What is a DeCal?
DeCal courses offer students the chance to propose teaching something that they have trained in or feel passionate about. Students may propose a course, and if approved, will work with a faculty member to create a course description, syllabus, and semester-long class.

When is the deadline?
If you wish to offer a Psychology sponsored DeCal, you must submit all required paperwork in person to the Psychology Student Services office (3305 Tolman Hall) by the deadline. The deadline for proposed Spring 2010 DeCal courses is Monday, November 2, 2009. Late submissions and incomplete applications will not be considered.

What are the materials that must be submitted by the deadline?
1. Course Proposal Form signed by your faculty sponsor. You may download the application here http://education.berkeley.edu/specialstudies/spstudies_propfrm.pdf and from our bSpace site. Please make sure that you have a faculty sponsor signature in your application.

NOTE: You only need the faculty sponsor signature. The Scheduling Coordinator will collect all the submitted forms to obtain the Chair's signature. DeCal proposal forms that have bypassed the DeCal Coordinator and acquired the Chair's signature directly will not be considered.

2. Detailed Course Syllabus which includes: 

• Course Description: A paragraph or two that describes the course content.
• Course Schedule: Frequency and length of class meetings (i.e., TuTh 6-8pm
• Course Outline: Outline of each week's topic that includes reading required for that week and/or planned activities and discussions.
• Assignments: Clear Description of assignments and requirements for the class, the percentage each will contribute to the final grade and due dates. 
• Reading List: If applicable.

3. Responses to the five questions listed on the Course Proposal Form
1. What is the nature of the subject matter or content of the course?
2. What are the key learning outcomes? (What will students know or be expected to do as a result of this course?)
3. What are the methods of instruction (e.g., lecture, discussion, collaborative learning, etc.)?
4. How will student performance be evaluated?
5. How will the instructor of record supervise the student course facilitator(s)?

NOTE: Review the Faculty Checklist for Student Facilitated 98-198 courses and the Department Chair Checklist. Be sure your syllabus and/or responses to the required questions meet all the requirements on these checklists. Both can be found (midway down the page) at: http://www.decal.org/start/sponsoring.php

4. Psychology DeCal course information. Please fill out this form and submit it along with the Course Proposal Form. Without this form, your application will be considered incomplete and will not be processed.

5. Submit the application in 3305 Tolman Hall. All documentation must be submitted to Scheduling Coordinator in the Psychology Student Services Office by the posted due date. Once your DeCal application has been approved, we will obtain the Chair's signature for you. You will also receive an email from the Scheduling Coordinator regarding the status of your DeCal course.

How can I publish my DeCal course? If you would like the course to be included on the DeCal website, please be sure to submit a copy to the Program for Democratic Education at Cal located in Eshelman Hall.

As a facilitator, can I receive units? If you would like to receive credit for the course, you will need to submit a Psychology 197 form. The instructor of record would also act as your faculty sponsor for Psychology 197. Again, the Psych 197 form must be signed by the faculty sponsor before submitting the form to the Students Services Office in 3305 Tolman Hall. As for the units, the Psych 197 is offered for variable units (1-3 units) depending on the unit value of the DeCal course. The student facilitators must sign up for an equal or lesser value than the DeCal course that they are facilitating.