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Semester Transitions
Course Activate/Combine
While you are getting things cleaned up for the current semester, it’s a good idea to activate your course sites for the next semester.
Instructors who are CMS certified can use online activation and combination forms. CMS certification simply means that you have taken the online or face-to-face Introduction to Online@UT course. The online course is self-paced but typically takes about an hour or two to complete; the face-to-face version lasts three hours. You can register for the course on the Innovative Technology Center’s training page.
Remember to activate all sections of a course you are teaching, as well as sections that are cross-listed with other departments. For convenience, many instructors who teach multiple sections of a class choose to create a combined course site. This creates a new course site that combines the rosters of all of the individual sections you choose to include. If you are teaching several sections of a class, a combined course site will allow you to upload content once, rather than into each section’s course site. Your students will see both the individual and combined course sites, so we recommend that you make the individual course site unavailable to prevent confusion.
If you aren’t sure if your course is cross-listed, check the “Courses of Instruction” list in the University’s catalog. If you see the phrase “Same as …” or “See …” after your course number, the course is cross-listed. It’s very important to activate all sections of a course so all of your students can see your course content. As an example, if you teach a Religious Studies class that is cross-listed with Philosophy, and only activate the Religious Studies course site, any students who sign up for the Philosophy section won’t see anything in their course list. Activating and combining these sites before the beginning of the semester can avoid headaches and frustration on all sides.
The online forms can be found on the Online@UT homepage under the Instructor Quick Links in the right-bottom corner or in the Instructor Forms section.
Step-by-Step Instructions: Filling out the "Activate Your Course(s)" Form
Step 1. Select the appropriate Semester from the drop-down list and login with your NetID and password. You will be authenticated against LDAP and the CMS Certification Database. Click Continue.
Step 2. Select the appropriate Department from the drop-down list and the appropriate Course Number(s) from the drop-down list. Click Continue.
Step 3. Select the checkboxes for all section(s) you will be teaching. Click Continue.
Step 4. Verify your entries. If all is correct, select Submit.
Step-by-Step Instructions: Filling out the "Combined Courses" Form (after activating all of your courses)
Step 1. Login with your NetID and password. You will be authenticated against LDAP and the CMS Certification Database. Click the Continue button.
Step 2. Select the appropriate Semester from the drop-down list and the appropriate combination option. Click Continue.
Step 3. If you are creating a new combined course, select the sections and choose a name. Click Continue.
Step 4. A confirmation screen will be displayed.
Once you submit the activation and/or combination request, your course sites should be available by noon the following day, as soon as the daily process that updates our data finishes.