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!

In This Page

Announcements for Fall 2025

The Course Proposal Form has been updated for Fall 2025. You will need to use this new form for your proposal to be approved.

As a reminder, EECS will support a maximum of 17 total DeCals. DeCal proposals will be approved on a first-come, first-served basis. Recurring DeCals will not receive priority.

Please do not wait until the deadline to submit your proposals. Once we have approved 17 EECS DeCals, we will no longer accept proposal submissions.

As a reminder, EECS is limiting which DeCals can be offered with 2 sections. Only recurring DeCals that already have 2 sections can continue to do so. All other DeCals can only be offered with 1 section.

Submission Deadlines for Fall 2025

We will begin accepting Fall 2025 EECS DeCal proposals on Monday, May 19th, 2025. Your proposal must be completely reviewed and approved by the EECS Schedulers no later than Monday, June 23rd, 2025, at 3 pm (see process below).

Please note that almost all proposals require some revisions to gain approval from the EECS Schedulers. We highly encourage you to submit your proposal before June 23rd so you have time to make any necessary revisions. No late proposals will be accepted.

The deadline for submitting your Chair-approved proposal to COCI is Tuesday, July 15, 2025.

1. 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.

Notes on Facilitating: At least one Student Facilitators per DeCal needs to be an EECS, EE, or CS major. All Student Facilitators must be enrolled students during the semester they are facilitating. Students who have already graduated or are on leave from UC Berkeley cannot facilitate. 

2. 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 online:

  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 and wants to receive teaching units, they MUST complete the UCFTR training as referenced on the Course Proposal Form.
    • Please note: Training dates and workshop names need to be completed for ALL facilitators. If the facilitator’s training date is after the submission deadline, put the training dates and names on the proposal & COCI will verify that training is completed. NO FACILITATORS CAN BE ADDED AFTER PROPOSAL IS SUBMITTED TO EECS SPECIAL PROGRAMS MANAGER.
  2. A fully developed syllabus which includes the following information:

    • an outline of course content (this needs to align with the EECS department) 
    • 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
  3. 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.
  4. A Unit Value Worksheet, which can also be downloaded from the Academic Senate website, under the Best Practices section. This is included in the Course Proposal Form PDF linked above under #1.
    • 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.
  5. 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 a department letterhead, and signed by the instructor, and should address the five questions explaining the role and relationship the instructor has with the course.
    • Please note: Your Faculty Sponsor must be an EECS, EE, or CS professor.

3. Submit Completed Packet to EECS Special Programs Manager for Review and Approval

A) Submission

  1. When your proposal packet is complete (please ensure that ALL of the steps in #2 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. If your proposal is complete, it will be forwarded it to the Chair’s assistant so that it can be signed by the Chair. You will be cc’d on that message. If your proposal is incomplete, it will be sent back to the Student Facilitators for editing until it is meets all department requirements. 
  4. The Chair’s assistant will then return your signed proposal to you and cc the Special Programs Manager. This may take as long as 1-2 weeks. You then submit your proposal to COCI (see #4 below).

B) Course set up

  1. Once your signed proposal is returned to you, the Special Programs Manager will email you a Job Aid with more detailed information and a Course Enrollment form requesting information to set up your class. You will receive a confirmation with class details once the class is set up. This happens about a month prior to the start of the semester. 
  2. Room bookings for DeCal classes are set up by the Special Programs Manager. 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.

C) Facilitator Hiring Forms

Campus policy states:   “…that all instructors have an appropriate instructional title which has been approved through the normal process. Once approval has been received, the appointment data, including job code, must be entered into the Human Resource Management System (HRMS). The data from HRMS will be matched with data from the Class Schedule and Instructor Report (CSIR) system.” This includes DeCal Facilitators.

You will receive the appropriate HR forms to complete once your DeCal proposal has been approved by our Department Chair.

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

4. 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.

Note: COCI only notifies you if there is a problem with your submission. No news is good news. 

5. 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.

UC Berkeley DeCal FAQ

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

FAQ

1) Who can be a Student Facilitator for an EECS DeCal?

Undergraduate and graduate students at UC Berkeley can facilitate EECS DeCals. Student Facilitators must be enrolled in UC Berkeley classes during the semester they are facilitating, so students on leave cannot facilitate. At least one Student Facilitator per DeCal must be an EECS, EE, or CS major.

2) Who can be a Faculty Sponsor for an EECS DeCal?

Only EECS, EE, or CS professors can sponsor EECS DeCals. 

3) How many DeCals does EECS offer each semester?

The EECS department offers a maximum of 17 total DeCals. DeCal proposals are approved on a first-come, first-served basis. Recurring DeCals do not receive priority.

4) Are late proposal submissions ever accepted?

No. Please make sure to abide by the deadlines posted on the EECS DeCal website.

5) How and when are DeCals listed in the class schedule?

EECS DeCals are listed as CS 198 and EE 198 sections. In rare cases, EECS DeCals are listed as EE 98 sections. You can find DeCals listed in the class schedule shortly before the start of each semester (early January and early August).

6) Can my DeCal be offered with multiple sections?

Only recurring DeCals that already have 2 sections as of Spring 2025 can continue to do so. All other DeCals can only be offered with 1 section.

7) Do Student Facilitators need to attend a training workshop each semester they are facilitating?

No. Student Facilitators must attend a training workshop offered by the Student Learning Center the first time they are facilitating. They do not need to attend additional training workshops after that.

8) How do Student Facilitators handle DeCal course enrollments?

Once your proposal has been signed by the Department Chair, the EECS Special Programs Manager will email you requesting information regarding course enrollment. The EECS Special Programs Manager is the staff member who creates your DeCal in the enrollment system. They will set the enrollment capacity for your class and designate how students will enroll based on your preference. (Note: enrollment capacity is based largely on room capacity). You will work with the EECS Special Programs Manager for any enrollment-related issues as well.

There are 2 ways to handle enrollment for DeCals:

  • 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.
  • Instructor consent: This involves single-use permission codes distributed by facilitators. This is the most popular choice because it gives you the most flexibility and control. It requires you to create your own enrollment form outside Cal Central to help you determine who should get into the class. This form will be listed under “class notes” for your DeCal on https://classes.berkeley.edu/.

9) 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. You MUST be listed as a Student Facilitator on the COCI-approved DeCal Proposal to receive teaching units. Both classes 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:

  • After your class is set up in the system, the Special Programs Manager will email you a link to a spreadsheet where you can input your name, SID number, and number of units requested. The Special Programs Manager will use this list to manually process these requests during the adjustment period. 
  • Provide a copy of this list to your faculty sponsor to ensure they know whom they will be approving grades for at the end of the semester.

10) How can I set up a bCourses site for my DeCal?

Student Facilitators can set up their bCourses site. Instructions are provided in the DeCal Enrollment Guide that is sent after proposals are approved.

11) How do I submit grades for enrolled students at the end of the semester?

At the end of the semester, you can input the grades for your enrolled students in the system, and your Faculty Sponsor (instructor of record) will approve them.

12) Where can I get more information?