This article outlines the steps to authorize a new Request Authorization for Reduced Courseload request to batch to SEVIS.

• Step 1: Record Creation
• Step 2: Find the Reduced Courseload Record
• Step 3: Review and Complete SEVIS-Required Data
• Step 4: Create SEVIS Update Record

Step 1: Record Creation 

Student-initiated

Students may initiate the Reduced Courseload request. 

Offices will need to create a student link for the Terra Dotta page, an external webpage, or an email with a link that the student can click to access a request in Terra Dotta.

Staff-initiated 

Admins may add a Request Authorization for Reduced Courseload request to a student record by going to Records > New Record, locating the student and clicking Add, select Request Authorization for Reduced Courseload in the drop-down menu, then click Create.

Step 2: Find the Reduced Courseload Record

Navigate to Record > Search. Enter the name of the student whose Reduced Courseload Request request you would like to process.

Step 3: Review and Complete SEVIS-Required Data

You may configure your site to either:

Allow students to complete their Request Authorization for Reduced Courseload record 

OR 

Edit the questionnaire to remove it from the student view for the Request Authorization for Reduced Courseload record. By removing it from the student view, only Admins can complete the question items. To complete this action:  

1. Process > Questionnaires > Drop Below Full Courseload Request > Click the edit pencil > Select Yes to Is this an internal-use questionnaire? > Update

2. Select the checkbox to the left of the Application Cycle(s) you want the questionnaire to be deployed to > Select Apply.

Depending on how your site was designed to address processes, Admins will review, edit, or complete the required SEVIS-mapped Question Items in the record:

A. Reason for Drop Below Full Courseload​ - Select the reason from the drop-down menu. NOTE: The reason Part-time Commuter Student is only valid for students who are commuting from Canada or Mexico, as indicated identified in the Academic Objective record. If Part-time Commuter Student is selected as the reason and the student is not a part-time commuter, then the action will fail update record verification in the SEVIS Admin.

B. Start Date - The date the authorization to drop below full courseload will begin.

C. End Date - The date the authorization to drop below full courseload will end.

D. Remarks (Optional) - Display on page 1 of the Form I-20. 

Step 4: Create SEVIS Update Record 

When all fields are complete, you will create a SEVIS Update Record. For instructions on how to do this, see SEVIS Admin: Creating a SEVIS Update Record.

Important:  
In 2016, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) originally planned to limit users' selection of the Reduced Courseload (RCL) start and end dates to the Current Session Start Date and Current Session End Date (CSSD/CSED), respectively, by requiring that the RCL request link to the most recent SEVIS Registration application. This would have required the RCL dates to be exclusively limited to the current session registration dates.

SEVP later revised their approach and indicated that DSOs would not be restricted to selecting only the CSSD/CSED for the RCL authorization dates, but that the CSSD/CSED would auto-populate in RTI as suggested start and end dates for the RCL. However, these dates are editable by the user. 

Terra Dotta permits you to authorize the RCL either with the registration start and end dates (for example, if you know your student will be out for the whole term, and he has reported this information to you prior to the start of the semester), or with specific RCL dates (for example, if your student encountered difficulty mid-term, and only needs the RCL authorization for specific dates.) Terra Dotta is being "smarter" to recognize which application you have selected for your SEVIS Update record to add your RCL authorization (registration or RCL Add).

Reasons and remarks are contained in the RCL application in Terra Dotta. You do NOT need to use the pop-up window to specify again your reasons and remarks if you are submitting an RCL application. If you do, Terra Dotta will only bring the reason and remarks values from the RCL application.

You DO need to use the pop-up window to submit reason and remarks for these values if you are submitting the RCL authorization with the Registration application for dates that cover the entire term.

You may also wish to see SEVIS Admin: Assigning a SEVIS Update to a Batch.