Facilitating EECS DeCal Classes

Process for Creating an EECS DeCal

As a facilitator of a DeCal course, you will assume a lot of the same responsibilities as an instructor, and will need to create a positive experience for all of the participants in your course. We strongly encourage you to review this webpage and the links provided, to stay in close communication with your faculty sponsor, and to seek help if needed. Happy DeCal facilitating!

Fall 2023 Submission Deadlines

Your proposal must be completely reviewed and approved by the EECS Schedulers no later than Wednesday, June 21, 2023 (earlier due to the July 4 holiday).

The deadline for submitting your Chair-approved proposal to COCI is: Tuesday, July 11, 2023

1. Create Course Proposal Packet

Visit How to Start a DeCal for detailed information on how to create a syllabus, find a faculty sponsor, and complete the Course Proposal Form (CPF).

Required Documents for the Course Proposal Packet

A course proposal must be completed each semester, and approved by the sponsoring department, for every student-facilitated 198 course offered for academic credit. The following must be submitted to the Academic Senate in hard copy (paper):

  1. A Course Proposal Form, signed by your faculty sponsor. This form can also be downloaded from the Academic Senate website, under the Required Documents section. Please note: The Academic Senate does not distinguish between facilitators, TAs, tutors, etc. If a student has a leadership role in a DeCal, they MUST complete the UCFTR training as referenced on the Course Proposal Form. 

  2. A fully-developed syllabus which includes the following information:

    • an outline of course content
    • a reading list
    • a statement of frequency of class meetings
    • a clear description of assignments and requirements for passing the class
    • key learning outcomes
    • method(s) of instruction
    • method(s) of evaluation of student performance

    An example of a fully developed syllabus can be found at the Center for Teaching & Learning. Additional resources may be found at the website for Undergraduate Course Facilitator Training & Resources.

  3. A Unit Value Worksheet, which can also be downloaded from the Academic Senate website, under the Best Practices section.

    • When completing the unit value worksheet ensure that the minimum total work hours are equivalent to the unit value of the course (e.g.: there are at least 45 hours for a 1 unit course).

    • Also ensure that any requirements outlined in the worksheet are explained fully in the course syllabus.

  4. A Faculty Sponsor Letter of Support, from the instructor of record, must be provided for each course the instructor is sponsoring. This letter is required for all student-facilitated course proposals starting SP 18. The letter should be written on department letterhead and signed by the instructor, and should address the five questions explaining the role and relationship the instructor has with the course.

2. Submit Completed Packet to EECS Schedulers for Review and Approval

A) Submission

  1. When your proposal packet is complete (please ensure that ALL of the steps in #1 above are completed!), email it AS A SINGLE PDF to: eecs-decal@eecs.berkeley.edu

  2. We will review your proposal and contact you with any questions or additional steps you need to take.

  3. When the Scheduler is satisfied that your proposal is complete, they will forward it to the Chair's assistant so that it can be signed by the Chair.  You will be cc:ed on that message.

  4. The Chair’s assistant will then return your signed proposal to you and cc the Scheduler. This may take as long as 1 week for Fall and 2 weeks for Spring.

B) Course set up

  1. Once your signed proposal is returned to you, the Scheduler will email you a Job Aid with more detailed information and a Course Enrollment form requesting the below information in order to set up the class. 

    • Maximum Enrollment for your class

    • Two choices of day(s)/time(s) for the class

    • Enrollment options (outlined in Job Aid)

    • Any specific characteristics of the room you would like to teach in (e.g., movable chairs, specific a/v equipment, etc.).

    Note: Classrooms for DeCal classes are set up via the EE/CS Schedulers. Please do not request a room via bcal in Soda or Cory Hall yourself. We do our best to find a room that meets your stated preferences, but you may need to accept whatever we can get. Keep in mind that DeCals are scheduled long after regular classes are scheduled and there are limited rooms available.

  2. Upon receiving the above information, the Scheduler will create the course in the campus online schedule of classes. Once the class is set up, the Scheduler will share class details, permission codes and teaching unit information.

**Late or incomplete submissions will not be considered**

3. Submit Signed Packet to COCI

Once you receive your Chair signed course proposal, you may then submit your paperwork to the Committee on Courses of Instruction (COCI).  See Student-Facilitated Course Information on the Academic Senate website for instructions.

The deadline is one month before the end of instruction in the preceding semester (see current deadline above).

Note: COCI only notifies you if there is a problem with your submission.

4. Submit Class to DeCal

After submitting the packet to COCI, submit the class to DeCal so it can be listed on their website.

How to submit a class to the DeCal website

  1. Login into the DeCal Website.
  2. Click on 'Dashboard' on the upper right hand corner of the website.
  3. Click on the yellow 'Submit a Course for Approval' button.
  4. Follow the steps until completion of form.
  5. After submission, you should receive a confirmation email.
  6. Check your email for any status changes.
  7. You may go back and make edits to all course information, expect the Course Name, so make sure that it is correct in the beginning.
  8. Please check your email if your course is rejected and make edits according to comments. Please feel free to email us at decalprogram@gmail.com if you have any further questions.

DeCal FAQ

Be aware that the DeCal student organization has different deadlines and requirements than the Academic Senate (COCI).

5. Attend Training Workshop (first time facilitators)

All first-time student-facilitators must undergo training.  The Student Learning Center’s Undergraduate Course Facilitator Training and Resources unit (UCFTR) offers a number of workshops and one-on-one trainings each semester to support student facilitators.

Additionally, student facilitators may enroll in the Craft of Facilitating course,  CS 399 or EE 197, in order to get ongoing support and credit for their work.

FAQ

1) How do I handle DeCal course enrollment and roster?

The Enrollment Manager is the person who creates the enrollment capacity for your class and designates how students will be able to enroll. You will work with the Enrollment Manager for any enrollment-related issues as well.

Once your proposal has been signed by the Chair, the Enrollment Manager will email you requesting information regarding course enrollment.

There are three ways enrollment can be handled for a DeCal class:

  • Open enrollment – this is first come, first enrolled no matter who the students are. No priority is given by major, no distinction is made between lower div, upper div or grad students. This method requires the least effort on your part but also allows the least control over enrollment.

  • Permission code distributed by facilitators– this is the most popular choice because it gives you the most flexibility and control. Enrollment is restricted to instructor consent on Cal Central. You can then create your own enrollment form outside Cal Central to help you determine who should get into the class. The Enrollment Manager provides you with SINGLE USE permission codes that you can distribute to approved students. They use these codes when they enroll into your class.

  • Student-specific permission codes – this option prevents students from applying to enroll in your class and then giving the single-use permission code to someone else. This method is secure but rarely used because it requires you to provide a full list of students (names and SIDs) to your class to the Enrollment Manager within the first four weeks of the semester. The CS Enrollment Manager then generates the student-specific permissions and you then must notify the students that they can enroll into the class.

2) Can I receive teaching units for facilitating a DeCal course?

Yes. To get teaching credit for your DeCal, you need to enroll in the EE 197 or CS 399 section assigned to your faculty sponsor.  Both classes are are offered for 1-2 units. Facilitators enroll in units up to the unit value of the DeCal course they facilitate.

Complete the following 2 steps:

  1. After your class is set up in the system, the Enrollment Manager will email you a link to a spreadsheet where you can input the names, SID numbers, and number of units requested. The Enrollment Manager will use this list to manually process these requests during the adjustment period of enrollments.
  2. Provide a copy of this list to your instructor of record to ensure they know whom they will be submitting grades for at the end of the semester.

3) How can I set up a bCourses course site?

Your faculty sponsor, who is the Instructor of Record for the course, will need to set up the bCourses site and delegate access to you.

4) Whom do I contact for help managing enrollments?

If you have a waitlist for your class and want to drop students who have enrolled but haven’t attended class, you can request a class roster from the Enrollment Manager to cross reference with your attendance records. The Enrollment Manager would need any list of students you wish to drop for non-attendance by no later than 5pm Wednesday of the third week of class.

If you plan to drop students for non-attendance, you need to have communicated (in your syllabus and/or the class website) from the beginning of the semester that this is something you will do.

5) How do I submit grades for enrolled students at the semester's end?

At the end of the semester, submit the grades for your enrolled students to your Instructor of Record so they can input them into the system.

6) Where can I get more information?

https://decal.berkeley.edu/

Resources