Effective Fall 2026, Austin Peay State University will follow the criteria below when reviewing requests to combine two or more course sections into a single D2L Brightspace course shell.
Combining course sections can help streamline course management; however, course combines/merge must align with academic, administrative, and student experience considerations.
To be eligible for a course combine without being cross-listed in Banner, all of the following criteria must be met:
- The course sections have the same instructional modality (e.g., WEB, CON, HYB, LAB, etc.).
- The course sections have identical start and end dates.
- The course sections have the same Instructor of Record as listed in Banner.
- The course sections have the same course title.
Exception Requests
If your course combine request does not meet all of the above criteria and you believe an exception is warranted, please indicate this in your request and let us know if you would like us to submit your request to Academic Affairs for review.
Important Considerations
When course sections are combined:
- Students from all included sections will be enrolled in the same D2L course shell.
- Course materials, announcements, discussions, assignments, quizzes, and gradebook content may be visible to students across all combined sections unless specifically managed by the instructor.
- Instructors are responsible for ensuring compliance with university policies, accreditation requirements, and student privacy regulations when teaching combined sections.
Lecture & Labs
NOTE: Lecture sections and associated lab sections will not be combined into a single Brightspace course shell beginning in Fall 2026. Lecture and lab courses are considered separate instructional components and must maintain separate Brightspace course shells.
Alternative to Combining Lecture and Lab Sections
Faculty who prefer to use only one D2L course shell for instructional activities may choose to conduct course activities within one shell; however, the official course shells will remain separate. In these situations, it is recommended that instructors clearly communicate expectations to students by:
- Posting an announcement in each course shell.
- Sending an email to students in each section explaining which D2L course shell will be used for course materials, assignments, and communication.