Merge or Combine Course Sections

What Does It Do?

By using both the "Section Info" tool and "Edit Class Roster(s)" feature of "Site Info," you can merge user enrollments from multiple classes into one course site. This can be very helpful if you teach cross-listed classes or multiple sections of the same class but only want to manage materials for one class site. NOTE: You must be the primary instructor of the course to merge courses (teaching assistants or secondary professors cannot combine sections).

How You Can Use It

• Use the "Section Info" tool to filter views in Assignments, Gradebook, and other tools
• Use the "Section Info" tool to send targeted Announcements or Messages to specific sections
• Use "Edit Class Roster(s)" to centralize multiple sections of the same class into one course site
• Use "Edit Class Roster(s)" to centralize multiple cross-listed courses into a single course site 

To merge or combine sections, there are essentially three "best practice" steps:

• Add the "Section Info" tool if you want to easily filter and organize your students by each section.
• Add the additional class roster(s).
• Assign students to each section within the Section Info tool.

Instructions:

1. Click the tab for the course or project site, or click the "Sites" menu at the top right and click the desired site.
2. Add the "Section Info" tool to your site. This tool can help you manage the enrollments of multiple sections within one site by offering filter features in tools like Gradebook or Assignments.
1. Click "Site Info" in the left tool menu.
2. Click "Manage Tools." 
3. Select the "Section Info" checkbox.
4. Scroll down and click "Continue."
5. Review the change and click "Finish."
3. Click the "Section Info" tool in the left menu.
1. Click "Add Sections."
2. Select the number of sections (e.g. "2") and choose the category (e.g. "Lecture").
3. (Optional) You may add additional details, if necessary.
4. Click "Add Sections."
5. Click "Assign Students" for the first section (the current class site). 
6. Select all of the currently enrolled students and move them into this section. NOTE: This assumes you have not added the other rosters.
7. Click "Assign Students" when finished.
4. Click "Site Info" in the left tool menu.
5. Click "Edit Class Roster(s)." 
6. Click "Add Roster(s)."
   
7. Confirm the academic term (e.g. F19, Sp20, etc.).
8. Review the list of courses in which you are enrolled as an active instructor.
9. Locate the section you wish to add and click the "select anyway?" link. Once clicked, the checkbox at the far left will be selected.  (Ignore the checkbox at the right for "Official Description.")
   
10. Click "Continue." 
11. Click "Add Class(es)."
12. Return to "Section Info" in the left tool menu.
13. Click "Assign Student" for the new section.
14. Use the "Move All" button (">>") to move the newly added, unassigned students into the section. 
15. Click "Assign students" to finish. 
16. If you need to combine more sections into the same class, return to Step 5 and repeat.
17. Be sure to publish the course site with the combined enrollments. Do not publish the other course sections. We recommend on the "Overview" tool that you modify the "Site Information Display" to explain that the site will serve all of the sections. Also, you may choose to "hide" the unused course sections.

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See Also

• Add/Remove Tools
• Create Groups
• Import Course Materials

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