SCHEDULES: Best Practices for Cancelling Courses in Coursedog

Provides the best practices for cancelling a course section, a significant scheduling action that can impact students, faculty, classroom utilization, advising, registration planning, and reporting.

Overview

The article provides the best practices for cancelling a course section, a significant scheduling action that can impact students, faculty, classroom utilization, advising, registration planning, and reporting. The goal is to maintain a stable and predictable schedule while ensuring students have adequate options to complete their academic requirements. 

Requirements

Before submitting a course cancellation in Coursedog, departments should carefully review enrollment, curricular needs, and potential student impact. 

Instructions

How to cancel a course in Coursedog: 

Step 1:

Open the Section Dashboard and click into the section that will not be offered for the term. 

Step 2:

Answer “No” to Are you Offering this section for this term 

Step 3:

Save section 

Before You Cancel a Course 

Before withdrawing or requesting the cancellation of a section, consider the following questions: 

Enrollment Review 

• Has the course been monitored long enough to allow additional registration activity? 

• Are there students currently enrolled? 

• Is the section needed to support graduation, progression, or sequencing requirements? 

• Could the section serve students from multiple majors, minors, or programs? 

Alternative Scheduling Options 

Before cancelling, determine whether another solution may better meet departmental needs: 

• Combine low-enrolled sections 

• Change the instructor assignment 

• Move the course to a different term 

• Adjust the meeting pattern or instructional modality 

• Consolidate offerings with a cross-listed or related course 

Impact on Students 

Consider how cancellation may affect: 

• Degree progress 

• Major requirements 

• General education requirements 

• Graduation timelines 

• Student schedules and registration plans 

Students often begin building schedules and academic plans as soon as the schedule is published. Significant changes after publication can create confusion and require schedule adjustments 

Recommended Department Cancellation Process 

Step 1: Evaluate the Need 

Review enrollment, curricular needs, and student impact with the department chair or program leadership. 

Step 2: Obtain Department Approval 

Departments should use their established approval process before requesting cancellation. 

Typical reviewers may include: 

• Department Chair 

• Program Director 

• Dean's Office (where applicable) 

Step 3: Submit the Appropriate Request in Coursedog 

If the term is in a workflow-controlled phase, submit a Section Change Request rather than making the change directly. 

Step 4: Provide a Business Reason 

Include a clear justification such as: 

• Low enrollment 

• Instructor unavailable 

• Program restructure 

• Duplicate offering 

• Department resource constraints 

Providing complete information reduces review delays. 

Step 5: Await Approval 

Do not assume a course is cancelled until all approvals have been completed and the request has been processed. 

Communication Responsibilities 

Course cancellations affect students and require clear communication. 

Registrar's Office Responsibilities 

• Process the course cancellation in Banner 

• Remove room assignments 

• Drop all registered students from cancelled course 

• Notify the students and instructor to the cancellation  

✅ Is enrollment low enough to justify cancellation? 

✅ Will cancelling impact student degree progress? 

✅ Is there another section or course available for affected students? 

✅ Have alternative options been considered (combine sections, change instructor, move terms, adjust modality)? 

Best Practice: Avoid cancelling courses simply based on early enrollment trends. Registration activity often continues throughout the registration period.

Schedule Phase Matters 

Phase 1: Open Scheduling 

• Departments may add, edit, and delete sections. 

• This is the preferred time to cancel courses. [Coursedog...ses 052626 | Word] 

Phase 2: Registrar Validation 

• No department edits. 

• Schedule is under review by the Registrar's Office. [Coursedog...ses 052626 | Word] 

Phase 3: Cleanup & Sign-Off 

• Changes should be limited. 

• Cancellation requests may require workflow approval. [Coursedog...ses 052626 | Word] 

Phase 4: Schedule Live 

• Cancellations are considered high-impact changes. 

• Formal approval workflows are required. 

Recommended Process 

1. Review Impact 

Evaluate: 

• Enrollment 

• Degree requirements 

• Curriculum sequencing 

• Student impact 

2. Obtain Department Approval 

Consult with: 

• Department Chair 

• Program Director 

• Dean's Office (if applicable) 

3. Submit the Request in Coursedog 

Use the appropriate section change or deletion workflow. Coursedog routes requests through established approval paths.  

4. Include a Clear Reason 

Examples: 

• Low enrollment 

• Instructor unavailable 

• Program changes 

• Duplicate offering 

5. Wait for Approval 

A course is not officially cancelled until all approvals have been completed. 

Communication Responsibilities 

When a course is cancelled: 

Departments Should 

• Notify impacted students 

• Provide alternative course options 

• Notify advisors when appropriate 

Registrar's Office May 

• Process the cancellation in Banner 

• Remove room assignments 

• Update scheduling records 

• Coordinate enrollment actions as needed  

Quick Checklist 

Before cancelling a course, confirm: 

☐ Enrollment reviewed 

☐ Student impact assessed 

☐ Alternate options considered 

☐ Chair approval obtained 

☐ Correct scheduling phase verified 

☐ Workflow request submitted 

☐ Reason documented 

☐ Student communication plan prepared