CASE STUDY
Registration at UCONN: A Better Student Experience
UConn Creates a More Seamless Registration Experience with CourseLeaf PATH
At a Glance
Institution Type: Four-Year Public
Enrollment: 34,000 students
SIS Integration: Peoplesoft Campus Solutions
Challenge: Multiple systems; Class search lacked reliability & flexibility; No single platform to support the full end-to-end registration workflow
CourseLeaf Solutions: CourseLeaf PATH Student Registration Software, CourseLeaf CIM Curriculum Management Software, CourseLeaf CAT Academic Catalog Software, CourseLeaf CLSS Academic Scheduling Software & Analytics
Supporting a Better Registration Experience
Founded in 1881, the University of Connecticut (UConn) is one of the nation's leading public research universities, serving more than 34,000 students across its main campus, five regional campuses, the School of Law, and the Schools of Medicine and Dental Medicine.
As student expectations for intuitive digital experiences continued to evolve, UConn recognized an opportunity to improve the registration process. The university wanted to simplify how students searched for courses, built schedules, and registered while continuing to leverage its existing PeopleSoft Student Information System.
By implementing CourseLeaf, UConn is creating a more connected registration experience that brings course search, schedule planning, and registration together in a single workflow.
Moving Beyond Disconnected Registration Tools
Before implementing CourseLeaf PATH, UConn relied on the Class Search and Enroll functionality within PeopleSoft along with a separate planning solution from another vendor.
According to Marc Hatfield, Assistant Registrar at UConn, neither solution fully met the university's expectations.
"We were looking for a more reliable, more flexible class search product as well as a planning tool that could help students build schedules based on the courses they needed and wanted. We also wanted a tool that handled the entire process - from class search to actually registering the student."
UConn had also implemented a third-party scheduling tool that allowed students to quickly build schedules. While students appreciated the functionality, concerns about data accuracy ultimately led the university to seek a different solution.
The university wanted a platform that could provide reliable class search, support schedule planning, improve advising, and guide students through the complete registration process without requiring multiple systems.
Building on a Trusted Partnership
UConn's partnership with CourseLeaf began in 2022 with the implementation of CourseLeaf CLSS for academic scheduling, which launched in 2023. The university expanded the relationship by implementing CourseLeaf CAT in 2024, followed by CourseLeaf CIM and portions of CourseLeaf PATH in 2025.
In 2026, UConn also began using PATH's Registration Optimization to help students identify schedules that better fit their academic needs and improve access to required courses.
For Hatfield, the decision to expand the partnership extended beyond software capabilities.
"We chose PATH because we liked the search interface and because we had a good existing relationship with the company."
The university was particularly interested in capabilities such as Pre-flight, which helps students identify registration issues before attempting to enroll, Registration Optimization, and a unified experience that allows students to search, plan, and register in one place.
Creating a Better Experience for Students and Advisors
Although PATH is still relatively new at UConn, students, advisors, and faculty have already responded positively.
Hatfield said one of the biggest improvements has been bringing the entire registration experience together in a single application.
"The ability to search for classes and register all in one place has been huge, as has the Pre-flight feature."
Faculty and advisors have also found the system easier to use while working with students.
"Anecdotally, we've heard from advisors and faculty that they find it much easier to use when working with students."
As adoption continues across campus, UConn expects awareness and usage to grow while further improving the registration experience.
A Partnership Built on Trust
For UConn, the value of the project extends beyond technology.
Reflecting on the university's relationship with CourseLeaf, Hatfield said,
"We've been working with CourseLeaf for years and have built a strong working relationship. We've always appreciated their responsiveness and their transparency, even at times when our projects have hit snags."
That partnership has supported multiple successful implementations across the CourseLeaf platform while helping position the university for continued innovation in academic operations.
Looking Ahead
As UConn continues expanding its use of CourseLeaf PATH, the university remains focused on delivering an even more seamless experience for students, advisors, and faculty.
Early feedback suggests the institution is already moving toward a registration experience that is more reliable, easier to navigate, and better aligned with student needs. By connecting course search, planning, and registration, UConn is creating a stronger foundation for student success while supporting more efficient academic operations.