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Course-Related Information

Preparing for a New Course

  1. Course Budget Expense Reimbursements
    1. Extension Program Directors determine the course budget well in advance of the term. Items include instructor compensation, classroom technology or lab equipment, payment of guest speakers and copying of materials. You should specify needs in the course planning stages, at least four months before the beginning of the course. The earlier you discuss these interests with your Program Director, the better the chance that they will be considered in the budgeting and planning process. For instance, if you require special facility needs, such as a computer classroom or software for students, you should inform your Program Director during the planning process.
    2. If the course budget includes approval for items that you would pay for out of pocket (e.g., photocopying), then submit original vendor receipts to your Program Coordinator for reimbursement. If you no longer have an original receipt, then submit a canceled check, bank statement or credit card statement to document the out-of-pocket expense. Extension cannot reimburse you for materials prepared on personal equipment in your home or private business. Please contact your Program Coordinator for further information.
       
  1. Preparing Your Course Syllabus

Course expectations should be very clear at the course start date. Instructors are to create a course syllabus (template link), including grading and evaluation criteria, and answer students’ questions about their qualifications and requirements for them to be successful in your course. The syllabus should show a clear relationship between the course’s learning objectives, instructional methods and evaluation standards. In accordance with University of California regulations, your grading and evaluation criteria must be communicated in writing to the class at the start of the course. The course goals, as written in the course syllabus, serve as the standard and basis for evaluating and comparing student performance and student achievement. Download the UNEX Syllabus Template (Word). For courses utilizing Canvas LMS, the syllabus needs to be uploaded into the course shell at least 1 week prior to the course start date.

 

  1. Promoting the Course
    1. UC Merced Extension’s Communication and Marketing Services Department maintains the Extension website and produces all promotional materials for courses, including social media, brochures, flyers, print and radio advertising, news releases and the term’s catalog.
    2. The department is responsible for making sure all promotional material is consistent with Extension and UC Merced policies and standards. 
    3. You are encouraged to become familiar with the professional certificates and specialized programs of study linked to your course. This also provides an opportunity to promote your class to prospective students. If you are interested in ways to promote your course, speak with your Program Coordinator.
       

Course-Related Materials and Resources

  1. Affordability and Accessibility

UC Merced Extension encourages instructors to help Extension reduce the high cost of course materials and ensure those materials are accessible by our students.

  1. Affordability: The Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) has provisions to reduce costs to students while supporting instructors’ ability to select high-quality course materials. HEOA requires that cost information be made available to students before they enroll in a course. This includes textbooks, readers, photocopied materials, software access or licenses, lab kits, etc.
    Deadline is three months prior to the first day of the course
  2. Accessibility: In addition, each instructor has the responsibility to identify instructional materials for his or her courses far enough in advance of the course to accommodate students with disabilities. Timely submission of textbook adoptions enables the University to meet its legal requirement to provide students with disabilities an equal educational opportunity to learn course subject matter, to participate actively in classroom discussions, and to meet assignment deadlines.
    Deadline is 30 days prior to the first day of the course

 

  1. Tips for Reducing Costs and Increasing Accessibility:
    1. Use common textbooks, where possible, for related courses or keep the same text for two or more years.
    2. Whenever possible, you should determine if your course reader materials are freely available online. If the materials are available online, compile a list of URLs that can easily be distributed to your students.
    3. Use electronic and open content solutions available to students at very low or no cost
    4. Meet textbook/reader adoption and accessibility deadlines to allow timely course material availability, low-cost course material options and timely conversion of materials for students with print disabilities.
       
  2. Textbooks
    1. For course materials that are not freely available online or require additional copyright clearance, you can determine whether a textbook will serve your needs and then process a textbook adoption through your Program Coordinator. Email textbook information to your Program Coordinator according to the deadlines above. Please include the following information in your email:
  • Complete title of the textbook(s)
  • Author’s name
  • ISBN number
  • Publisher
  • Edition number
  • Publication year
  1. This information will be published on the public website under the course section information for students to see purchasing details once the term opens for enrollment. To request desk copies of texts, alert your Program Coordinator no later than three months in advance of the semester.
  2. Some textbook publishers offer access to online learning tools (e.g., McGraw Hill’s Connect). Access to these tools is typically bundled into the purchase of a new textbook. However, students who opt to purchase a used textbook would need to purchase the access to these online tools separately. If you require the use of a publisher’s online learning tools as a mandatory course requirement, please work with your Program Coordinator to make sure that use of this tool is listed on our website to ensure compliance with HEOA and help students make more informed choices when purchasing their course materials for the term.
  3. Textbooks must be recent with a publishing date within the last 5 years. Exceptions to this may be submitted to the Program Director for review.

 

  1. Copyright Restrictions and Procedures for Other Course Materials
    1. UC Merced Extension must comply with federal law and University policy regarding copyright. Should you knowingly use copyrighted materials without appropriate authorization, you can be held liable.
    2. Effective compliance with UC copyright policy will require some preplanning of the course materials. All materials under copyright that are brought into class must have permission for instructional presentation. Materials in question include, but are not limited to, all printed materials, films, videos and DVDs.
    3. Find more information on UC copyright policies.
       

    2.  

  2. Photocopying
    1. UC Merced values environmental sustainability and therefore prefers, to the extent possible, that materials be provided to students digitally rather than in print.
    2. Requests for photocopying of unrestricted, permissible and “fair use” course materials may be processed through your Program Coordinator with at least three weeks’ notice. You can email the materials to your Program Coordinator.
    3. You may also duplicate fair-use course materials on your own at a convenient copy center and submit original vendor receipts at the end of the course for reimbursement to your Program Coordinator. Extension cannot reimburse you for materials prepared on personal equipment in your home or private business.
    4. Please consult your Program Coordinator on the allotted duplication budget for your section.
    5. There shall be no copying of or from works intended to be “consumable” in the course of study or of teaching. These include workbooks, exercises, standardized tests and test booklets, and answer sheets and like consumable material. Copying should not substitute for the purchase of books, anthologies, publishers’ reprints or periodicals.
    6. If the cost of the photocopying should be passed onto the student, please refer to the section on Course Readers below.
       
  3. Course Readers
    1. If you wish to include a course reader, first check with your Program Coordinator.
       
  4. Software
    1. The “fair use” provision of the Copyright Act of 1976 does not apply to copying or reproducing software. Software may only be copied or reproduced for classroom use when a site license has been obtained from the software producer. Notify your Program Coordinator regarding any software needs for your course so that Extension can legally obtain a site license.
    2. If you require access to software or online learning tools that are bundled as part of a textbook purchase, they need to be listed as required course materials on the website. 
       
  5. Audio/Visual Materials
    1. Any audio/visual (A/V) materials shown in class must be legally obtained. To verify copyright for A/V materials, provide your Program Coordinator with a list of the A/V materials for the course.
    2. You will also need to inform your Program Coordinator whether you plan to provide the A/V materials or whether you need your Program Coordinator to order them.
    3. You are required to adhere to copyright laws in the acquisition and dissemination of A/V materials in your classroom. This is especially important when Extension has hearing-impaired students, as we may need to obtain captions for the A/V materials.
       
  6. Off-Air Recording
    1. If you wish to use videotaped excerpts of off-air broadcasts for use in the classroom, you must adhere to these guidelines.
       
  7. Recording in the Classroom
    1. Please check with your Program Coordinator before recording in the classroom or during an activity associated with the course.
    2. You may need the following form: Classroom Audio/Video Recording Agreement for Student and Instructor (PDF) to complete with the student making the request to record the lecture.
       
  8. Guest Speakers
    1. Guest speakers for class appearances and presentations may be arranged with the advance approval of the Program Director. Contact your Program Coordinator and include the name and the email address for the guest speaker, the dates and times you wish to invite them to speak, and the topic on which he or she will be speaking. The Program Coordinator will follow up directly with the guest speaker, who will need to sign a waiver of liability.
    2. Guest speakers may not be used as substitute teachers. You are required to maintain a presence in the classroom with guest speakers and during all dates and times covered within your instructor agreement.
       
  9. Visitors
    1. Auditing is not permitted in UC Merced Extension courses.
    2. Unless otherwise stated in the program, course or section description, visitors may attend the first scheduled class of a course that has six or more classroom meetings without charge when space or enrollment limitations permit. Students must, however, formally enroll in the course and pay all fees before the second classroom meeting.
    3. In courses with five or fewer classroom meetings, visitors are not permitted, and students must formally enroll in the course and pay all fees prior to the course start date.
    4. Extension cannot guarantee retention of an educational record, grades or transcripts for students who do not enroll and pay in a timely manner.
    5. Students must pay to enroll and attend all noncredit courses. In addition, students who wish to attend a credit course but do not wish to take a course for a Credit Letter Grade (CLG) need to pay to enroll and choose either the Pass/No-pass (P/NP) option or the Not-for-Credit (NC) option at the time of enrollment. For additional information on grading options, please see the following section.
       

    Grading Policies

    Grading criteria and grading options for each course depend on what type of course is offered. UC Merced Extension offers many types of academic and professional credit and noncredit courses. Please refer to the numbering system below when you propose a course.

    An evaluation of student knowledge or completed work are the primary criteria for the satisfactory completion of a course offered for CEU.

     

    Numbers

    Credit

    Type of Credit

    Brief Description

    1-199

    yes

    Academic

    Undergraduate level Academic

    200-299

    yes

    Academic

    Graduate level Academic

    300-399

    yes

    Academic

    Teacher Preparation Programs Only

    400-499

    yes

    Academic

    Professional Education Academic

    500-599

    yes

    Academic

    Graduate Level Academic may be degree

    600-699

    yes

    Academic

    Graduate Level Academic but non-degree

    700-799

    no

    Non-credit

    Personal Enrichment, noncredit

    800-899

    yes

    CEU

    Professional Development CEU only

    900-999

    no

    Noncredit

    Non-degree, letter grade or pass/not pass

    1000-1099

    yes

    CEU

    Non-degree CEU only

     

     

    Grade your students using the following chart. Although UC Merced Extension does not calculate or record an official grade point average (GPA) on student transcripts, GPAs can be unofficially calculated on the basis of grades and number of units per below.

    Grade

    Grade Points Per Unit

    Suggested

    Range

    Description

    A+

    A

    A-

    4.0

    4.0

    3.7

    94%–100%

    94%–100%

    90%–93%

    Excellent: The grade of “A+”, when awarded at your discretion, represents extraordinary achievement, but does not receive grade point credit beyond that received for the grade of A.

    B+

    B

    B-

    3.3

    3.0

    2.7

    86%–89%

    83%–85%

    80%–82%

    Good

    C+

    C

    C-

    2.3

    2.0

    1.7

    76%–79%

    73%–75%

    70%–72%

    Fair: Each course in a certificate program must be completed with a grade of C or better, although some programs have higher requirements.

    D+

    D

    D-

    1.3

    1.0

    0.7

    66%–69%

    63%–65%

    60%–62%

    Barely passed

    F

    0.0

    < 60%

    Failed

    P

    		    

    Passed at a minimum level of C-minus or 70%

    NP

    		    

    Not Passed—anything below a C-minus or below 70%

    S

    		    

    Satisfactory or passed at a minimum level of B-minus or 80% (only an option for graduate-level courses e.g., X200–299).

    U

    		    

    Unsatisfactory—anything below a B-minus or below 80% (only an option for graduate-division university courses, e.g., X200–299).

    I

    		    

    Work of passing quality but incomplete due to circumstances beyond the student’s control. Strict criteria apply; see Section 6: Petition for Incomplete (I). Work should be completed within 90 days of the course end date. If student does not complete the work as agreed, instructors may opt to submit a final failing grade. If left unresolved, the grade Incomplete (I) in any course becomes part of the student’s permanent academic record.

    NC

    		    

    Not for Credit: Assigned to students whose attendance is satisfactory but who choose not to fulfill credit requirements.

    W

    		    

    Withdrawal: Withdrawal from a course without academic penalty. Issued based on a student-initiated withdrawal.
    NR     No Report to Grades section.

    CEU

    		    

    Assigning CEU indicates that the student has attended all of the instructional hours and has participated in the course as outlined in the course syllabus.

     

    Submitting Final Grades

    Teacher Preparation Program Course Final Grade Submission
    Instructors are expected to use Canvas to track student assignments and scores. Final letter grades will be entered by the instructor into Canvas.

    Extension Course Final Grade Submission
    Instructors are expected to use Canvas to track student assignments, scores and to assign final letter grades. Instructors will export the final grade report and submit final letter grades as directed in Box, an online repository requiring a UC email address and DUO authentication.

    Final grades are submitted in Canvas, the Learning Management System for the courses. If you need assistance, please contact your Program Coordinator.

    Enrollment and Attendance

    Course Evaluations

     

    1. Credit Courses
      1. If a course is offered for credit, the course title is followed by the UC Merced academic department abbreviation in which the credit is granted and the course number. Credit is in semester units. For courses carrying academic or professional-level credit, the University’s standard formula for one unit of credit is 15 hours of instructional time, plus two hours of study time for each hour of instruction. Thus, a one-unit course is 15 hours of instruction and 30 hours of study outside of class for a total of 45 hours of course effort. Some courses, such as studios or labs, require more instructional time and less study time.
      2. Credit course numbers include a letter prefix and sometimes a letter suffix: for example, Analytic Geometry and Calculus MATH XMW101A. The course-number prefix X indicates a credit course that originates at UC Merced Extension. The course-number prefixes XM indicates an Extension credit course that is equivalent to the campus course with the same content, title, number and credit value offered to UC Merced students. Credit courses are numbered X1-499 and XM1-499. See the full list below for descriptions.
      3. All university-level academic credit courses numbered X1-299 and XM1–299 and the Extension instructors who teach them are reviewed and approved by the appropriate academic department on the UC Merced campus and by the Academic Senate at UC Merced.
         
    2. Noncredit Courses
      1. Noncredit courses can be offered for noncredit letter grade (NLG) or noncredit pass/not pass (P/NP); however, the majority UC Merced Extension’s noncredit courses are offered for continuing education units (CEUs), a nationally recognized means of recording noncredit study.
      2. Many employers and re-licensure agencies accept these units as evidence of your serious commitment to career advancement and the maintenance of professional competence. The letters CEU and a number identify a noncredit course in which you can earn continuing education units.
    1. One CEU is awarded for 10 instructional hours.
    2. Student attendance and an evaluation of student knowledge or completed work are the primary criteria for the satisfactory completion of a course offered for CEU.
    3. UC Merced Extension does not award both a noncredit grade and CEUs for the same course.
    4. CEU courses are numbered 800-899.
    5. Final approval for all noncredit courses resides in Extension’s Dean’s Office as delegated by the UC Merced Academic Senate.
    1. UC Merced Transcript Structure:
    1. For a full description and classification of courses, please see Classification of Courses
       
    2. Grade Chart and Grade Descriptions
    1. Petition to Withdraw (W)
      1. Students can request to withdraw from a course without academic penalty after the drop deadline has passed. Unlike a “drop,” a withdrawal is notated on a student’s transcript with a grade of “W.”
      2. Please review the UC Merced online policy regarding an Add/Drop/Withdraw.
      3. Please speak with your Program Director if you have further questions.
         

    2. Petition for Incomplete (I)
      1. Students must meet strict criteria before qualifying to receive an incomplete grade.
      2. Please review the UC Merced online policy regarding an Incomplete grade.
      3. Incomplete grades are contingent upon your approval, and you are under no obligation to grant them. If any student requests an Incomplete, please refer the student to the Assigning an Incomplete online page. The student must download the form, complete it, and submit it to you.
      4. Please speak with your Program Director if you have further questions.

         

    3. Final Grades

      Extension will provide a secure, web-based method by which instructors will submit their final grades.

    • All grades except I and IP are final when submitted by the instructor
    • No changes of a final grade may be made on the basis of revision or submission of additional work after the close of the semester.
    • A final grade may be corrected when a clerical (recording) error or procedural error has occurred.
    • An instructor approved grade change form is required to change all NR and I grades.
    1. Grade Change Policy
      An instructor can correct a clerical or procedural error on a final grade by:
      1. Request a grade change form by emailing extension@ucmerced.edu with the subject line "Clerical Error Correction Needed", to request the form.
      2. Return the completed form to your Extension Program Manager.
         

    2. Retaining Student Records
      1. Record and date everything that will count toward determining your students’ final grades, including attendance and retain it for at least 13 months.
      2. Proper grading documentation makes it possible for students to change their grading option for example, from Pass/No Pass to Letter Grade, at different points in the term.
      3. Be prepared to explain how you calculated a grade.
      4. As stipulated by the UC Merced Academic Senate, it is your responsibility to retain your students’ final examinations or copies of them for a period of 13 months after the dates of such examinations.
      5. It is also your responsibility to provide a student access to his or her final examination, either by providing the student with a copy of the final examination or by making arrangements for the student to review it under suitable supervision. If the student is unable to review the final examination under suitable supervision, then a copy of it shall be provided to him or her.
      6. Student work is FERPA-protected: A student should only see his or her own exam; exams should not be placed in a pile for students to peruse. Final examinations and any other retained student work should be returned to the students, shredded or destroyed after 13 months, unless there is an agreement with the student to extend an incomplete grade and the information is needed to calculate a final grade.
      7. As a best practice, Extension strongly recommends that you also keep copies of final papers, final projects, the Grade/CEU records, the syllabus, recorded student grades, and grading criteria for 13 months as you may be required to show how you calculated a grade if a question arises.
         
    1. Verification of Enrollment
      1. For each course section you teach, Extension sets up a class list in Canvas. From there, you can view and print the class list. If your course does not appear in Canvas, you may request a roster by emailing extension@ucmerced.edu. Please use “Roster Request” as the Subject Line and include your course discipline and number (example: EDUC X030) in the body of your email.
      2. As auditing is not allowed in UC Merced Extension courses, all students present in your course should be enrolled. It is very important to verify that the students attending your course are also listed on your official class list.
      3. Have students sign in and compare sign-in sheets with your official class list to verify that each student is enrolled in the course. Please do this each time the class meets.
      4. Please encourage any student not on your list to enroll through the online registration system.
      5. If you have any questions, please contact your Program Coordinator.
         
    2. Attendance and Participation Policy
      1. It is up to you to specify your attendance and participation policy in the syllabus and to explain it on the first day of class.
      2. If a student misses class for any reason, the burden is on the student to make up the work and decide whether he or she can continue in the course.
      3. For students who feel that they can make up the work, you should provide any materials that were provided in class (handouts, slides, notes, etc.) and remind the students of the assignments that are due. It is not your responsibility to make up the instructional time with the student.
      4. If you have any questions, please contact your Program Coordinator.
         
    3. Absences Due to Illness
      1. Please review the UC Merced COVID Policy for the latest illness guidelines.
      2. The UC Merced Academic Senate occasionally issues guidance concerning missed classes and exams due to illnesses such as influenza advising that students not attend class if they have a fever.
      3. Should a student experience repeated absences due to illness, Extension advises instructors to use flexibility and good judgment in determining whether to excuse missed work, extend deadlines, or substitute an alternative assignment.
      4. Instructors may also refer students to the UC Merced online policy regarding an Add/Drop/Withdraw and the UC Merced policy regarding an Incomplete grade.
      5. If you have any questions, please contact your Program Coordinator.
         
    4. Accommodation for Pregnancy and Parenting
      1. In compliance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and with the California Education Code, Section 66281.7, it is the official policy of the University of California, Merced to not discriminate against or exclude any person on the basis of pregnancy or related conditions, and to provide reasonable accommodations to students as appropriate.
      2. Instructors are reminded of their responsibilities for excusing medically necessary absences for pregnancy and related conditions and making reasonable accommodations in the areas of class sessions, exams, tests, project deadlines, field trips, and any other required activities.
      3. Reasonable common sense, judgment and the pursuit of mutual goodwill should result in the positive resolution of conflicts. If a mutually satisfactory arrangement cannot be achieved, the student Appeals and Grievance Policy may apply. This can be found in the Student Resources and Policies Handbook.
      4. Students also have the option of filing a Title IX complaint. For more information about accommodations for students who are pregnant or parenting, please contact the Office of Campus Climate and Compliance’s Department of Discrimination and Sexual Violence Prevention ( http://dsvp.ucmerced.edu/report ).
      5. If you have any questions, please contact your Program Coordinator.
         
    5. Alternative Test or Examination Schedule to Accommodate Religious Creed
      1. In compliance with the California Education Code, Section 92640(a), it is the official policy of the University of California, Merced to permit any student to undergo a test or examination, without penalty, at a time when that activity would not violate the student’s religious creed, unless administering the examination at an alternative time would impose an undue hardship that could not reasonably have been avoided.
      2. To accommodate a student’s religious creed, refer students who wish to request to schedule tests or examinations at alternative times directly to your Program Coordinator. Your Program Coordinator (contact info can be found here: extension.ucmerced.edu) can help coordinate the exam schedule with you and the student.
      3. Reasonable common sense, judgment and the pursuit of mutual goodwill should result in the positive resolution of conflicts. If a mutually satisfactory arrangement cannot be achieved, the student Appeals and Grievance Policy may apply. This can be found in the Student Resources and Policies Handbook.
      4. Students also have the option of filing a Title IX complaint. For more information about accommodations for students who are pregnant or parenting, please contact the Office of Campus Climate and Compliance’s Department of Discrimination and Sexual Violence Prevention ( http://dsvp.ucmerced.edu/report).
      5. If you have any questions, please contact your Program Coordinator.
         
    1. Informal Evaluations
      1. Extension strongly recommends some form of student learning evaluation early in the course to identify any need for early intervention and to evaluate students’ progress toward learning objectives.
      2. Extension encourages you to conduct informal evaluations throughout the course.
         
    2. Mid-Semester Evaluations
      1. Many departments also request mid-semester evaluations for first-time Extension instructors using a paper form process. If you are requested by a department to administer a mid-semester evaluation, set aside 10 to 15 minutes during the first half of the meeting so that all students can complete the evaluation.
      2. Please appoint a student to administer the evaluations and give the evaluation instructions to him or her. You and any teaching assistants must leave the room during the time students are filling out the forms. You must not handle, read or otherwise review the contents of completed forms. The appointed student will collect all completed forms, seal them in the postage-paid envelope and mail the evaluations or drop them off at the Center Registration Desk.
      3. Please contact your Program Coordinator.
         
    3. End of Course Evaluations
      1. It is UC Merced Extension policy that all courses and instructors be evaluated as part of an overall campus mandate to assess and improve the quality of teaching.
      2. UC Merced Extension uses an online course evaluation system that standardizes and manages the entire process.
      3. The online course evaluations system will manage the entire process:
        1. When a course is 85% complete, the system will open a survey, notify the instructor(s) and email invitations to enrolled students. For one-day workshops, the survey will open at the end of the class session.
        2. Instructors will be emailed a link to general statistics and response rates of active surveys. (Student names will not be included.)
        3. Surveys will remain open for 10 days, and students who have not completed the survey will receive reminders on the 2nd and 6th days.
        4. Ten days after the course ends, a report summarizing the responses will be emailed to the department. The same report will be emailed to instructors after final grades are submitted.
        5. When you are notified by email that the course survey is open, we encourage you to remind students to complete the evaluations and to educate students on the value of their input. Encouraging student participation is one of the best methods to increase your evaluation response rates.
        6. Please contact your Program Coordinator.