses at 2:10 p.m.:

Student E (Year 2 student without declaring CCTM)

Course Code Quota Approved Vacancy Pending Queue Position

CCST9051 (UQM) 3 0 3 3 3

CCHU9001 (SCCE) 3 0 3 3 3

CCGL9022 3 0 3 3 3

After Student C selects the courses at 2:20 p.m.:

Student C (Year 2 student who has declared CCTM-UQM)

Course Code Quota Approved Vacancy Pending Queue Position

CCST9051 (UQM) 3 0 3 4 3

CCHU9001 (SCCE) 3 0 3 3 *

CCGL9022 3 0 3 3 *

For CCST9051 (under UQM cluster), Student C (who has declared CCTM-UQM) has priority over
Student E (without declaring CCTM). Therefore, Student E’s queue position is pushed back.

Student E (Year 2 student without declaring CCTM)

Course Code Quota Approved Vacancy Pending Queue Position

CCST9051 (UQM) 3 0 3 4 4

CCHU9001 (SCCE) 3 0 3 3 3

CCGL9022 3 0 3 3 3

(ii) After the system runs the next approval process and disapproval process,
• the available vacancies will be assigned to students according to their queue positions;
and
• the enrollments remarked “Course does not match with CCTM…” will be disapproved
and removed from the Common Core Queue Position page.

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(iii) If any student drops an approved enrollment,

• the vacancy will be reflected on the Common Core Queue Position page of other
students who have selected the course; and
• after the system runs the next approval process, the vacancy will be assigned to the
student with queue position no. 1.

(iv) After the course selection period ends,

all enrollments pending approval would be purged.

2. Add/Drop Period (course approval method: Auto-Ballot)

Take the schedule of the 2021-22 First Semester add/drop period as an example:

Year 1 students, BASc(SDS)

Year 3 students,
Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 or
BSc(ACD) Year 3 students,
students students above students
BSc(IM) Year 3 students and
exchange/visiting students
Add/Drop Period
starts

(Note: You must Sep 1, 2021 Sep 1, 2021 Sep 1, 2021 Sep 1, 2021
finish enrolling the (10:00 a.m.) (12:00 p.m.) (2:00 p.m.) (4:00 p.m.)
Semester 1/ full-year
courses before the
Semester 2 courses)
Suspension Period
(course selection will Sep 2, 2021 (12:00 p.m. – 4:59 p.m.)
not be available)
Add/Drop Period
Sep 15, 2021 (4:00 p.m.)
ends

During the add/drop period, you may select CC courses with available places and the system
would approve students’ new enrollments randomly by auto-ballot. NO priority will be given to
students who have declared CCTM. The first auto-balloting job would be executed during the
suspension period, so there is no need to rush to login/submit requests at the beginning of the
add/drop period. The system would run auto-balloting jobs a few times a day (starting from the
suspension period) and you may check your course selection status and ballot result online after
the suspension period via the following page:

SIS Menu > Enrollment > Enrollment Status

Each auto-balloting job would approve the enrollments randomly up to the class quota and then
disapprove any remaining enrollments. No enrollment would remain pending nor be put on a
waiting list.

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If a sub-class of CC course is full already, it would be closed and students are not allowed to
select it or to put themselves on the waiting list. If any approved student drops the sub-class, it
would be open for enrollment again.

3. Comparison of the Arrangements between the Course Selection Period and Add/Drop
Period for Common Core Courses

Course Selection Period Add/Drop Period

Course approval method
Enrollment priority
Execution of enrollment
approval process
Chance to enroll
First-come-first-served Auto-ballot
Students who have declared CCTM NO priority will be given to
will be given priority (during the students who have declared CCTM.
“priority period” *) to enrol on the
remaining courses belonging to the
same thematic cluster.
*On the first day of course
selection period in August:
• For Year 4 students: 10:00am-
12:00pm (for Semester 1
courses) and 10:10am-12:00pm
(for Semester 2 courses)
• For Year 3 students: 12:00-
2:00pm (for Semester 1 courses)
and 12:10-2:00pm (for Semester
2 courses)
• For Year 2 students: 2:00-
4:00pm (for Semester 1 courses)
and 2:10-4:00pm (for Semester 2
courses)
A few times a day starting from the A few times a day starting from the
beginning of course selection suspension period
period
Depending on the time-stamp of the All enrollment requests submitted
submission of enrollment request before the suspension period would
(so students are advised to submit be selected randomly (so there is no
their enrolllment requests as soon need to rush to login/ submit
as the course selection period requests at the beginning of
begins) add/drop period)

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Course Selection Period Add/Drop Period

Enrollment Status enquiry
page
If a sub-class is full
SIS Menu > Enrollment >
Enrollment Status (for the list of
approved and pending
enrollments); and
SIS Menu > Enrollment >
Common Core Queue Position
(for queue position)
All sub-classes of CC courses
would remain open even if they are
full so that students can choose to
queue on the waiting list.
SIS Menu > Enrollment >
Enrollment Status
Full sub-classes would be closed
and students are not allowed to
select it nor to put themselves on
waiting list. If any approved
student drops the sub-class, it
would be open for enrollment
again.

C. Common Core Course Enrollment Arrangements for Exchange/Visiting Students

Exchange/Visiting students cannot select CC courses online. If they are interested in taking CC
courses, they could approach the Common Core Office or their home Faculties for assistance. Their
requests would be considered on a case-by-case basis.

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