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Understanding Academic Terms in DualEnroll

Academic terms are a fundamental concept in DualEnroll that help organize course offerings and manage student registration periods. This article explains how terms work in the system and how they affect various aspects of your dual enrollment program.

What are Academic Terms?

Academic terms in DualEnroll represent specific time periods during which courses are offered, such as Fall 2024 or Spring 2025. Terms help organize:

  • When courses are available for registration
  • When students can register for classes
  • How course sections are grouped
  • When ongoing requirements need to be completed

How Terms Affect Course Visibility

Terms play a crucial role in determining which courses students can see and register for:

  • Active Terms: Courses in active terms appear in the course finder for eligible students
  • Inactive Terms: Courses in inactive terms are hidden from student view
  • Hidden Terms: Administrators can hide terms to prevent them from appearing in dropdown menus while maintaining the term's data for reporting

Understanding Term Properties

Each term has several important properties that affect how it functions:

  • Term Dates: Define the official start and end dates of the academic term
  • Registration Windows: Control when students can register for courses within the term
  • Drop/Withdraw Dates: Determine when students can drop or withdraw from courses
  • Custom Date Fields: Support additional date-based rules specific to your institution

Composite Terms

Composite terms are special terms that group multiple regular terms together. Common uses include:

  • Academic Years: Grouping Fall, Spring, and Summer terms
  • Ongoing Requirements: Managing faculty requirements across multiple terms
  • Year-long Programs: Handling programs that span multiple terms

For example, if you need to track faculty professional development annually rather than each semester, you would use a composite term to manage this.

Term Status and Registration

Term status directly affects registration capabilities:

  • Active & Registration Enabled: Students can view and register for courses
  • Active & Registration Disabled: Students can view courses but cannot register
  • Inactive: Courses are hidden from student view

When registration is disabled for a term, you can display a custom message to inform students about when registration will open or provide other important information.

Best Practices for Term Management

  1. Monitor Active Terms: Regularly review which terms are active to ensure students see only current registration options
  2. Plan Ahead: Work with your DualEnroll implementation team to ensure terms are set up well in advance of registration periods
  3. Use Custom Messages: When registration is not yet open, provide clear information about when it will begin
  4. Consider Term Relationships: Remember that composite terms can simplify management of year-long activities

Impact on Workflows

Terms affect several key workflows in DualEnroll:

  • Student Registration: Controls when students can register for courses
  • Course Reviews: May be tied to specific terms for instructor approval
  • Ongoing Requirements: Can be launched based on term dates
  • Reporting: Many reports can be filtered by term

Getting Help with Terms

While terms are typically configured during implementation and updated automatically through your student information system integration, you may occasionally need to make adjustments. Contact your DualEnroll support team if you need assistance with:

  • Setting up new terms
  • Configuring composite terms
  • Adjusting term dates or properties
  • Troubleshooting term-related issues

Remember that terms are a foundational element of your DualEnroll configuration, so any changes should be carefully considered and coordinated with your implementation team.