Table of Contents
Overview
How to Bulk Add Sections
While the Batch Creation is in Progress
After Batch Completion
Related Articles
Overview
PATH: Scheduling > Section Dashboard > Bulk Add Sections
Our “Bulk Add Sections” functionality allows a user to create a batch of sections that meet the selected filters in the selected term.
This feature is designed to be used as part of the rollover process and to give schools more flexibility when creating large numbers of sections.
For example, some sections might not be offered each term or on a regular term cadence (every Fall, every Fall and Spring). This means that there are often many more sections to manually add to the term once the rollover is complete.
This feature makes it possible to add those sections in bulk, saving time spent generating individual sections.
Generally speaking, use of this feature should be limited to Super Admins or to the user(s) responsible for managing new term rollovers. Please reach out to your CSM if you’re interested in allowing Department Schedulers to use this feature as a part of their scheduling cycles.
How to Bulk Add Sections
Step 1: Navigate to the Section Dashboard and click “Bulk Add Sections”
Step 2: Select the Term to which you would like to add the new sections.
Step 3:
Input the number of sections to create for each modality (online sections, in-person sections, hybrid sections, etc.).
Inputting “1” section will create one section of this course for each modality that exists on the course record.
Inputting “5” sections will create five sections for each modality that exists on the course record.
Step 4:
Click “Add filter” to apply filters and determine which courses should have sections created.
These filters are based on the Course Template in Curriculum.
Any filter that exists on the Course Template and is “Visible” will be available in these filters.
For example: If you’d like to create one section for each modality of all courses in the Biology department that are offered in one specific term, the filter pictured below will create those sections.
A maximum of 1100 sections can be created in one batch. When filters are applied and a number of sections is chosen, we will confirm that you are attempting to create less than or equal to 1100 sections.
Step 5: Click “Next Step”.
Step 6: Review the Overview screen to confirm that the expected number of Courses meet your filter criteria and that the desired number of sections will be created for the correct term.
Step 7:
Click “Generate Sections”.
This batch of sections will enter the “Validation” step.
In order to prevent any integration errors and/or incomplete data from hitting your SIS or Coursedog Scheduling, we need to validate that each of these sections has a value for the required fields on your Section Template.
This means that each required field (note: except for nested fields) should have a default value or a reference value from Curriculum that will populate when a section is added.
Think of this as using the individual “Add Section” button but for many sections all at once. If you were to click “Add Section” and required fields would be populated with a default or reference value, this batch will pass validation.
If it does not pass validation, it could have triggered a merge error and cause confusion.
The best way to ensure you’re using Bulk Add Sections successfully and passing validation is to check your Section Template before using Bulk Add Sections.
Ensure that required fields (except for nested fields) have default values created or have reference values coming from Curriculum Management.
If validation is not passed, you will see a screen like the below.
You will be able to export a report of the validation errors (by clicking “Export as CSV”).
You can click into a specific section to view the errors on that section.
To resolve any errors, you’ll want to make changes on the Section Template.
For example, if no default value exists for Campus and Campus is a required field on your Template, you can create a default value for Campus or make the Campus field not required.
Once changes are made in the Template, you can click “Previous Step.”
Your filters will be saved, and you can click “Next Step” to begin the validation process again and ensure your sections now pass validation.
Step 8:
Once your batch has passed validation, a progress bar will open to track the batch’s progress.
Some batches can take up to five hours to complete, but most batches will generate in significantly less time.
While the Batch Creation is in Progress
Users can click out of that progress modal, continue to use other parts of the app, and click the Bulk Add Sections button to re-open the progress modal.
A user can only create one batch at a time and must wait for one batch to complete before beginning a new batch.
If the progress modal is open, a confirmation screen will appear. If the progress modal is not open, the progress screen will not appear but the sections will be created.
After Batch Completion
Once the section creation is complete, the new sections will appear in the Section Dashboard. They will be merged to the SIS according to the active merge settings.
These new sections will contain the Course Name, Section Number, and any data set up as a default value or reference value in the Section Template. In this regard, section creation via Bulk Add Sections functions in the same way as creating an individual section — default values and reference values will be populated, but other fields (Room assignment, Instructor assignment) will be blank.
