Course Sections

The platform’s Course Section Manager is populated with Course Section information received from the data files that are sent to HelioCampus. Course sections are individual offerings of a course in a particular term, utilizing the course as a base but adding term-specific information, such as Instructor, schedule, and enrollment. More than one course section can be created for a course in the same term, each with its own schedule and Instructor. Course Sections can be viewed by navigating to Main Menu > Educational Experiences > Course Sections.

Instructors should ensure that their Course Sections and subsequent syllabi are complete prior to the start of class.

Video Resource

Learn about publishing course sections and their statuses by watching a quick walkthrough video!

Course Section Manager

1	Search and filter functionality can be utilized as needed
2	The count of Section Course Learning Outcomes (SCLOs) and Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs) are displayed in the SCLO and CLOs columns.
3	The count of Survey questions is displayed in the #Questions columns.
4	Enrolled: Displays the count of students that are enrolled in the Course Section Assignments: Indicates with a checkmark that either an assignment has been created in the platform or that assignments were pulled (via API) from the Institutions LMS.
5	Hovering over the date in the Updated column will display the creation and last updated details.
6	The Status column displays what status the Course Section is currently in: Draft: No Instructor has been assigned Faculty Pending: Instructor has been assigned and the Course Section is available to Instructors via the My Course Sections & Syllabi dashboard widget. Approval Pending: This status is available when the Enable Admin Approval in Course Section Publishing setting has been enabled via Institution, College, and Department Course Settings. Published: Once published, a Course Section can be utilized in various platform features such as Course Evaluations.
7	Manage can be clicked to view the Course Section Homepage.
8	When multiple Course Sections have been selected in the manager view, the Selected Items Action option is available. Multiple course syllabi can be exported as a zip file by selecting Export Syllabi as Zip. Assignment scoring can be performed in bulk by selecting Download Scoring Template. Once scoring has been added to the scoring template, the Import Scoring Template option can be selected to import the scores to the platform. Bulk status changes can be performed by checking the checkbox for multiple course sections and selecting Change Status; status changes will be implemented every hour on the half-hour mark. A new status can be chosen, and clicking Update will change all selected course sections to the chosen status.
9	The manager view can be be exported in PDF or CSV format or printed.

A black chainlink icon in the manager view indicates that the Course Section is a parent Course Section

A grey chainlink icon in the manager view indicates that the Course Section is a Linked Course Section. Hovering over the chainlink will display the Parent Course Section. Linked Course Section information is received via the data files sent to HelioCampus.

When a Course Section is Linked Course Section, Instructors will only enter syllabus information at the Parent Course Section level only and all information from the Parent Course Section will cascade to the Linked Course Section syllabi.

Course Section Homepage

1	Course Sections can be clicked to return to the manager view to select a different Course Section.
2	The lefthand menu can be utilized to navigate through various settings for a Course Section.
3	The Actions and Export drop-down menus are available on all pages when viewing a Course Section: Actions: Action items, notes, and files can be attached by clicking the Actions dropdown menu. Selecting Course Home will navigate to the Course Homepage for the associated Course. Copy From: Allows for the copying of Assignment Linking from a different Course Section into the Course Section being viewed. Link Sections: Cross-listed Course Section information can be received via the data files sent to HelioCampus although the Link Sections option can be chosen to manually create relationships between Course Sections resulting in a Parent Course Section and one or more Linked Course Sections. Note: For more information about this feature, please submit a support ticket or contact the Customer Success Manager assigned to the institution. By clicking the Export dropdown menu, users can export (PDF) or print the page being viewed.
4	The count of action items, notes, documents, and locations where the Course Section has been tagged are displayed. This information can be viewed in more detail by scrolling to the bottom of the Course Section Homepage. Users can click each tab to view existing items and click the Add button to attach new items, notes, documents, and tags.

Course Section FAQ

Why are some course sections not populating in the platform even though they’re included in the data file for import?

If the course(s) associated with the course section is in Draft status, course sections will not import into the platform. Once the associated course(s) is published, course sections will be imported to the platform.

Can course sections be removed from the platform with the Course Section data file?

Yes. If course sections are removed from the Course Section Data File, upon import, the course sections that were removed will also be removed from the platform. Learn more about the Course Section Data File.

For example, historically, BUS 101 1, BUS 102 1, BUS 102 2, and BUS 103 1 have been imported to the platform with the Course Section Data File, but now, BUS 102 2 is no longer offered. When BUS 102 2 is removed from the Course Section Data File, upon import, it will no longer be available in the Course Section Manager.

Can course section details be updated with the Course Section data file?

Yes. Course section code and name can both be updated with the Course Section Data File. Learn more about the Course Section Data File.

Some course sections are in Faculty Pending status, should I publish them?

Depends; some platform functionality requires course sections to be in the Published status:

Course Evaluations/Surveys: Only course sections in Published status will be included in surveys.

Syllabus Availability to Students: For Institutions using the syllabus functionality, students can only view the syllabus once a section is in Published status

The Faculty Pending status also plays an important role in the course revision process in relation to downstream impacts due to revision. Learn more about course revision.

Course Section Troubleshooting

Why are some course sections missing from the Course Section Manager?

This is most often due to the associated course being in Draft status. Upon import of the Course Section Data File, sections that are associated with courses in Draft status will not be imported.

1. Check Course Publication Status: Via the Course Manager, ensure the course is in Published and not Draft status. Learn more about the Course Manager.

2. Verify the Course Section Data File: Confirm that the course sections are correctly included in the data file. Learn more about the Course Section Data File.

3. Wait for the Daily Import Process: If the course is in Published status and the associated course sections are correctly included in the data file, they will be imported during the nightly daily import process.

If the associated course is in Published status and the course sections are included in the Course Section Data File, the sections will be imported during the daily import process. After the daily import process, if expected course sections are not displayed in the Course Section Manager, please contact support.

📔 Additional Resources

Courses