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Faculty Merged Section Request Changes-FERPA 2024

Greetings Faculty,

We have some updates for you on Canvas course merge/unmerge requests, and FERPA guidelines as they related to merged Canvas shells.

Course Merge/Unmerge Request Deadlines

Distance Education sends out an announcement twice a year inviting faculty who wish to change the course merge preference for the Fall/Spring terms to complete a request form. Faculty can also contact Distance Education to request a course merge preference change.
Effective Winter 2024, course merge/unmerge change requests need to be made before the start of the term. Changes can NOT be made to course merge preference after the course has begun.

Most faculty prefer course shells merged so they do not have to manage multiple shells and to minimize their effort when uploading documents, sending emails, and posting other item. However import Canvas courses (opens in new window) into new course shells to manage unmerged courses is also a relatively seamless process.

FERPA Compliance and Merged Canvas Shells

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)* mandates that students only have access to (peer) student information (like student names, for example) for course sections they are enrolled in. This means that students may not interact in Canvas with students from another course section even if the two sections are merged into one Canvas course shell.
Faculty with merged Canvas Course Shells will have two options:
Adapt their merge Canvas Course Shells to meet FERPA guidelines (DE will explain this option in the informational webinar).
Unmerge Canvas Shells (DE will explain this option in the informational webinar and individual faculty can determine if this works best for them).
Effective Winter 2024, course merge/unmerge change requests need to be made before the start of the term. Changes can NOT be made to course merge preference after the course has begun.

*FERPA restrictions do not apply to merged Canvas course if students meet in the same classroom at the same time. For example, if the course is cross-listed in the schedule.

For complete details on what this means to faculty members, please visit Faculty Merged Section Request Changes - FERPA 2024 (opens in new window)

We appreciate your cooperation and understanding and please reach out to distance_ed_inquiry@smc.edu should you need further clarification about this change.

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