Guidance for Instructors

These criteria exist to protect student privacy, as required by FERPA, and supersede those in the college’s 2020 document entitled “FERPA Compliance with D2L Combined Courses & Zoom.”

To be automatically approved to merge two or more separate sections of a course, course sections must have the same:

• Course name and number
• Instructor
• Start and end timeframe (e.g., combining a late-start section with a regular-start section is not allowed.)
• Delivery method

If you will permit students from different sections to interact with each other in a merged course shell, you must include language in your syllabi indicating that. If a student expresses concern, consult with your dean or the dean of students immediately. Here is recommended syllabus language:

“Please note that discussion boards or other group activities in D2L may include students who are registered in one of my other sections of this course. If you have any questions or concerns about this, please let me know.”

Merging course sections with unlike delivery methods is discouraged. Differing delivery methods require different pedagogical approaches and student interactions, and they present unique challenges to adhering to FERPA and other mandates. Thus, merging course sections with different delivery methods is allowed only with your dean’s approval, and these requests will be routed to your dean for review.

• As part of this process, your dean will meet with you to review your course design and delivery to ensure regular and substantive interaction between students and instructor as required by the Higher Learning Commission.
• Your dean will also verify that your course is structured so that students receive information and direction that is customized to the delivery method for which they are registered; for example, they may ask for evidence that you are using D2L’s “Release Conditions” or “Manage Restrictions” tools so students see the appropriate announcements, activities, documents, and assessments. 

Please go to our "What is a Merged Course Section?" webpage for more information. If you have additional questions, please contact your dean.

If you are ready to submit your merged course section request, proceed to this page.