Create a New Course Section in Workday Student

Tutorial

Students register for course sections, which are the specific times, days, and date ranges of a course offering. In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to create a new course section, set a course section’s location, set a course section’s final exam date and time, and edit an existing course section.  

For guidance on course and course section management, visit the Office of the University Registrar’s (OUR) website.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Create a new course section

  1. In Workday, search for and select the Create Course Section task.  
  2. Select the course for which you are creating a section. 
  3. Select the academic period the course section will be offered. While this field doesn’t have a red asterisk, OUR requires it to be completed.
    • Workday automatically populates the Start Date based on the academic period that you select. 
    • Course sections cannot overlap terms. If creating a short course section, you must manually enter the relevant start and end date and ensure both fall within the standard academic period.   
  4. Click OK.  
  5. Enter a section number. If the course was configured to have Workday automatically populate section numbers, the section number will automatically populate. 
    • Only enter the section number in this field, not the entire course code (e.g., enter 02 into the field, not BIOL101-02).  Course section numbers should be at least two digits, beginning with 01, 02, 03, etc. 
    • Courses with multiple components, including lecture, lab, and discussion can use letters for lab or discussion sessions. For these course sections, use numbers, then letters, then double letters following the order of lecture, lab, discussion.  
      • For example, CHEM 1005 has a lecture and a lab component. The lecture sections would be 01, 02, 03, etc., and the lab sections would be A, B, C, etc. 
      • If a course has three components–lecture, lab, and discussion–then the lecture sections would be 01, 02, 03; the lab sections would be A, B, C; and the discussion sections would be AA, BB, CC. 
  6. Enter an end date. The end date automatically populates if an academic period was selected in step 3. Or, you can set this end date for a short course. 
  7. The title and abbreviated title automatically populate based on course configuration.
  8. (Optional) If creating a section for a special topics course, select the appropriate Special Topic from the drop-down menu. 
  9. The Allowed Grading Bases field will automatically populate based on course configuration. While this field doesn’t have a red asterisk, OUR requires it to be completed.
    • Warning: Ensure the Graded Anonymously checkbox is not selected, and the Grid Configuration for Final Grade Roster and Grid Configuration for Interim Grade Roster fields are left blank. 
  10. (Optional) Eligibility rules automatically populate if configured at the course level. Select additional eligibility rule(s) to create additional pre-requisites for the course section. Only OUR and the Workday Support Team can create new eligibility rules.
    • If the eligibility rules apply to all course sections, add them to the course, not the section. 
  11. Enter a section capacity to restrict the maximum number of students who can enroll in the course section. 
    • If the Section Capacity field does not appear, ensure the Unlimited Capacity checkbox is not selected. The Unlimited Capacity checkbox should never be selected. 
    • Warning: Be intentional when entering this number; changing this later will result in a required approval from OUR in order for the change to be published, as well as delays to room assignments. Lastly, if open seats have been offered to waitlisted students, the in-flight offers could be affected. 
  12. (Optional) Select the Reserved Capacity checkbox to hold a specific number of seats in the course section for a defined student population based on eligibility or student condition rules that have been created. Basic rules are based on class standing. Only OUR creates eligibility rules. There are specialty rules for the CSE and MD programs.
    1. Click the Add Row icon.  
    2. Select an Eligibility Rule to identify the student population that you are reserving seats for.  If selecting a class standing edibility rule, note that class standing can be inflated by pre-matriculation credits. Only select from the existing options. OUR and the Workday Support Team can create new eligibility rules.  
    3. Enter the number of seats to reserve in the Reserved Capacity column.  
    4. (Optional) Choose a Reserved Until Date to release unused reserved seats on. Unused seats will not automatically be released until the Release Remaining Reserved Capacity task is run. Note: If you add multiple eligibility rules, click the arrows in the Order column to specify the priority order for when students satisfy multiple rules. 
    5. To release reserved seats in a course section, run the Release Remaining Reserved Capacity task.
  13. For Wait List Capacity, enter the number of students allowed on the waitlist for the given course section. Limit this number to a reasonable proportion of the section capacity (e.g., limit the waitlist to 5 – 10% of section capacity to prevent students from waitlisting for an excessive number of sections/seats).  
  • Warning: Do not use waitlist functionality for subsections of course clusters.
  1. For Projected Enrollment, enter approximately how many students are expected to enroll in the given course section. The number must be equal to or greater than Section Capacity to ensure appropriate classroom assignments and utilization. 
  2. Select the Credit Hour Type. 
    • Automatically populates based on course definition. Ensure the minimum and maximum credit hours are correct.
  3. Don’t select the Hide Course Section checkbox if the course section will be offered for self-service student enrollment.
    • If the box is checked, the course section will be hidden from student registration. This functionality is typically used to create a course for study abroad placeholders or transfer credit purposes only. 
  4. For Description, review the description of the course section, including course content and learning objectives. The description should remain consistent with that of the course, unless there are section-specific details that are important to include. While this field doesn’t have a red asterisk, OUR requires it to be filled in.
  5. (Optional) Public Notes should be used sparingly to describe situations that Workday cannot. Some examples include entering a public note if a course section has alternative meeting dates or a location that can’t be scheduled in Workday. Or, describing course materials not available via traditional outlets such as Follet or Canvas. Public notes can also include course topic titles and course descriptions if there are variances among instructors (e.g., one instructor teaching a different genre/focus than the other course sections).
  6. Click the Course Section Tags field and click By Category, then EMS Domain, and select the relevant EMS Domain.  
    • When schools create a course section, they will enter a domain tag. OUR will then use an EMS integration to select the location for the section.   
    • If this course section will not require a classroom, select EMS Domain :: No Domain EMS.  
    • Warning: An EMS Domain must be added to every course section. While this field doesn’t have a red asterisk, OUR requires it to be completed.
  7. Click the Course Section Tags field again and click By Category, then Eval Template Full Term, and select the relevant Eval Template. Then, repeat for Eval Template Mid Term. OUR requires that every course section must have both an Eval Template Full Term and Mid Term selection. If not applicable, select the Exclude option.
  8. As necessary, choose additional course section tags.  
    • If you are working with the Terra Dotta System (TDS), use course section tags to help manage study abroad placeholder courses.
    • Academic requirements utilize course section tags to create smart lists.  
    • Don’t select the Office of the University Registrar:: Exclude from Bulletin course tag. Only add this tag at the course level.
  9. For Published Instructor Roles, click By Type, then Assignable Role, and select Instructor and any other roles associated with the course section. While this field doesn’t have a red asterisk, OUR requires it to be completed.
    • For instructors and associated roles to appear in public-facing course listings (e.g., SRPT0039 – Find Course Sections report), you must select the roles in the Published Instructor Roles.
    • For more information about instructor roles in Canvas, refer to MyCanvas.
Instructor rolesWorkday capabilities
InstructorCan submit, change, and approve final grades
Can submit interim (midterm) grades
Can view their course section roster
Can view their teaching schedule
Can approve or deny a pre/co-requisite override request (dependent on school routing rules)
Visible to the student in the public-facing course section listings if selected as a Published Instructor Role
Graduate Student Course SupportCan submit final grades for instructor’s approval
Can submit interim grades
Can view their course section roster
Can view their teaching schedule
Visible to the student in the public-facing course section listings if selected as a Published Instructor Role
Undergraduate Student Course SupportVisible to the student in the public-facing course section listings if selected as a Published Instructor Role
Course Coordinator and GraderCan submit final grades for instructor’s approval
Can submit interim grades
Can view their course section roster
Can view their teaching schedule
Visible to the student in the public-facing course section listings if selected as a Published Instructor Role
Mentor*Can view their course section roster
Can view their teaching schedule
Not visible in the public-facing course section listings
*Mentor and Faculty Oversight roles have the same capabilities but are separated for Workday reporting purposes.
Faculty Oversight*Can view their course section roster
Can view their teaching schedule
Not visible in the public-facing course section listings
*Mentor and Faculty Oversight roles have the same capabilities but are separated for Workday reporting purposes.
  1. Choose the instructional format. 
  2. Choose the delivery mode. Do not select any delivery mode other than Hybrid, In-Person, or Online.
    • Course sections that are experiential, feature individualized instruction, or are taught off-site, should default to the In-Person Delivery Mode.     
  1. Click +Add in the Instructor Roles table to add a row.  
    1. Select the role. 
    2. Select the instructor(s).  You can select multiple instructors in the same row.
      • Workday displays the names of individuals who have been given instructor eligibility. Instructor eligibility is automatically assigned to individuals with an academic appointment. 
      • If the person you need to assign as the instructor is not included on this list, confirm that the person has an academic appointment. If they don’t, add a course association appointment. If they already have an academic appointment, you should contact the support team. For more information, use the Associate People to Courses in Workday Student reference guide.
    3. To add another instructor role, such as a graduate course support role, click + Add to add a row in the Instructor Roles table.
  2. Click + Add in the Section Components table.  
    1. Choose a meeting pattern to determine when the course section will be offered. While this field doesn’t have a red asterisk, OUR requires it to be completed.
      • Warning: Only select a university-approved meeting pattern. Contact OUR if a new meeting pattern is needed.
    2. Choose a location. Only registrars can choose a location during the create a course section process. Course and course section managers use the Set course section location directions.
      • Only pre-select a location if your school/ unit is the owner of that room.  
      • Warning: The Location Not Required checkbox should never be checked. If a classroom is not needed, you should select EMS Domain :: No Domain EMS above.
  3. Review the following fields: 
Field nameDescription
Graded AnonymouslyDo not select this checkbox. 
Grid Configuration for Final Grade Roster Do not edit. 
Grid Configuration for Interim Grade Roster Do not edit. 
Manually Manage Waitlist Promotion Do not select this checkbox. Selecting it will override the configured registration promotion schedule.
Private Notes Do not use. 
Estimated Resident Cost Do not use. 
Estimated Non-Resident Cost Do not use. 
Other Credit Hour Values Can be selected if number of units used for billing or calculating financial aid load differs from the number of units earned for completing the course. This field should be configured at the course level and should not be altered from what has inherited from the course definition. Any corrections must be routed through OUR to ensure clarity with compliance requirements. 
Course Fees Fees for the course section that replace standard tuition. This is primarily used for study abroad placeholder courses where the fee for the program replaces regular tuition. Course fees are automated in Workday and need to be added to course sections by Student Accounting prior to publication. Course section managers need to notify Student Accounting or their school financial offices (depending on the school) if a course section should have a course fee assessed. Schools will not configure course fees. 
Additional Fees Additional fees for the course section that are charged in addition to standard tuition. This is used for fees such as lab fees, packet fees, and other miscellaneous course fees. Course fees are automated in Workday and need to be added to course sections by Student Accounting prior to publication. Course section managers need to notify Student Accounting or their school financial offices (depending on the school) if a course section should have additional fees assessed. Schools will not configure additional fees. 
Learning Outcomes Do not use. 
Bookstore URL Don’t manually enter a bookstore URL. It will automatically populate through an integration.
Total Contact Hours for Course Section Do not use. 
Course Materials Do not use. Course materials will be added using the link to the Follet integration within the Create Course Section task.  
  1. Lastly, review the course section information for accuracy. Specifically confirm that you have not entered anything for the following fields: Educational Taxonomy Codes, Graded Anonymously, Grid Configuration for Final Grade Roster, Grid Configuration for Interim Grade Roster, Competencies, Private Notes, Estimated Resident Cost, Estimated Non-Resident Cost, Learning Outcomes, Bookstore URL, Course Materials, Total Contact Hours for Course Section.
  2. Click OK and then click Done.
  3. The course section now exists in a preliminary status. School registrars and OUR will use Workday reports to verify that new course sections are published. Until a course section is published, the course section will be in a preliminary status and students will not be able to see or register for the course section. 

Set course section location 

After a course section has been created but prior to publication, course section managers can specify the course section location. After publication, only registrars can change the location. 

Set course section location prior to publication (for course section managers)

  1. In Workday, search for and select the SRPT0041 – Find Course Section Definitions report.
    1. Or search for and select the Find Available Instructional Locations report.
    2. Select the Course Section.
    3. For the Section Components, select the meeting pattern.
  2. If you’re using the SRPT0041 – Find Course Section Definitions report, locate the course section that needs a location. All course sections that have not been published by OUR will have a Preliminary status. To locate the course section, try filtering by the Preliminary section status.  
  3. Hover your cursor over the course section and the Related Actions will appear.  
  4. Click the course section’s Related Actions, hover over Course Section Definition, and then click Find Available Instructional Locations.  
    • Workday displays the current course section you’re adding a location to. Ensure you’ve chosen the correct course section.  
    • For Section Components, select the section’s meeting pattern. Workday displays the meeting pattern determined during the course section creation process.  
  5. Navigate to the Available Instructional Locations table. 
  6. Choose your location by clicking the Select button.  
  7. Click OK.  
  8. Click Done.  

Set course section location after publication (for registrars)

  1. In Workday, search for and select the SRPT0041 – Find Course Section Definitions report.   
    1. Or search for and select the Find Available Instructional Locations report.
    2. Select the Course Section.
    3. For the Section Components, select the meeting pattern.  
  2. If you’re using the SRPT0041 – Find Course Section Definitions report, locate the course section to edit. 
    • Try filtering by the Open section status to locate the course section.   
  3. Click the course section’s Related Actions, hover over Course Section Definition, and click Edit.   
  4. Navigate to the Section Components table.  
  5. In the Location column:  
    • Click X next to the current classroom location to delete it.  
    • Choose a new location.  
  6. Click Submit.  
  7. The course section is routed to OUR for review and approval.  

Set course section final exam date and time

After a course section has been created but prior to publication, section managers must specify the final exam date and time, even if a course section does not have a final exam. For sections that don’t have a final exam, select No Final, Paper, Presentation, Project, or Other Assessment Type.  

  1. In Workday, search for and select the SRPT0041 – Find Course Section Definitions report.    
  2. Locate the course section that you want to edit. All course sections that have not yet been published by OUR will have a Preliminary status. To locate the course section, try filtering by section status. 
  3. Hover your cursor over the course section and the Related Actions button will appear. 
  4. Click the course section’s Related Actions button, hover over Course Section Definition, and then click Maintain Scheduled Assessments. 
  5. In the Scheduled Assessments table, click +Add Row. 
  6. Select the assessment type. Course section managers must specify the final exam date and time details for each course section, even if a course section does not have a final exam, before OUR publishes. For sections with final exams, section managers must specify whether the final exam date and time should be auto-assigned by OUR.
    • To have OUR assign a final exam date and time according to the University’s Standard Final Exam Schedule:
      1. For Assessment Type, select Standard Final Exam Date and Time.
      2. (Optional) Select a delivery mode.
      3. Enter the last date the class will meet.
      4. Enter the time the class regularly starts.
      5. Enter the time the class regularly ends.
      6. Leave the Location field blank.
      7. Review the course section definition to verify dates and times. After OUR has completed the auto-assign process, the date and time for the final exam will be overridden and a location will be assigned.
    • To manually assign a final exam date and time:
      1. For Assessment Type, select Final Exam Date and Time.
      2. (Optional) Select a delivery mode.
      3. For Date, enter the date of the exam.
      4. Enter the time when the exam will start and end.
      5. For Location, enter the exam location, which is the same room where the course section regularly meets.
    • If a section does not have a final exam, select No Final or Other Assessment Type. The system will still prompt for a date, start time, and end time which should be the last date and start and end times the class regularly meets. The Location field is optional.
  7. Click OK.  

Edit a course section

Remember to make most course section edits when a course section is in preliminary status. Errors can occur when a course section is edited after students have begun creating saved schedules and registering for an academic period.

  1. In Workday, search for and select the SRPT0041 – Find Course Section Definitions report.   
  2. Locate the Course Section to edit.  
    • If editing a course section that was rolled over by OUR, the course section will be in a preliminary status. Try filtering by section status to locate the course section.  
  3. Click the course section’s Related Actions button, hover over Course Section Definition, and click Edit.  
  4. Edit the following fields, as necessary: 
    1. Allowed Grading Bases 
    2. Eligibility Rule 
      • If you edit the Eligibility Rule field and a student has already submitted or received a pre/co-requisite override, they will need to initiate a new override request.
    3. Section Capacity 
    4. Reserved Capacity 
    5. Wait List Capacity 
    6. Projected Enrollment 
    7. Description 
    8. Course Section Tags 
      • Click the Course Section Tags field and click By Category, then EMS Domain, and select the relevant EMS Domain.  
      • If this course section will not require a classroom, select EMS Domain :: No Domain EMS.  
      • Warning: An EMS Domain must be added to every course section. 
    9. Instructional Format 
    10. Delivery Mode 
      • WashU is only using the Hybrid, In-person, and Online delivery modes. Do not select any delivery mode other than Hybrid, In-Person, or Online.   
    11. Role and Instructor within the Instructor Roles table. 
    12. Meeting Pattern and Location within the Section Components table. 
      • Only registrars can edit course section locations after a course section is published.
      • Only pre-select a location if your school/ unit is the owner of that room.  
      • Warning: The Location Not Required checkbox should never be checked. If a classroom is not needed, you should select EMS Domain :: No Domain EMS while editing Course Section Tags.  
      • Warning: If you are attempting to change the Meeting Pattern and the course section already has an assigned classroom, you may receive an error message. In this instance, delete the current assigned Location and follow your room selection process. 
  1. Click Submit. 
  2. The course section is routed to school registrars and OUR for review and approval, if already published.  
    • Edits to course sections in the preliminary status, including course sections that were rolled over, will not route for review and approval. OUR must be notified of any edits to preliminary course sections so they can be published. Use the Course Section Rollover in Workday Student tutorial for more information. 

Additional Context

Key Changes
  • A student registers for a course section, which is the specific instance of a course during an academic period, with specific to meeting times, location, and instructor(s).  
  • When a course section is created, Workday doesn’t notify the Office of the University Registrar (OUR). Instead, OUR will run Workday reports to identify and publish newly created course sections. 
  • Any adjustments to a course section will route to the respective school registrar and OUR for approval before the change is published or reflected in Workday. 
  • Course sections can be clustered together so that students must register for two or more sections together, such as a biology lecture and its corresponding biology lab. 
  • Anyone associated with a course will need an academic appointment, either a faculty appointment or courses association appointment, as well as instructor eligibility. This setup is necessary to associate a person to the course. 
  • Course numbers follow the following 4-digit number scheme: 
    • 1000 to 1999 indicate introductory undergraduate courses, usually without college pre-requisites.   
    • 2000 to 2999 indicate introductory or intermediate undergraduate courses, sometimes with a pre-requisite in the same or related subject.   
    • 3000 to 3999 indicate upper-level undergraduate courses, often with a pre-requisite of a prior course or class standing (e.g., junior standing).   
    • 4000 to 4999 indicate courses or seminars with advanced content for undergraduates, in which graduate students may be eligible to register.   
    • 5000 to 9999 indicate graduate courses. Advanced undergraduates may seek permission to register for these courses.
  • Course fees are automated in Workday and need to be added to course sections by Student Accounting prior to publication. Course section managers need to notify Student Accounting or their school financial offices (depending on the school) if a course section should have a course fee added.    
Considerations
  • A course must be created and approved before creating any associated course sections. 
  • Course sections automatically inherit certain course attributes. You can typically override course configuration when creating course sections. If you are unable to edit certain fields when creating a course section, ensure that All Overrides Allowed is selected at the section level of the course.  
  • Course sections will be rolled over based on prior course listings and will be automatically placed in the preliminary status. During this time, schools and units will edit or make any adjustments needed for the upcoming term. To edit a rolled over course section, use the Course Section Rollover tutorial.
  • The Create Course Section task does not have an associated business process and won’t route for review or approval.  
  • The Edit Published Course Section task is associated with a business process and does route the course section definition for review and approval.  
  • When preliminary course sections are edited, the edits do not route for approval. Instead, reports must be run before the course section rollover process begins and after edits are made. Once edits are made, the two reports are compared and any changes are approved manually before the course sections are published.  
  • When a course section is created for the first time, it will live in a preliminary state until OUR, using reports to identify new sections, reviews and publishes the course section.  
  • Unpublished course sections will not be visible to students when registering. 
  • To overlap course sections with the exact same date range, meeting pattern, location, and instructor, use the Find Course Sections to Overlap task. Course sections cannot be overlapped within the Create Course Section task.  
  • WashU grading bases now include Quality Graded, Audit and Pass/No Pass. 
    • The Credit/Letter Grade basis is now called Quality Graded. Credit is relabeled as quality graded credit and include the letter grade scale: A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D- and F.
    • Pass/Fail has changed to Pass/No Pass. An F in this grading scheme will now be NP.  
    • Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory and X grades have been discontinued. 

Reports

  • SRPT0039 – Find Course Sections 
  • SRPT0038 – Find Courses
  • SRPT0041 –  Find Course Section Definitions
  • SRPT0081 – Courses with Pre or Co-Requisites 
  • SRPT0091 – Course Section Fees 
  • SRPT0138 – Course Changes 
  • SRPT0139 – Course Section Changes 
  • SRPT0146 – Who Teaches What with Faculty Load 
  • SRPT0147 – Who Teaches What with Faculty Load and HCM 
  • SRPT0205 – Course Management Dashboard 
  • SRPT0590 – Course Section Missing Scheduled Assessment
  • SRPT0601 – Course and Course Sections Status Denied
  • SRPT0619 – Course Section Conflicts by Academic Period

Related Resources