The DeCal Program (or just DeCal) is an aggregate of student-run courses at the University of California, Berkeley — here, students create and facilitate their own classes on a variety of subjects, many of which are not addressed in the traditional curriculum. If you are interested in offering a DeCal course through the Geography department, please follow these steps.
Course Number and Units
Note that a Geography DeCal class can only be offered as a one or two-unit GEOG 98 or GEOG 198.
Deadlines
The department requires that all DeCal courses must be approved before the end of the previous semester. If you wish to offer a Geography DeCal class, all signed paperwork/documentation must be submitted via email to the Department Scheduler by the deadline:
Deadline for Fall DeCal courses: June 1
Deadline for Spring DeCal courses: October 1
Getting Started
Do your research - It is the responsibility of the student instructor and their faculty sponsor to understand what is needed to set up and administer a DeCal. On the DeCal website, you can read everything there is to know about establishing and teaching a DeCal course. For further information and hands-on training, check out the Student Learning Center's resources for course facilitators.
Find a faculty sponsor. Only a Geography professor may sponsor a Geography decal.
The faculty sponsor is responsible for communicating with the Department Scheduler to get all aspects of the course set up, once approved by the Academic Senate. Student Facilitated Courses must be submitted every semester for COCI review. This also applies if the student instructors are the same as a previous semester.
Required Documents
The course proposal form must be completed each semester by the sponsoring department for every student-facilitated 98 or 198 course offered for academic credit. The following must be submitted to the Academic Senate in hard copy (paper):
- Course proposal form - The form, unit value worksheet, instructions, and three checklists are combined into a course proposal packet that must be completed entirely, including all relevant signatures.
- Fully developed syllabus - A fully developed syllabus will include at least the following: an outline of course content, a reading list, statement of frequency of class meetings, clear description of assignments and requirements for passing the class, key learning outcomes, method(s) of instruction, and method(s) of evaluation of student performance.
An example of a fully developed syllabus can be found at the Center for Teaching & Learning. Additional resources may be found at the website for Undergraduate Course Facilitator Training & Resources (UCFTR).
- Unit value worksheet - The worksheet to calculate workload and resultant unit value is available for download. Beginning for courses offered in fall 2015, this worksheet is required to be submitted to the Academic Senate.
Unit value worksheet PDF (open and fill out in Acrobat Reader, then print).
Unit value worksheet PDF (open and fill out in Acrobat Reader, then print).
When completing the unit value worksheet ensure that the minimum total work hours are equivalent to the unit value of the course (e.g.: there are at least 45 hours for a 1 unit course). Also, ensure that any requirements outlined in the worksheet are explained fully in the course syllabus.
- Faculty Sponsor Letter of Support – A letter of support from the instructor of record must be provided for each course the instructor is sponsoring. The letter should address the five questions explaining the role and relationship the instructor has with the course. The letter should be written on department letterhead and signed by the instructor of record. This is required for all student-facilitated course proposals starting spring 2018.
As soon as these courses have been approved by the Academic Senate, the faculty sponsor will reach out to the Department Scheduler to get all aspects of the course set up.