Resources
DeCal Approval Process
Requirements (as of Spring 2018):
Here's what you'll need to have in order for your course to be considered for approval. Please see the Academic Senate's website(link is external) for a full explanation of each element.
- Course Proposal Form (CPF) packet
- A fully developed syllabus
- Unit Value Worksheet (included in CPF packet)
- Faculty Sponsor Letter of Support (instructions included in CPF packet)
- For first-time facilitators: training through one of UCFTR's facilitation and collaborative learning workshops
Frequently Asked Questions
- Academic Senate FAQs for Student Facilitators (link is external)
- Academic Senate FAQs for Faculty Sponsors(link is external)
- DeCal Board FAQs for Student Facilitators(link is external)
- UCFTR FAQs for Student Facilitators & Faculty Sponsors
Our Past Newsletters
- June 2023
- May 2023
- April 2023(link is external)
- March 2023(link is external)
- February 2023(link is external)
Teaching Tools and Additional Resources
- Syllabus Template(link is external) - A template provided by the Mellon Faculty Institute on Undergraduate Research to help you get started with your course syllabus. The template outlines important sections that your syllabus should include. Feel free to use the template; add your own content and modify it to suit your needs.
- Syllabus Checklist - A checklist to help you to make sure that your syllabus is complete.
- Center for Teaching and Learning Resources(link is external) - A collection of useful ideas and materials to help you design, teach and evaluate your class. Though not specifically chosen for peer facilitators, many of the resources here will be applicable or adaptable to your own course goals.
- COCI Memo on Student Groups and Student-Facilitated Courses Is your course connected to an existing student group? Find out what you need to know about maintaining distinctions between the two.
- Checklist for Scheduling Conflicts with Academic Requirements(link is external) - A useful document for handling scheduling conflicts between academic requirements and extra-curricular activities.
- Risk Services information, including Waiver of Liability Forms(link is external) - This page explains when Waiver forms may be required, and how they should be used.
- bCourses for DeCals ETS Handout - Step-by-step instructions for setting up your bCourses site.
Important Campus Policies
Berkeley Center for Teaching & Learning Page of Campus Policies(link is external)
Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination(link is external)
- Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy(link is external)
- Summary of Responsible Employee obligation set forth in UC SVSH Policy(link is external)
- Important facts about professors, supervisors and other "responsible employees"(link is external)
- Policy on Student Conduct and Discipline(link is external)
- Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Student Adjudication Framework(link is external)
- Student Adjudication Model - Process Flow Charts(link is external)
- University Nondiscrimination Policy - Students(link is external)
- University Nondiscrimination Policies - Employment(link is external)
- Conflicts of Interest Arising Out of Consensual Relationships(link is external)
- Interim Sexual Violence and Harassment Policy(link is external)
- Code of Student Conduct(link is external)
- Faculty Code of Conduct(link is external)
- Investigation and Adjudication Procedures for Senate and Non-Senate Faculty(link is external)
Important Deadlines
Academic Senate Course Proposal Deadline
Course proposals are always due to the Academic Senate one month before the last day of instruction in the preceding semester (or summer). The deadline to submit your Course Proposal Form to facilitate a Fall 2025 DeCal will be mid-July 2025. Learn more about Student-Facilitated Courses by visiting the Academic Senate website(link is external).
Note: Sponsoring departments may have earlier deadlines, so be sure to check with yours. Visit our Department Contact page(link is external) for information on department-specific deadlines and resources.
Deadline to Complete Training with UCFTR
Starting in Spring 2018, all students seeking to facilitate a student-initiated course for the first time must complete training as required by the Academic Senate. The deadline to attend one of our facilitation and collaborative learning workshops to fulfill this requirement is the same day as the Course Proposal Form deadline. If you plan to propose a Fall semester DeCal by the Senate's summer deadline, we strongly recommend completing training before the preceding Spring semester ends, as summer offerings are often limited.
Add/Drop Deadline
For Spring 2025, the Registrar's deadline(link is external) to drop non-EDD (Early Drop Deadline) courses is 11:59 p.m. (Pacific time) on February 12, 2025.