Using the Course Description Editor-135

Student Records:

Course Description Editor

Course Description Editor:

The Course Description Editor - 135 is designed to initially create a new course file or to edit an existing course file offered in a selected semester or term. A course must be set up in this program to register students through the Registration and Add/Drop programs.

The program, Course Description Display - 135, is used to display course codes already entered in a semester or term. Display - 135 is a "read-only" program.

A course description file consists of data items in the following fields:

Course Code (originates from master course database)

Course Title (originates from master course database)

Cancellation (input limited by privileges)

Special Topics Description

Prerequisite -1 - (originates from master course database)

Prerequisite -2 - (originates from master course database)

Comment

Instructor 1

Instructor 2

Date Start (originates from external table)

Date End (originates from external table)

Grading Method (originates from external table)

Class Span - (input limited by privileges)

Credit Value - (originates from master course database)

Room Size - (input limited by privileges)

Deans Limit - (originates from master course database)

Meeting Type (4 meeting type fields available, each with 3 selections: class, lab, and special)

Meeting Days (4 meeting days fields available)

Start Time (4 start time fields available)

Duration (4 duration fields available)

End Time (4 end time fields available)

Room (now there is a room field to correspond to each meeting type entry)

The following instructions are intended to assist a new user with the Editor - 135 program.

Accessing the Program

After selecting Student Records link from the main screen of the Student Information System (sis), the Western New England College Student Information System screen appears (as shown below). Select the appropriate Division from the "Available Divisions" list, categorized by Registrars, Admissions, or Other Divisions, by clicking on the button next to the selection. Select a "Semester" by clicking on the appropriate semester selection. Select an "Academic Year" by clicking on the appropriate year selection. Use Earlier or Later buttons if Academic Year is not in the display window.

After all selections have been made, click the "Click here after . . ." bar along the bottom of the screen and the next screen, "Available Options for Day & Evening Registrar" will appear. At this screen, select a program from the available menu options. (The options, as shown below, are those available in the Day & Evening Registrar Division. Options may vary depending on the Division selected.)

Master Course Database

The master course database houses all the permanent course information for approved courses. Many of the field values displayed in Editor - 135 are derived directly from this database (database is maintained by the Academic Schedule Controller). The default values for certain items are supplied when a valid course code is entered in Editor - 135. These items include:

Course Code

Course Title

Course Prerequisites

Credit Value

Class Span (OCP and Continuing Education can edit this in Off Campus division)

Room Size (OCP and Continuing Education can edit this in Off Campus division)

Dean's Limit (OCP and Continuing Education can edit this in Off Campus division)

If the displayed default course information is in need of revision, submit a "Minor Course Revision" form to the Academic Schedule Controller.

To enter a new course for the first time or to edit an existing course in a semester or term, select the Course Description Editor - 135 located on the sixth line of the "Available Options for Day & Evening Registrar" screen (as shown below).

Once the Course Description Editor - 135 selection is clicked, the following screen appears

Entering the Course Code

At this screen, enter the course code and section number (example: COMM201-01*) of the course being added for the first time or edited. Click on the FIND button and the next screen that appears depends on whether or not the course code exists in the master course database. Clicking on QUIT will return to the previous screen. Clicking on HELP will access on-line instructions.

(Note: There is no need to leave a space between the course type and the course number, but the course number and the section number must be separated with a hyphen.)

If this is a new course, and did not exist in the master course database, the following screen would appear.

A course cannot be entered in Course Description Editor - 135 unless the new course was approved and its paperwork submitted to the Academic Schedule Controller for inclusion in the master course database.

Adding a New Course Code to the File

In most instances, a new course being entered into a semester or term for the first time already exists in the master course database, and the following "new course" screen will appear.

On this screen, the new course information for the semester or term is initially entered.

Note: Again, many of the fields on this screen are already "filled" with permanent course information originating from the master course database.

Any data field permitting a user's input is designated as an input box. Click on the "TAB" key to advance to input boxes.

The input fields in Course Description Editor - 135 are as follows:

Cancellation field: Entering a "C" or "Cancel" in this field will indicate the course has now been cancelled. The options are to leave the field blank; to cancel a course added to a semester or term, or to uncancel a course that was previously cancelled. The Academic Schedule Controller and the appropriate scheduling officers in Law Division and Off Campus Division have privileges to cancel or uncancel a course.

Entering a Special Topics Description

Special Topics field: Any Special Topic course can have a specific subject title included once the special topic paperwork has been forwarded to the Academic Schedule Controller and the appropriate scheduling officers in the Law Division and Off Campus Division. The subject description, as well as, appropriate prerequisites and deans limit will be added to the course file based on information provided in the Special Topics course paperwork.

Entering a Comment

Comment field: A Comment can be up to a 20 character alpha-numeric value. This field may be used to identify courses as "Freshmen Only Section" or "Taught Online w/Manhattan", to note that the course is "linked to" or "combined with" another course, or to designate it should be taken in conjunction or concurrently with another course.

Entering the Instructor Number

Instructor 1 field: This is a 4 digit numeric field that can be entered by either typing in the 4 digit instructor number (if known) or by typing the first 2 characters of the last name if the instructor number is not known. *A listing appears of all instructors with the same first two characters in the last name.

Instructor 2 field: See Instructor 1 above. The instructor 2 field is generally used when a second instructor is teaching.

*Note: Entering one or more alpha characters in the Instructor 1 field accesses an alphabetical table of instructors. When the table appears, click to select the appropriate name to automatically enter the instructor number in the Instructor 1 field. The name will be displayed below the Instructor 1 box. The same procedures apply for the Instructor 2 field.

Date Start field Information originates from an external table by the Academic Schedule Controller.

Date End field Information originates from an external table by the Academic Schedule Controller.

Grading Method field Information originates from an external table.

Class Span field Entered as a blank or a one digit character with a "1" representing the course meeting the first portion of a semester or term or a "2" representing the second portion of a semester or term. This field is used for courses that do not meet the entire span of semester or term.

Credit Value field Originates from master course database.

Room Size field Entered as a three digit numeric character representing the number of students a room can accommodate. "999" is default value.

Dean's Limit field Information originates from master course database.

Meeting Type field Click to select appropriate meeting type: Class, Lab or Special. Make certain to properly identify each type if multiple meeting days and times are entered.

Entering Class and or Lab Times

Meeting Days field Check box for the appropriate day(s) the class will meet on a weekly basis,

M = Monday, T = Tuesday, W = Wednesday, Th = Thursday, F = Friday,

Sa = Saturday, Su = Sunday and ByArr = By Arrangement.

Start Time field Enter time a class start using military time format - a two digit hour

and two digit minute HHMM (ex: 1:00 p.m. is 1300 and 9:30 a.m. is 0930)

Duration field Enter the number of minutes the class is in session

End Time field If Start Time and Duration fields are both entered, the End Time field will automatically calculate using these values. If nothing is entered into the Duration field, an End Time must be entered.

Entering the Room

Room field Enter a building code, followed by room number with no space between code and number. Users may enter a room preference (if they have a preference). The Academic Schedule Controller makes the final classroom assignments for Day/Evening division and 11-Week division on-campus courses.

C=Churchill

D=D'Amour Library

E=Emerson Hall

H= Herman Hall

HLC=Healthful Living Center

RLC=Living and Learning Center

S=Sleith Hall

Once all fields are complete, click on the "UPDATE" button to add the course to semester or term and proceed to next new entry. Click on the "CANCEL" button to return to previous screen and restart input. Both actions will display the 'Select Next Course to Process' input screen.

Editing Existing Information for a Course

At this screen, enter the course code and section number (example: COMM201*) of the existing course being edited.

Click on the FIND button and the next screen that appears depends on whether or not the course code exists in the master course database.

*The course code is a nine character data field consisting of 2 to 4 alpha characters to describe the course type, 3 numeric characters to identify the course number, a hyphen (-) to separate the course number from the section number, and 2 numeric characters to identify the section number. (Note: There is no need to leave a space between the course type and the course number, but the course number and the section number must be separated with a hyphen.)

Clicking on QUIT will return to the previous screen. Clicking on HELP will access on-line instructions.

If a course code section is not known, enter the first two characters of the course code and click on the FIND button. The following table lists all the courses with the same first two characters. A red italicized listing indicates a cancelled section.

Click on the appropriate course.

A course being editing must already have been entered in Editor - 135 for a semester or term. If the course exists, the following screen will appear.

Note: Again, many of the fields on this screen are already "filled" with permanent course information originating from the master course database.

If course information is mistakenly entered, corrections can be made to most fields before selecting UPDATE. If an incorrect course code or an incorrect section number is added to file and updated in Day/Evening division or 11-Week division, type "cancel" in the comment field and contact the Academic Schedule Controller to have the entry cancelled and deleted from the file.

Any data field permitting a user's input is designated as an input box. Click on the "TAB" key to advance to input boxes.

The input fields in Course Description Editor - 135 are as follows:

Cancel/Uncancel a Course

Cancellation field: Entering a "C" or "Cancel" in this field will indicate the course has now been cancelled. The options are to leave the field blank, to cancel a course added to a semester, or to uncancel a course that was previously cancelled. The Academic Schedule Controller and the appropriate scheduling officers in Law Division and Off Campus Division have privileges to cancel or uncancel a course.

Note: If a section number is mistakenly entered (a day section number entered for an evening course, or an evening section number entered for a day course in Day/Evening division or 11-Week division), type "cancel" in the comment field and contact the Academic Schedule Controller to have this course entry cancelled and deleted from the file.

Editing a Special Topics Description

Special Topics field: Any Special Topic course can have a specific subject title included once the special topic paperwork has been forwarded to the Academic Schedule Controller or the appropriate scheduling officers in the Law Division and OCP Division. The subject description, as well as, appropriate prerequisites and deans limit will be added to the course file based on information provided in the Special Topics course paperwork.