Frequently Asked Questions
- What is DeCal?
- Who can sponsor a DeCal course?
- How is the DeCal Program run?
- Does the DeCal Program have any staff support?
- So it's just like students teaching their own classes?
- Are classes offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters?
- How are classes graded?
- Are there DeCal-like programs at other university campuses?
For UC Berkeley students planning to take or currently taking a DeCal:
- How do I enroll in a DeCal course?
- How do I use a DeCal course to fulfill the University minimum unit requirement to be considered as a full-time student?
- Can I use a DeCal towards my degree requirement?
- How many DeCals can I take? Can I take the same DeCal for a second time and get unit credits for it?
- What are the deadlines to add or drop DeCal classes?
- How will a DeCal class show up on my transcript? How come sometimes I can take an upper division DeCal (198) but not a lower division (98) and vice versa?
- What are Special Studies 97/197?
- Do I need to pay any fees to take a DeCal class?
- When will the schedule of DeCals be posted?
- What are the student's rights?
- Who do I contact if I have concerns about my grade?
- How do I find out more about a course that was offered in the past?
For facilitators:
- Who is eligible to initiate a DeCal? Can alumni or community members facilitate DeCals?
- How do I start a class?
- What can I do to prepare myself to facilitate a course?
- When is the deadline to start a DeCal?
- How can I get units for facilitating? Can I enroll in my own class?
- Are there any special campus policies that I should know about?
- What are the rules for putting together a course reader? Should I be aware of any copyright laws?
- How can I create a course website so I can put up homework, handouts and presentations slides on there?
- Can I charge a course fee?
- How can I get funding for my class?
- What is the difference between a Special Studies 98 and 198? How come sometimes I can’t facilitate one or the other?
- What paperwork do I use for Special Studies 97/197?
- How do I find the Course Control Number (CCN) for my course?
- What resources does DeCal have available?
- How do I enter in the grades for my students?
- There has been a very high demand to take my class. Is there any way that I can get either a larger room or an additional room so I don't have to turn anyone away? How can I reserve a room for an end-of-the-semester party/function?
- How do I arrange parking accommodation for a guest lecturer?
What is DeCal?
DeCal is the Program for Democratic Education at Cal. It is a student-run organization on the UC Berkeley campus. It is a registered student group through OSL (Office of Student Life) and is sponsored in part by the ASUC (Associated Students of the University of California). DeCal's mission is to provide support for student facilitators. Each semester we support over 150 courses facilitated by students, for students, on topics ranging from Taiwanese Language to Simpsons and Philosophy. These are accredited Pass/No Pass courses on our campus. In order to facilitate a course, a student must find a faculty sponsor in a specific department. For example, a student wishing to facilitate a course on a favorite book can find an English professor to sponsor the course, and the course number can then show up as English 98/198 on student transcripts. Between 3000 and 4000 UC Berkeley students take DeCals each semester. You can read more about this in the What is a DeCal? page.
Who can sponsor a DeCal course?
If an individual has been approved to teach as an instructor of record for an academic unit, he or she may "sponsor" a student-facilitated group study course as the instructor of record. This sponsor must be either a permanent faculty member or lecturer. A lecturer must sign a Waiver of Compensation (see the Department Chair for details). According to some department regulations, a faculty member can oversee only one P/NP undergraduate course per semester, including DeCal. Please check with undergraduate advisers and other departmental officials in charge of DeCal affairs regarding the sponsor's eligibility. It is the responsibility of the chair of each department (or equivalent), subject only to the authority of the Division, to ensure that only regularly appointed officers of instruction holding appropriate instructional titles may have substantial responsibility for the content and conduct of approved courses.
More detailed information can be found in the Sponsoring a DeCal page.
How is the DeCal Program run?
DeCal is run by a student board, most of whom are experienced facilitators. We are a friendly bunch. :) We maintain the website, offer resources, information and funding to facilitators, and act as a liaision for students, student facilitators, faculty, ASUC, administrators, and the campus community. We are always looking for new volunteers, interns, and board members to get involved. Our office is in 320 Eshleman—please visit us! Read more on the People page.
Does the DeCal Program have any staff support?
Yes! Since 2002 we have had staff support through the UCFTR office- Undergraduate Course Facilitator Training and Resources. Visit DeCal's UCFTR page and http://slc.berkeley.edu/ucftr for more details!
So it's just like students teaching their own classes?
NO! At DeCal we emphasize that students are facilitators and not teachers. DeCals are able to exist through Special Studies 98/198 group study. Students should not feel like they have to be an EXPERT in the field in order to facilitate a class. Often the best learning experiences come from an alternate model of education.
Are classes offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters?
DeCal courses are offered only in the Fall and Spring.
How are classes graded?
All DeCal courses are graded Pass/No Pass, to avoid the issues of letter grading. Facilitators create their own syllabi and their own grading rubric.
Are there DeCal-like programs at other university campuses?
Yes! We are aware of similar programs at other universities, but none are as extensive as DeCal. For more information please visit DeCal @ Other Campuses or contact us.
How do I enroll in a DeCal course?
DeCal courses are advertised through www.decal.org. Facilitators post the enrollment procedures for their courses on the Find a Course page. The course control numbers (CCN's) are usually withheld until classes commence. Since DeCals are highly impacted, students are required to attend the first day of class and may be rejected several times before gaining admission to a course. For example, if there are 20 seats available in a course, a typical number of students who shows up on the first day of class is around 50.
In accordance to the rules agreed with their sponsoring departments, the facilitators may ask prospective students to write a one-to two-page essay or a brief introductory paragraph, fill out a questionnaire, submit a course application or even take a short test and admit students based on a comparative assessment of all the responses received. The sponsoring departments are responsible to ensure the equalization of admissions. If the integrity of the facilitator is under doubt, students should contact their academic adviser on the best way to proceed and the sponsoring departments and read the section on student rights on this page.
There are also more direct ways to admit students. Facilitators can simply post the CCN's on the Find a Course page or their separate course websites independent of the DeCal site and admit students on a first-come, first-served basis via TeleBears enrollment. Students may also receive CCN's by contacting the facilitators via e-mail to reserve a spot in the class. The applicants' seniority, the number of times they have applied before or a simple lottery may determine admission. Prospective students should know that there are many different ways to enroll in a DeCal course; facilitators and their sponsoring departments set the terms as their administrative needs/demands dictate. The general rule is that if you find a DeCal that particularly interests you, feel free to contact the facilitators and express your enthusiasm, unless otherwise told not to. Facilitators are usually delighted to receive inquiries about their classes.
How do I use a DeCal course to fulfill the University minimum unit requirement to be considered as a full-time student?
Even though some sponsoring departments require an earlier start time, DeCals usually commence a week after official instruction begins and facilitators may not give out course control numbers until the first day of class. Therefore, most students wishing to take a DeCal to fulfill the minimum University unit requirement or meet any other transfer prerequisites will not have a complete schedule until a few weeks into the Tele-BEARS Adjustment Period. These students will have a partial course load throughout the entire Phase II of Telebears and should questions or a need for clarification arises, contact the appropriate offices and departments directly. The Office of Registrar will still expect all students to be enrolled in at least the minimum number of units approved by their colleges or school by the end of the third week of instruction. You can view the minimum and maximum unit requirements for the College of Chemistry, College of Engineering, College of Environmental Design, College of Natural Resources, College of Letters & Sciences and the Haas School of Business at the University Courseload Regulations.
If you are concerned that you would not get into a DeCal, attend the first few sessions of a regular University course as a backup. There are many 2-to 3-unit, lower-division seminars that different departments offer. Hundreds of students attend those; therefore, enrolling in and dropping them would not be a problem. Check them out in the Online Schedule of Classes.
Can I use a DeCal towards my degree requirement?
No, although some DeCal courses and letter-graded courses taught by professors and GSI's explore similar topics, DeCals do not count towards any degree requirements. For example, taking a History 98 DeCal on the development of ancient Roman society does not satisfy the Premodern History requirement for an undergraduate student pursuing a history degree. DeCal courses also cannot be used to meet the Reading and Composition, American History and Institutions, breadth or any other university and departmental requirements. However, DeCal units, not more than sixteen, will count towards graduation by fulfilling the elective portion of a student's total course work at the University. Department rules may vary, check with your undergraduate/graduate advisors.
How many DeCals can I take? Can I take the same DeCal for a second time and get unit credits for it?
It is important to understand that these rules may be further limited by the faculties of the various schools and colleges and by the Graduate Council. For complete details and more information about grading policies and options, please consult with your academic advisor and the General Catalog. Most students can take a maximum of four units Special Studies 97/197 or 98/198 credit in a semester with a maximum of sixteen units can count toward graduation. DeCal courses can only be taken in Pass (P) or Not Pass (NP), which is not counted into your Grade Point Average (similarly, graduate courses graded on a Satisfactory [S] or Unsatisfactory [U] basis). In order to graduate you cannot take more than 1/3 of your class Pass/NotPass.
If you repeat a DeCal course in which you have passed or failed previously, the course will count as part of your class schedule for the semester and both the first and second grade that you earn will be listed on your transcript. You will be able to use a repeated DeCal as part of your minimum units requirement for the semester. The course units will also count toward graduation.
What are the deadlines to add or drop DeCal classes?
All DeCal classes follow the Office of Registrar's Add/Drop/Grading Option Change Deadlines.
How will a DeCal class show up on my transcript? How come sometimes I can take an upper division DeCal (198) but not a lower division (98) and vice versa?
DeCals show up as 98/198 courses in the sponsoring department. Lower division students sign up for the 98 section and upper division students for the 198. So, for example, a class on the Rubik's Cube that is sponsored through the Math department will show up as Math 98 on your transcript if you are enrolled as a sophomore. However, some departments only offer 98 or 198 but not both. As of Fall 2006, the History Department only offers History 98 (that means all students can only enroll in the 98 section even if they are juniors or seniors.) but the Philosophy Department only has Philosophy 198. Departments set their own preference as their administrative styles dictate. The same rule applies to Special Studies 97/197 courses. You should contact the departments sponsoring the DeCal for their policies on special studies course offering.
What are Special Studies 97/197?
Special Studies 98/198 are usually designated as instruction courses where nothing outside the classroom is expected of the students, and Speical Studies 97/197 are courses that require some amount of community service outside the classroom. Students in good academic standing and under normal condition should be able to receive academic units from both the 97/197 and 98/198 series.
Do I need to pay any fees to take a DeCal class?
Facilitators are not authorized to collect any money from students. Students cannot be required to pitch in for a guest speaker's travel or any other up-front costs. Class readers must be sold through a commercial photocopy shop, not sold through the class facilitator. The facilitator cannot buy in bulk and resell to students if there are activities which require materials such as art supplies, cooking ingredients, or equipment rentals. A fee may be collected for activities (e.g., attendance at a performance, field trip, etc.), only if participation is optional. If there are mandatory class activities which require a fee, then the fee must be approved by the Course Materials Fee Committee (CMFC). CMF proposals must be prepared one year in advance and submitted through the department that is sponsoring the class. Once a fee is approved as CMF, the fee is collected through CARS, not by the facilitator. All information about course fees and any related expense should be in a prominent location on the class description and syllabus.In the past, when the Registrar’s Office learned of the unsanctioned levying of fees in a DeCal-listed class, the undergraduate course facilitators were given the option of either refunding the fees, or canceling the class. Facilitators are not supposed to make a profit from facilitating a course. Make sure you protect yourself and know your rights!
The Associated Students of the University of California (ASUC) provides funding to cover academic-related expenses up to $100.00 or $200.00 (the maximum amount may fluctuate depending on the ASUC Senate's budget allocation for the year) per DeCal course through the Educational Enhancement Fund (EEF). More information can be found in the Funding page.
When will the schedule of DeCals be posted on www.decal.org ?
We always try to get this as early as possible, but we usually get fall DeCals posted in early August, and spring DeCals in late December.
What are the student's rights?
Enrollment selection on the grounds of race, gender, sexuality, marital or parental status, age, creed, political beliefs, social or economic class or disability is strictly prohibited. Facilitators cannot accept gifts, food, financial incentives, sexual favors and other extraneous services for personal benefit that would influence the outcome of the enrollment process or the final grade for the course. If you believe that you have been treated unfairly or notice violations that would constitute the university’s breach of academic contract with the students, contact the department sponsoring the DeCal immediately. If you are taking an English 98 DeCal, you will need to address your concerns to the English department, which sponsors the course. A list of departmental contacts is available in the Department Policies and Contacts page. Departments are committed to abide by university equal opportunity statures and will help resolve differences by working with the conflicting parties through the Berkeley Campus Student Grievance Procedure. The DeCal Board does not have the authority to settle any disputes between the students and facilitators.
Who do I contact if I have concerns about my grade?
If you feel you were graded incorrectly, contact your facilitator first. The person in charge of inputting your grades is the faculty sponsor of the course, who is the second person you can contact. If you have trouble or need help mediating a situation, contact the the DeCal board and the department sponsoring the DeCal. You may find departmental contact information in the Department Policies and Contacts page.
How do I find out more about a course that was offered in the past?
We currently do not have a good system of archiving DeCals online. However, we have archived a collection of syllabus dating back to the early 1990s in the DeCal Office at 320 Eshleman Hall! They are sorted by subject. So come visit us or send us an email and we'll try our best to help you out.
Who is eligible to initiate a DeCal course? Can alumni or community members facilitate DeCals?
All graduate and undergraduate students can fill out a Special Studies Course Proposal to initiate a DeCal course. At the discretion of the sponsoring department and faculty member, alumni and community members may co-facilitate a class with a currently-enrolled UC Berkeley student. The student initiating the course should consult the sponsoring department for specific instructions. Feel free to use the Department Policies and Contacts page.
How do I start a class?
Please see the Seven Steps to Starting a DeCal.
Important: The seven steps usually meet most (not all) departments’ regulations. DeCals belong to the departments in which the faculty sponsors teach and should abide by the departments’ specific rules for student-run courses. For example, some departments may assign a faculty sponsor to the facilitator or require facilitators to fill out a form in addition to the Special Studies 98 and 198 Course Proposal Form . Future facilitators should always consult prospective departments and their websites to get a good understanding of the different protocols as early as possible. You may find their contact information in Department and Policies and Contacts. It also wouldn't hurt to establish a rapport and good relation with the staff in charge of handling DeCal affairs.
You are also encouraged to check out Starting a DeCal: a condensed guide for future facilitators. In printable format, this guide encapsulates the various parts of this website, tells a brief account of DeCal's background and walks through the process of starting a DeCal, from finding a faculty sponsor to dealing with other minutiae that facilitators should know. You can download the document from the Resources page.
In general, there is some paperwork, some meeting with people, and some bureaucratic bouncing around, but overall the process isn't so bad and is definitely worth it. The paperwork is mainly your course syllabus and one form (the Special Studies 98/198 Course Proposal Form).
What can I do to prepare myself to facilitate a course?
As a joint collaboration of the DeCal Board and the Undergraduate Course Facilitator Training and Resources, the Schwag Packet is a heavy but helpful resource that focuses on the techniques of facilitating. This packet helps facilitators understand the underpinning of classroom dynamics and suggests some techniques, affirmed by education researchers and scholars, that facilitators can use to forge a close connection with their students and encourage student participation, thus eliminating “dead air,” which is a common occurrence for many first-time facilitators. It is very useful as a tool for DeCal facilitation and skills sharing. You can download the document from the Resources page
For more information, please read the Developing a Course page.When is the deadline to start a DeCal?
There are two deadlines to submit the Special Studies Course Proposal Form. Facilitators need to submit the course proposal form along with any specific departmental forms to the department sponsoring the DeCal. After obtaining the required signatures from the faculty sponsor and department chair, the form should be sent to the Academic Senate’s Committee on Courses of Instruction (COCI).
Berkeley Division Regulation A230 gives department chairs approval authority for sections of 98 and 198 courses, while COCI receives copies of the course proposals for informational purposes. The deadline for submitting proposals to the Committee on Courses of Instruction will be one month before the end of instruction in the preceding semester (or summer), effective as of Spring 2007.
All departmental deadlines will be prior to the COCI deadline. Prospective facilitators need to consult the departments for more information as departments set their deadlines according to their own administrative styles/demands/resources. Usually, there's a person in the department (often referred to as the "course scheduler" or sometimes the "Undergraduate Advisor" or sometimes the "SAO"--Student Affairs Officer) who can assist facilitators. Use the Department Policies and Contacts page to find the right contacts.
The DeCal Program offers publicity and outreach services to student-facilitators and is not responsible for the academic and administrative aspects of DeCal courses. If facilitators would like to advertise their courses on www.decal.org, they need to submit a copy of the Special Studies 98 and 198 Course Proposal Form and course syllabus to the DeCal Office at 320 Eshleman Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720. This is completely optional for facilitators. The DeCal Program always accepts the forms. Please allow at least 48 hours for processing the submissions. Instructions for course posting will be sent to the e-mail addresses provided by the course proposal forms. Expect up to one week for processing during the summer and winter holidays.
You can find more information in the Timelines and Deadlines page.
How can I get units for facilitating? Can I enroll in my own class?
Yes, there are definitely ways for you to get credit! NO, YOU CANNOT ENROLL IN YOUR OWN DECAL!. Most facilitators get credit for facilitating by enrolling in Independent Study with their faculty sponsors. Each department has its own paperwork, and you and your faculty sponsor should work out just how many units you'd be racking up, and what, if any, additional reflection or reporting s/he might want of you. You can save yourself time by doing this at the same time that you are doing the paperwork for your class. Remember: You cannot enroll in your own class!
You can also get units for planning your DeCal, through the Craft of Facilitating course. You can do this by enrolling in Ed.97/197 sec. 12 ("Craft of Facilitating") during the semester you are facilitating your DeCal -- you get 3 units instead of two to account for the extra "field work" of running your class, and it counts toward the Education Minor. Find out more on the UCFTR page.
Are there any special campus policies that I should know about?
We've specifically created the Policies Facilitators Should Know page to explain the procedures to deal with issues like course fee, liability waivers and accommodation for students with disabilities as well as some requirements and responsibilities of the students-facilitators.
What are the rules for putting together a course reader? Should I be aware of any copyright laws?
Gather together a "master" copy of your readings. Write up a Table of Contents (you won't have the page numbers but it's a nice courtesy for students to know the sequence of stuff to help them find the articles). Then take it directly to the copy shop of your choosing. They'll tell you their policy about doing the copyright checks, but most places do it themselves and then pass on the royalty costs (if any) into the cost of the reader. One major pointer: DON'T GRANDLY REQUEST A TON OF READERS IN A FIT OF OPTIMISM. Estimate the tiniest class you can imagine, and then figure HALF of them will actually buy the reader (to share w/ others in the class, etc.). A smarter thing to do would be to arrange w/ the copy shop to have students call in advance to make an "order" of their reader, to pick up the next day. Otherwise you could be stuck paying for a bunch of unbought readers.
The Guidelines for the Reproduction of Copyrighted Materials for Teaching and Research are used to determine whether copying is within the "fair use" doctrine. If the copying is not within the Guidelines, permission should be obtained from the copyright owner before any copies are made. If it is unclear whether copying would require such permission guidance should be requested from the Office of the General Counsel. For policy on copyrighted materials online, including digital media and electronic copies of articles and books, please read the Guidelines for Compliance with the Online Service Provider Provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act You can check out the copyright section of the Policies Facilitators Should Know for more information.
How can I create a course website so I can put up homework, handouts and presentations slides on there?
The Educational Technology Services (ETS) helps UC Berkeley instructors supplement classroom teaching by giving students access to digitized course materials, broadcasting announcements, providing assessment opportunities, and hosting online discussions on a course website. Student-facilitators may also use the same service at the discretion of the sponsoring departments and ETS. Please contact department officials and ETS for further instructions. The DeCal Board recommends setting up the course website at the same time that you are doing the paperwork for your class. Be sure to allow sufficient time for preparation. The following are several different course website options that ETS supports.
bSpace (http://bspace.berkeley.edu) bSpace is the new online collaboration and learning environment at UC Berkeley. Instructors and GSIs can log in to bSpace with their CalNet ID and Passphrase to create a course or project site at any time. Once a website is created for a course or project, the members of that site will see a tab when they log in to their bSpace account. In the case of a course website, the class roster is pulled from the Registrar's database and is updated daily; students who are officially enrolled in or waitlisted for a course will see the tab upon logging in to bSpace.
Information to get you started with bSpace is available from the Training & Support Center.
CourseWeb (http://courseweb.berkeley.edu) CourseWeb is the gateway to Berkeley's online teaching and learning environment. This integrated system automatically provides a basic website for every course. Instructors can enhance the site by posting office hours, an extended course description, biographical information, and uploading a course syllabus. In addition to providing information for student reference, instructors can use CourseWeb to access a current class roster, view a photo roster, and send email messages to students without having to maintain a class email list.
Information to get you started with bSpace is available from the Training & Support Center.
Blackboard (http://blackboard.berkeley.edu) Blackboard is a learning management system (LMS) that has built-in tools for developing, administering, and publishing a course website. Easy-to-use forms allow instructors to post announcements, share lecture materials and other course documents, and provide links to websites without requiring any knowledge of HTML. Instructors can also use the system to encourage online collaboration through the discussion board, chat feature, and group communication tools. Since Blackboard is not integrated with other campus systems, instructors must request a site and tell students to add the Blackboard site to their account.
Information to get you started with bSpace is available from the Training & Support Center.
WebCT (http://webct.berkeley.edu) WebCT is a learning management system (LMS) that is only available to instructors who used the system prior to the Summer 2003 semester. FAQs for students and instructors are available from the Training & Support Center.
Free-form Websites (http://uas.berkeley.edu/forms/UAS.Application.plain.pdf) Some instructors prefer the flexibility of creating their own course website using web authoring tools such as Dreamweaver, GoLive, or Netscape Composer. This type of free-form website could be hosted on a departmental server or through a campus web account, like socrates. Members of the ETS staff are available to help instructors determine whether this is the best option
Can I charge a course fee?
Facilitators are not authorized to collect any money from students. Fees may be collected for a class only if they have been approved by the Course Materials Fee Committee, and they must be collected through the CARS system. The CMF process is a complicated procedure that must be completed before you start your class–the process may take up to one year. For more information on Course Materials Fees, please refer to the CMF website, http://evcp.chance.berkeley.edu/AdministrativeCommittees/indexAdminCmtesCMFMoreInfo.htm. As an alternative to charging a fee, DeCal recommends facilitators to apply for the Education Enhancement Fund (EEF). If you need additional funding, please contact the DeCal board.
How can I get funding for my class?
Please visit the Funding website.
What is the difference between a Special Studies 98 and 198? How come sometimes I can’t facilitate one or the other?
As a facilitator, you will be asked that question all the time. Most departments allow lower-division students to take Special Studies 98 and upper-division students to take 198. However, some departments only offer one or the other. For example, the History Department only offers History 98. On the other hand, the Philosophy Department only offers Philosophy 198. Departments set their own preference as their administrative styles dictate. You should contact prospective sponsoring departments for their policies on special studies course offering.
P/NP courses in general do not make a significant impact on students' transcripts. When graduate schools assess academic performances, a lower-division Special Studies P/NP course is not that much different from an upper-division Special Studies P/NP, especially when the course only counts for one or two units. However, some students may keep asking you why they are not receiving upper-division units when they have received them before in other DeCals. Our recommendation is to be patient with them.
What paperwork do I use for Special Studies 97/197?
Special Studies 98/198 are usually designated as instruction courses where nothing outside the classroom is expected of the students, and Speical Studies 97/197 are courses that require some amount of community service outside the classroom. The University does mandate a specific approval form for any 98/198 course - the Special Studies Course Proposal Form. However, for the 97/197 series, the Academic Senate doesn't require anything, but departments usually have their own internal paperwork that requires that same authorizing signatures as the 98/198 course proposal form. You may find departmental contact information in the Department Policies and Contacts page. Facilitators should make sure they are filling out their sponsoring department's paperwork, and providing the DeCal program a copy in order to be advertised on our website.
How do I find the Course Control Number (CCN) for my course?
Facilitators should be ready to submit a copy of the completed Special Studies course proposal form to the course scheduler, who will give you the Course Control Numbers (CCN’s) for your course. Some departments can also provide Course Entry Codes (CEC), which is unique for each student and let the facilitator know exactly who is enrolled and prevent problems with leaked CCN’s. To find out who the course scheduler is for your sponsoring department, please contact Classroom Scheduling at 510.642.0313.
What resources does DeCal have available?
DeCal program is run by a collection of experienced facilitators and student volunteers, the DeCal Board, which is here to provide a variety of support to our facilitators. We hold office hours to answer questions. Also, we serve as a liaison to connect you with people who can meet your specific needs. With roots in the Free Speech Movement, a time when students fought to have a say in their education, DeCal celebrated its 25th anniversary in fall 2005! Today we work closely with a University office, the office of the Undergraduate Course Facilitator of Training and Resources (UCFTR) to ensure that student facilitators have the proper support, resources and services. Importantly, we offer new facilitator training/orientations every semester.
The newly renovated DeCal Office at 320 Eshleman Hall, also has a collection of archival syllabus, a scanner/printer and a library of teaching and education materials that facilitators can use. Feel free to drop by and check it out!
How do I enter in the grades for my students?
Talk to the staff person in charge of Decals at your sponsoring department for specific instruction since each department has a different procedure. Usually, grades are submitted to your faculty sponsor, who reviews it and submit them to the department hierarchy.
There has been a very high demand to take my class. Is there any way that I can get either a larger room or an additional room so I don't have to turn anyone away? How can I reserve a room for an end-of-the-semester party/function?
To reserve a classroom or change/add to an existing room assignment for your class, you need to contact the designated course scheduler of the sponsoring department. Every academic department has at least two persons recognized by the Classroom Scheduling Office. To find out who your designated scheduler is, please call 510.642.0313. The course scheduler handles room reservation for academic classes and follows the Classroom Requests and Reservations procedure identified by the Office of Registrar below:
Classroom Requests at Semester Start-Up:Here are the guidelines to use that will help us respond to your requests. Please inform your instructors of the following deadlines.
- We will accept requests for either primary or secondary sections starting with the first day of the Tele-BEARS Adjustment Period.
- All room requests should be sent via fax at 510.642.0238 or mail on a Room Request Form. You may download a PDF version of this form.
- Room requests will not be accepted after Friday of the second week of instruction. You will receive final notification concerning your requests by Friday of the third week of instruction.
- Please do not call us regarding the status of previously submitted requests; you will be notified of the final outcome.
- Please do not submit requests more than once or otherwise duplicate your requests.
- Changes or cancellations involving a cross-listed course scheduled in a general assignment classroom must be submitted on a General Assignment Room Switch & Release Form. You may download a PDF version of this form. All other changes may be made directly online.
Before contacting the department scheduler to modify any room assignments, faciliators should have the consent of the faculty sponsor, department chair, the Academic Senate and any other officals in charge of departmental DeCal affairs to expand/reduce the class size.
Questions about classroom access for disabled students should be directed to the Mobility Access Specialist at 510.252.7671 or TDD 510.642.6376. If you have concerns about course enrollments relative to classroom capacity, please call the Classroom Scheduling Office at 510.642.0313 or to Space Management and Capital Projects at 510.642.1781, which maintains the campus classroom inventory.
If you'd like to reserve a multi-purpose room for an end-of-the-semester party/function, please contact your course scheduler and find out whether the department may reserve a room on your behalf as a departmental event. If the department denies your request, you will need to reserve a room yourself by contacting the building coordinator of the room, in which you are interested. You can find information on most multi-purpose rooms online. To let you have an idea of the choices available, here are the Rental Fees and Policies to reserve a room at the Haas School of Business. In most cases, a fee is applied. The use of audio-visual equipment, such as LCD projector, mic, etc. also costs extra. Reservations for these equipments are usually made separately with the media services department of the building. The Educational Technology Services (ETS) also offers equipment rentals. Check out their rates and policies. Make sure reservations for the room and equipments are coordinated and made well in advance (at least a month for many places). The odds are that you are not the only one who wants to have an end-of-the-semester final get-together. Funding from the Education Enhancement Fund (EEF) may also be restricted. For more information, please visit the Funding page and contact the ASUC Grants Department via e-mail asucgrants@gmail.com, by phone 510.642.0256 or stop by 205 Eshleman Hall and sign up for Office Hours to discuss your grants applications with a representative.
Another alternative is to hold your party/function at a nearby restaurant. The Spring 2006's DeCal Board party for about 15 people was held at Le Cheval on Bancroft. There was no reservation fee. The owner simply required that we spent at least $200 on food. This is a good option for some of the smaller classes. Good luck!
How do I arrange parking accommodation for a guest lecturer?
Check with your department first.
Purchase a day permit in advance, or give a set amount for parking and travel expenses.
Here are some websites:
http://www.berkeley.edu/visitors/parking.html
http://pt.berkeley.edu/
http://pt.berkeley.edu/parking/invited_guests/index.html
*Important* The EEF fund might be able to provide you with reimbursement if you pass all of their requirements and are granted the money. Make sure to mention that you checked with the department first because it gives you a better chance at the allotment because the EEF favors those that have looked for other funding first.