Introductory Seminars

Course Creation & Scheduling

Department & Program Collaboration

Once an Introductory Seminar is approved by the offering department in Phase 2, course administrators and SSOs from the offering department activate existing or create new IntroSems course records in Coursedog Curriculum Management and schedule IntroSems classes in Coursedog Academic Scheduling according to the university registrar's curricular deadlines. An IntroSem will only pull into the IntroSems student application system for priority enrollment and BI reporting tools if the IntroSem is set up as such in Coursedog.

IntroSems Program staff make adjustments to each IntroSem in Coursedog as detailed in the last section on this page. Department course administrators are asked not to modify these adjustments before course enrollment opens for the quarter. 

Department Responsibilities

Coursedog Curriculum Management

Course Component Types and Catalog Number Suffix

Introductory Seminars must be set up with specific course component types and suffixes unique to IntroSems in Coursedog and Navigate Classes. When creating a new course record for an IntroSem, please ensure that the seminar is designated with the appropriate component type and suffix—

  • A First-Year Seminar has a course component type of 'SU Intro Seminar - Freshman (IntrSemFr / ISF)' and needs a suffix of "N" to designate the course as an IntroSem with frosh preference (e.g., BIO 7N).
  • A Sophomore Seminar has a course component type of 'SU Intro Seminar - Sophomore (IntrSemSo / ISS)' and needs a suffix of "Q"  to designate the course as an IntroSem with sophomore and first-year transfer preference (e.g., ENGLISH 94Q).
  • A Sophomore Dialogue has a course component component type of 'SU Intro Dialogue - Sophomore (IntrDialSo / IDS)' and needs a suffix of "Q" to designate the course as an IntroSem Dialogue with sophomore and first-year transfer preference (e.g., SURG 70Q).
    • A Sophomore Dialogue is distinguished by a smaller enrollment than a Sophomore Seminar (a Dialogue typically has a max enrollment of 6-8), may meet less frequently per week, and may be offered for as few as 2 units.

Heads up, SoM, GSB, SLS & GSE course administrators—your IntroSems must be set up with an Undergraduate Career (not graduate) and undergraduate grading basis options.

Catalog Numbers

Because IntroSems are undergraduate courses designed to appeal to frosh, sophomores, and first-year transfer students, please try to assign a catalog number that is under 100 to indicate the seminar is designed to be introductory and accessible, not upper level coursework (e.g., BIO 7N, ENGLISH 94Q, SURG 70Q).

Cross Listings

IntroSems may be cross listed, but seeking cross listings is up to the seminar instructor according to a department’s cross listing approval process. If approved, SSOs must coordinate setting up the cross listings in Coursedog. If a new cross listing is added to a First-Year Seminar or Sophomore Seminar, please email introsems@stanford.edu so IntroSems Program staff are sure to manage enrollment settings across all subject listings and update the dedicated IntroSems catalog. 

Course ID and IntroSems' VCA Application System

The course ID number in Coursedog links the course record to the IntroSems' VCA, the student application system for priority enrollment and faculty review system. Through an overnight system sync with Axess, course information automatically pulls into the VCA system including—

  • course title
  • catalog number
  • quarter
  • component type
  • meeting days, times, and location
  • units (typically 3 units, no more and not variable)
  • grading basis (typically Letter or Letter-CR/NC; less frequently Satisfactory/NC)
  • Ways certification

Coursedog Academic Scheduling

First-Year Seminars and Sophomore Seminars are scheduled by the offering department or program and are expected to meet university expectations regarding in-class hours per week per unit of credit. Scheduling guidelines differ by seminar type. The department course administrator enters meeting times and classroom preferences for priority room requests.

Meeting Patterns

  • A 3-unit First-Year Seminar is generally expected to meet twice a week, in two 75-minute meetings, for 150 minutes of weekly in-class time total. Most seminars utilize two 80-minute class meetings per week.
  • Sophomore Seminars may have more flexibility with their meeting pattern; however, the preferred schedule for a 3-unit Sophomore Seminar is two 75-minute meetings per week, for 150 minutes of weekly in-class time time. Most seminars utilize two 80-minute class meetings per week.
  • Sophomore Dialogues may have more flexibility in meeting pattern and course units; however, the preferred schedule is two 75-minute meetings per week, or 150 minutes of weekly in-class time.

Heads up—Whenever possible, course administrators are asked to encourage their IntroSems instructors to consider non-peak days and times for their seminars—before 10:30AM, after 3PM, and on Fridays—for greater classroom availability.

Primary Instructor

Only the approved Primary Instructor(s) should be listed on the official class record for an IntroSem in Coursedog Scheduling. IMPORTANT: Please note, IntroSems does NOT support the use of Teaching Assistants (TAs) or Course Assistants (CAs) as the key pedagogic mission of IntroSems is for first- and second-year students to have the opportunity to work with faculty directly. For information about the types of support endorsed by the program, see Student Support for Your IntroSem.

Enrollment Capacity

IntroSems are typically capped at 16 unless the instructor requests a different number (less than 16, no more than 20).

Recommended Room Attributes

  • Seminar, Small Group, or Flex Chair layout
  • Room capacity sufficient to include students, instructor(s), student support (as applicable), and a guest speaker (max of 2 guest speakers per quarter)

  • Essential technology like a smart panel

    Heads up, SoM course administrators—you may request a room on the SoM campus or on the main university campus according to the respective deadlines. If your SoM instructor prefers a room on main campus, please be aware that priority room requests for IntroSems offered through a SoM department receive second priority for main campus classrooms after all offerings from main-campus departments and schools are accommodated. 

IntroSems Program Responsibilities

Adjustments in Coursedog

Once records exist in Coursedog Curriculum Management and Coursedog Academic Scheduling for each IntroSem offered in the upcoming academic year, IntroSems Program staff make some additional modifications to each seminar record to facilitate the application and priority enrollment process for IntroSems. 

Modifications in Coursedog Curriculum Management

  • Add requisite to limit enrollment to undergraduate students

Modifications in Coursedog Academic Scheduling before Course Enrollment Opens

  • Add Consent set to "Instructor Consent Required"
    • Add Consent and Drop Consent set to "Department Consent Required" for IntroSems that fulfill Writing 2. All enrollment changes in WR2 IntroSems are managed through the IntroSems Office in consultation with the PWR Office. Students enrolled in WR2 IntroSems must write to introsems@stanford.edu before the Final Study List deadline if they decide to drop.
  • Enter application open and close dates, class application instructions, and application URL for Navigate Classes
  • Enter Notes text to call out cohort preference in Explore Courses
  • Modify Enrollment Capacity per instructor's admitted applications or room assignment, whichever is smaller

Modifications in Coursedog Academic Scheduling after Course Enrollment Opens

  • If an IntroSem still has space available after priority enrollment and does not have a waitlist, change Add Consent to "No Special Consent Required" so any interested undergrad may self-enroll when there is space open under the Enrollment Cap
  • Delete application url from Notes for open seminars
  • Please note, if Add Consent remains enabled for an IntroSem after course enrollment opens that means the seminar has an instructor-managed waitlist with permission numbers and Add Consent must remain on to prioritize waitlisted students who applied in advance unless the instructor requests a change to enrollment management for their class later.
    • If "Department Consent Required" is enabled for Add Consent and Drop Consent that means the IntroSem fulfills the Writing 2 requirement and all enrollment changes (drops/adds) must go through the IntroSems Office at introsems@stanford.edu.

Issue Axess Permission Numbers for Waitlists

  • Generate and email permission numbers to instructors who created waitlists during their review of applications. These numbers are set up to respect the enrollment cap (overall combined cap if the course is cross listed).