Service Description
If you find yourself needing to share the same materials across different course sections within a semester, you can request to have your course sections combined into a single Brightspace course site. However, it's essential to note that this process is not an official cross-listing procedure, which should be handled through the Registrar's Office for courses that require cross-listing in the registration system (Banner).
To ensure a smooth merging process and adhere to best practices from D2L Brightspace, consider the following guidelines:
- A merged course cannot have a user simultaneously available and active in two child sections.
- Courses with distinct content and lessons should not be merged. Avoid combining two courses with different materials.
- Avoid merging courses during an ongoing semester, especially if there is already student activity. Merging mid-semester might result in missing student activity, which won't propagate to the parent course.
- Keep in mind that content added to a child section will not automatically be added to the parent course.
Roles and Responsibilities:
- The instructor listed in Banner must be the one making the request for course sections to be combined.
- Instructors are responsible for communicating with students about the merging of course sections and the specific course title where they can access and participate in the course.
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Courses may not be merged in Brightspace solely for the convenience of an instructor. Merging course sections must serve a legitimate educational or administrative purpose and comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). When sections are combined without an approved instructional or institutional justification, the merger may result in the inappropriate disclosure of student education records or enrollment information to individuals not officially enrolled in the same course section. Accordingly, course sections will remain separate unless the merger has been reviewed and approved in accordance with institutional FERPA guidelines.
Under FERPA, course sections may not be merged in Brightspace solely for instructor convenience. Combining sections without an approved academic or administrative rationale may expose student enrollment, participation, or academic information to students who are not registered in the same section, which constitutes a potential FERPA violation. For this reason, course mergers require institutional review and must be limited to cases where there is a documented educational need.
How to Request
To request a course merge in Brightspace, please complete the Request Service form.