Instructional Resources and Programs

Course Scheduling

• I need to make a change in my course. Who do I contact?
• Make sure your vice chair is aware of the changes as there may be additional information needed or implications to the dept. Then either they or you can submit a change request using the Change Request Form. 
• When will I know my room assignment?

• Room placement takes place over several months after the coordination period ends. If possible, the CBS Scheduler or the registrar will communicate your assigned room. Otherwise, you can see assignments once the schedule publishes in Scheduler Builder or by logging into your MyUCDavis page and looking under Classes I teach. As rooms and schedules are available, they will populate in the drop-down list.

  The schedule publishes for students as specified below:

  Fall: March 1
  Winter: September 1
  Spring: November 1
  Summer: March 1

• I need to add students by PTA. Who can help me?
• Most depts have at least one designated individual that can issue PTA’s for the dept’s courses. Sometimes, faculty can also issue a PTA themselves. Check with your dept for its preferred practice and who to contact. If you are teaching a course that is managed by a different dept than your own, then check with the managing dept. 
• When will I have access to my Canvas course?

• Canvas shells are created at designated periods before the term, generally around the same time the schedule for that term is published. The instructor of record in Banner will be added to the course. See Information & Educational Technology (IET)’s knowledge base article When are course shells for future terms loaded into UC Davis Canvas for the dates. If these dates have passed and you were assigned as the instructor of record, the course should be in your Canvas dashboard after 24-48 hours. 

  If you are a co-instructor, the instructor of record will need to add you to the Canvas course. Refer to the Canvas article How do I add users to a course? for more details.

• I have a student that wants to register for my course, but they don’t meet the pre-reqs. I’m willing to let them add. How can I do this?
• If a student does not meet the pre-reqs when attempting to register, Scheduling Builder will give them an error and an opportunity to submit a pre-req petition. Instructors can review these petitions in the Photo Roster Tool to decide which to allow once Pass Two begins. Seats are held (or a waitlist spot is held) until the petition is denied. Review Prerequisite Checking Frequently Asked Questions for more details.

Individual Course Changes/ICMS

• I need to make a change to my course. How do I initiate this?
• Talk with your dept vice chair about the desired changes. In some depts, the vice chair will submit the ICMS form, and in others faculty do directly. At a minimum, your vice chair needs to be aware since most are on CUCEP and are a part of the approval workflow. Depending on the desired changes, specific information might be required and you can work with your vice chair and/or CUCEP to ensure it is entered correctly. 
• Who is involved in course approvals?
• Once an ICMS form is submitted, the dept chair or vice chair must approve the proposal. Then it will move to the Committee on Undergraduate Courses & Educational Policy (CUCEP), which is comprised of an elected chair, 1 representative from each CBS dept (generally the vice chair), the BIS Program Director, the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Academic Programs (ex-officio), a BASC representative, and staff support from the Dean’s Office. If CUCEP approves, the form will go to the Committee on Courses of Instruction (COCI) in the Academic Senate which has final approval. 
• How can I find the status of a submitted course proposal?
• If you submitted the proposal, it will be listed under My Courses on your ICMS dashboard. You can open the proposal and see its history for the current status. If your vice chair submitted the proposal, they can look up this information for you. 
• What is the typical timeframe to make a change or add a new course?
• The typical timeframe to make a change or add a new course depends greatly on the specific nature of the proposal. Pre-req changes can move through ICMS in a few months. Most other changes can take around 1 year to move through all the necessary approval steps, especially if the required information is not provided initially and changes to the form are required.

Degree Program Changes

• I need to make changes to the major or minor I am the faculty advisor for. How do I initiate this?

• Major or minor program changes must go through an extensive approval process (see Who is involved in major or minor changes approvals FAQ). A proposal indicating the desired changes and reasoning must be drafted with your dept chair or vice chair. The dept faculty must vote on the proposed changes and the vote details must be included in the proposal (total number who voted, those in favor, those not in favor, those who abstained or did not vote). Finally, a current list of program requirements with the desired changes indicated/marked up is needed. 

  CUCEP, FEC, and Undergraduate Council need to approve all changes. Once the necessary approvals are received, the program requirements can be modified in the catalog during the annual maintenance process beginning in December. Documented approvals are required for changes to stay in the newly published catalog. 

• Who is involved in major or minor changes approvals?
• First, dept faculty approval is needed. Then the Committee on Undergraduate Curriculum and Educational Policy (CUCEP) will need to vote on the proposal. If CUCEP approves, then CBS’ Faculty Executive Committee (FEC) must approve. If FEC approves, the proposal gets sent to Undergraduate Council for final vote. Each level of approvals will need to include an approval memo as the proposal moves through the workflow.
• What is the typical timeframe to make a change to a major or minor?
• Making program changes does not occur quickly. It is recommended that departments prepare proposals and conduct their faculty votes between January through March. CUCEP should vote by April, and FEC by May. That leaves Undergraduate Council June through November to review and vote. Catalog edits begin in mid-December for the next academic year (e.g., in December 2024, edits are being made for the 2025-2026 catalog). The new catalog is then published in coming April. Therefore, the overall timeline for approvals is about 1 year. 
• When will the catalog be updated with approved changes?
• The catalog is approved by the catalog editor in early April and published later that month. Changes are generally not made outside this timeframe.
• Can we update the major or minor requirements in the catalog without the approvals?
• No, Undergraduate Council has directed the catalog editor to not accept any changes without official proof of all approvals. If changes are made without this documentation, the catalog editor will remove the edits.

Course and Classroom Administration

• When are course shells created?
• Course shells are automatically created and populated with the instructor of record (lead instructor) listed in Banner. For most terms, it is the same day that the term’s schedule is published in Schedule Builder and Course Search Tool. See IET’s knowledgebase article When are course shells for future terms loaded into UC Davis Canvas? for specific dates by term.
• How do I add a co-instructor or TA to my Canvas course?
• You can manually add people to your course through the “+ People” button found under the People menu. More details and instructions can be found in the Canvas article How do I add users to a course? You can also find information about the different permission roles in the IET knowledge base article What permissions does each user Role have in UC Davis Canvas?
• Who can I contact for issues or maintenance in my assigned classroom?
• Use the Classroom Hotline at 530-752-3333 for technology or building/custodial needs. Scheduling Staff in the registrar can be reached at 530-752-7228 for questions or concerns about finals rooms.
• I am a co-instructor on a course, but not able to request lecture capture. Why is this?
•  Lecture capture can only be requested by the instructor of record on a course. This is the person who officially submits the course grades and is listed in Schedule Builder. Please work with the instructor of record to have it requested. If the instructor of record needs to be changed, contact your CBS course scheduler.