#  Course Planning Checklist 

 



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## Work with your curriculum coordinator to prepare your courses for the next academic year.

## Course offering information

The following information must be accurate ahead of FAS faculty votes on course offerings. This information must be consistent each term.

### Communicate all course offering and classroom meeting needs

- **Classroom preferences** – Share with [**your department coordinator**](https://hu.sharepoint.com/:x:/r/sites/FASROTrainingandDocumentation/_layouts/15/Doc.aspx?sourcedoc=%7B5DA71478-33D1-41D0-AEF7-D988DE26470E%7D&file=Classroom%20and%20Curriculum%20Coordinators.xlsx&_DSL=1&action=default&mobileredirect=true), who will facilitate the requests with the Registrar, Education Support Services, and other campus partners as necessary.

### Review general course information for accuracy

- **Course notes** – used each time the course is offered to supplement the description (e.g. an advanced language course is taught entirely in that language, a course utilizes a lottery for enrollment)
- **Description** – concise and simple
- **Title**  – complete, no typos
- **Type** – e.g. lecture, seminar
- **Units** – most FAS courses are 4 credits

### Check enrollment details

- **Approvals** – e.g. instructor consent (petitions must be submitted in my.harvard)
- **Capacity** – courses with enrollment caps require instructor consent to enroll
- **Course level** – undergraduate, graduate, both (use the [**Registrar’s catalog number guide**](/guidelines-courses#:~:text=The%20Catalog%20Number%20System) to number your course)
- **Cross registration status** – Is your course open to [**cross registrants**](/cross-registration)? The default answer is yes for most FAS courses
- **Grading basis** – determine the grading basis using the [**FAS Grading System**](/grading#grading-system)
- **Seat reserve capacity** – set aside any number of enrollments in your course for a specific population of students (e.g. first-years, cross registrants, etc.)
- **Terms offered** – Is your course offered for Fall, Spring, every term, or on another schedule (i.e., every other Fall/Spring)?

### Check listed requirements

- **Anti-requisites** – prevents students from enrolling in a course if they have enrolled in a course that is too similar
- **Corequisites** – requires students to enroll in two courses
- **Prerequisites** – students who do not meet the prerequisite according to my.harvard will need to submit a petition to enroll
- **Recommended Prep** – add a Course Note in the Course Catalog as a point of information advising students to cover specific materials before enrolling in your course

### Review course sections

- **Secondary components** – determine how many discussion sections, labs you'll need in consultation with [**Instructional Support**](https://oue.fas.harvard.edu/faculty-resources/instructional-support/). Determine meeting days and times for each.

## Class meeting information

Class meeting information may change from term to term. You must communicate the class and section/lab meeting times and locations to your department. Departments balance offerings across the [**FAS schedule**](/fas-schedule) and space resources.

### Check class meeting timing

- **Meeting pattern** – Classes meeting 3 days/week should meet M/W/F. Classes meeting 2 days/week should meet T/TH, M/W, or W/F.
- **Meeting length** – To work within the FAS schedule, there are neither 90-minute nor 3-hour meeting patterns.
    - 1-to-1.25-hour courses must meet for a minimum of 60 minutes
    - 2-to-2.75-hour courses must meet for a minimum of 120 minutes
- **Start/end times** – The length and location of your course will impact the start/end time (Refer to the [**FAS timeline for Cambridge and Allston courses**](/fas-schedule#:~:text=FAS%20courses%20must%20start%20at%20designated%20start%20times%20and%20end%20times.)**)**. Noncompliant class meeting times violate the [**FAS Schedule Legislation**](https://infoforfaculty.fas.harvard.edu/book/course-meeting-times) and cannot be assigned any space on campus.
- **Sections and labs** must follow FAS meeting pattern guidelines.

### Confirm class meeting location and technology needs

You can [**check room descriptions and scheduler information**](https://essroombook.fas.harvard.edu/) using Roombook.

- **Campus** – Cambridge, Allston, or another Harvard campus if your course is jointly offered.
- **Size** – All space assignments in FAS are based on true enrollment numbers. When possible, auditors or guests can be accommodated, but not at the expense of other FAS courses.
- **Space** – Does your department have available space, or will you request space in Registrar/Building Manager-scheduled rooms? Most Yard buildings, and all larger Science Center rooms are scheduled in tandem by the Registrar and building managers.
- **Technology** – Make sure you have appropriate equipment. See all available ESS support including [**A/V and technology planning for classrooms**](https://ess.fas.harvard.edu/so-youre-teaching-av).
- **Lecture capture and class recording** – If your course is approved for OUE for simultaneous enrollment, you will need lecture capture support from [**Education Support Services**](https://ess.fas.harvard.edu/lecture-capture-and-class-recording).