Combined Sections

Certain types of sections are combined in the Combined Section Table based either on its designation in the catalog as Crosslisted or Conjoint section or because the section is Blended with Global or Videoconference (VC). Sections in the Combined Section Table share a Class Roster.

Blended with Global Sections

Any class with an instruction mode of Online (ON) must be blended with Global. More about Instruction Modes.

Global Campus will automatically set up a "shell" for any catalog number that has been previously taught as Blended. The "shell" is a combined section that often includes a section from each campus. If a department wishes to offer the course on a specific campus, the department approves the section and determines the capacity.

If there is not a "shell" for a specific catalog number, contact Global Campus to ask for one to be set up. Do Not Convert a section nor add a new section and code it as Online or Hybrid! Blended or Hybrid courses must use Global design and the department must work with Global to set up a new course.

Blended with Global sections share a course space. The online section is the Primary Section.

VC Sections

Videoconference (VC) sections are combined in the Combined Section Table as a means to help AOI determine which sections belong together. Changes to the room should be reported to the Global Registrar. More information about Videoconference Sections.

Crosslisted Sections

Definition

Crosslisted courses are are offered under two or more subjects. Crosslisted courses always have a department that is the owner or parent of the course.  The parent department has the primary authority for the course, including the authority to request changes through the curriculum approval process.  All other subjects that are crosslisted with the parent course are referred to as child courses.

The parent department that has primary authority for a course. 

Background

Historically, if a crosslisted course was scheduled, all subjects were required to be scheduled.  However, this has presented a challenge for the other campuses which may not offer one of the subjects that are represented in the crosslisting.  For instance, Vancouver may never teach courses under the subject AFS, so requiring them to do so is confusing for students.

Scheduling Guidelines

All subjects in the crosslisting should be scheduled, except when a campus doesn’t offer a subject (as in the case of Vancouver not offering AFS courses). 

• Reasoning: The catalog needs to be a document that students and advisors find reliable. If students see a course in the catalog and then can’t find the course in the Schedule of Classes, there would be nothing to point the student to search under the other subject. The student may miss out on taking a class that he or she needs if it is “sometimes crosslisted.”
• Having all subjects scheduled for crosslisted courses helps keep the course information current as well. When a course is no longer functioning in a crosslisted manner (e.g., the parent department no longer wants the crosslisting), then there is a scheduling reminder to drop the subject that should not be part of the crosslisting.

Classes must be scheduled at the same time and in the same room since they are functioning as the same course.

• If a crosslisted class is cancelled, ALL offerings of the class must be cancelled.

Conjoint Sections

Conjoint courses are those that have been approved by the Faculty Senate to allow both a 400-level and 500-level offering of the same class to be scheduled.

Scheduling Guidelines

Both the 400- and 500-level should be scheduled according to the policy from the Educational Policies and Procedures Manual:

• Exception: A campus doesn’t offer graduate-level courses
• Reasoning: Scheduling both the 400- and 500-level offerings maintains catalog integrity, ensuring that there is reliability and truth in advertising for courses approved for conjoint status.

If one class is cancelled, both the 400- and the 500-level must be cancelled.

Exception Process for Combined Sections

Departments may occasionally wish to teach two different courses at the same time in order to meet particular pedagogical goals.  Because there is already a formal process for combining courses (through the crosslisted or conjoint designations approved by the Faculty Senate), these occasional requests to combine courses must be approved by exception.  Approved exceptions will be on a one-time basis, for one term.

Guidelines

• The courses that are to be combined must carry the same grade type and credit hours. For variable credit courses, both sections must be set to the same value.
• If the courses approved to be combined are Special Topics courses, then the combined class sections will carry the same title.
• Courses may not be combined across careers.
• Lower-division courses may not be combined with upper-division courses.
• Courses numbered 499, 600, 700, 701, 702, and 800 may not be combined with any other course number since these are independent study courses and do not have a scheduled meeting time or location.

Other Combinations

Merging LMS Course Spaces

Use Maintain LMS Course Spaces to merge classes in Canvas (LMS).

Shared Meeting in 25Live

Requesting a Combined Section Exception

• Submit a Memo with signatures from all chairs and deans that makes the request to combine class sections. Combining across departments or colleges will require the signature of all chairs and deans.
• Memo should include
  • Rationale for this exception.
  • Course Subject(s) number(s) and section number(s)
• Requests to combine Undergraduate or Professional courses should be submitted to Blaine Golden at the Registrar’s Office.
• Requests to combine Graduate courses should be submitted to the Dean of the Graduate School.