UConn Creates a More Seamless Registration Experience with CourseLeaf PATH

Overview

Founded in 1881, the University of Connecticut (UConn) is one of the nation’s top-ranked public 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, seamless digital experiences continued to grow, UConn sought a modern solution that could simplify course discovery, schedule planning, and registration while integrating with current systems like PeopleSoft.

By implementing CourseLeaf PATH, UConn is building a more reliable and student-centered registration experience - one that combines class search, planning, and registration into a single streamlined workflow.

The Challenge

Before adopting CourseLeaf PATH, UConn relied on the Class Search and Enroll functionality within with student information system, PeopleSoft, along with a separate planning solution from another vendor.

However, both systems presented challenges.

According to Marc Hatfield, Assistant Registrar at UConn, the university experienced ongoing issues with the reliability and usability of its existing Class Search and Enroll system.

“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 used a third-party scheduling solution that allowed students to quickly build schedules, but concerns over data accuracy ultimately led the university to move away from the platform.

The institution needed a solution that could provide a more reliable and flexible class search experience, help students build schedules around the courses they needed and wanted, support the entire registration process from search to enrollment, improve the advising experience for faculty and staff, and deliver a more intuitive experience for students.

Why UConn Chose CourseLeaf PATH

UConn’s relationship with CourseLeaf began in 2022 with the implementation of CourseLeaf's class scheduling solution (CLSS), which launched in 2023. The university later implemented CourseLeaf's catalog management solution (CAT) in 2024 and launched curriculum management functionality (CIM) along with portions of the PATH student planning and registration platform in 2025.

In 2026, UConn began using PATH's Registration Optimization functionality for the first time to help students optimize schedules and gain access to needed courses.

For the UConn team, choosing PATH was about more than just functionality.

“We chose PATH because we liked the search interface and because we had a good existing relationship with the company.”

The university was also especially interested in advanced PATH capabilities such as Preflight, which helps students identify registration issues before they attempt to enroll, Registration Optimization, designed to help students optimize their schedules and improve access to needed courses, and a unified registration experience that allows students to search, plan, and register in one place.

Building a Better Student Registration Experience

Although PATH is still relatively new at UConn, the university has already received encouraging feedback from students, faculty, and advisors.

One of the most impactful improvements has been consolidating the registration journey into a single experience.

“The ability to search for classes and register all in one place has been huge, as has the Preflight feature.”

Faculty and advisors have also reported that PATH is easier to use when working with students.

“Anecdotally, we've heard from advisors and faculty that they find it much easier to use when working with students.”

Because the system is still in the early stages of adoption, UConn expects awareness and usage among students and advisors to continue growing over time.

A Trusted Partnership

Beyond the technology itself, UConn emphasized the value of its long-standing relationship with CourseLeaf.

“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 helped support UConn through multiple implementations across the CourseLeaf platform while positioning the university for continued innovation in student registration and advising.

Looking Ahead

As UConn continues expanding adoption of PATH, the university is focused on creating an even more seamless experience for students, advisors, and faculty.

Early feedback suggests the institution is already moving in the right direction: delivering a registration experience that is more reliable, easier to use, and better aligned with student needs.

With PATH, UConn is not only modernizing registration - it is laying the groundwork for a more connected and student-friendly academic experience across the institution.