Course Request Form - Step by Step Print this page for your convenience! Step 1 User Information Open up an internet browser. Preferably Chrome or Firefox (Safari is not compatible with the form at this time). Go to www.westfield.ma.edu/plato, hover over Faculty Resources and select Request your Plato Courses Here. Then scroll down to the Easy button to get to the form. Follow the steps below. Current Plato Users - enter your Plato Username and Plato Password then click Authenticate. New to Plato? Click Become a new user and fill in the required information (you will need your CWID (or A number) to complete this process. Step 2 - Selecting Courses for the Request Select Term click the drop down then choose the term, Fall 2014, for example. Select Department click the drop down then choose your department, MRKT for example. Select Course Click the drop down and choose your course number, MRKT 0321 for example.
Once you select the course, the list of all sections for that course will appear. Be sure to check the box next to YOUR sections only. Then click the button (see two examples here). Once you have clicked the up to the left side of the form. button, your course(s) will pop If you want the BLANK TEMPLATE for this class you can go to the bottom of the form and click SUBMIT THE REQUEST. If you want to COPY CONTENT FROM A PREVIOUS COURSE or CROSS LIST courses go to STEP 4!
Step 3 Selecting Sandboxes for the Request (Optional) ****If you do not need sandboxes skip this step and go to step 4**** You can request Sandboxes to work on future courses if you would like to get a head start. A Sandbox is NOT an actual course shell, and will not have students loaded into it. Each semester you will have to request an ACTUAL course shell for your official courses, but you can copy content from a Sandbox into that actual course shell if needed. Step 4 Courses and Sandboxes Extra Options If you want to COPY CONTENT FROM A PREVIOUS COURSE or CROSS LIST you must do STEP 4! Scroll down to number (4.) on the form and select Open Extra Options. You may have to SCROLL back up to the top of the form to see the Extra Options Menu. Here you can Create and manage cross-listing sets OR Copy previous Plato (Learn) courses content
To Copy Previous Plato Content into your new course shell click on the button and your list of Plato Courses will pop up. Drag and Drop the previous course over the requested (NEW) course. If done correctly Plato course copy will show up below the requested course. NOTE: In order for courses to show up on the request form, they must not be hidden on the Course List on the Courses page in the Plato system. You can edit this list by clicking the little cog in the top right corner of the Course List box. THE COURSE ID BOX MUST BE CHECKED.
If you make a mistake you can click REMOVE COPY and try again. You can drag and drop content to other requested courses at this time, and click Done with previous Plato content for requested courses when completed. If you do not need to cross list courses at this time you can click Close Menu
Then scroll to the bottom of the form and click Submit the request to finish. To Cross List Courses (DGCE & Day Online courses cannot be cross-listed) you must do STEP 4! AGAIN scroll down to number (4.) on the form and select Open Extra Options. You may have to SCROLL back up to the top of the form to see the Extra Options Menu. Choose Create and manage cross-listing sets Click on Add a new cross-listing set
Drag and drop the courses you would like to cross list (LEFT) into the new set (RIGHT). You can remove a set if needed or add another cross listing set. Click Done with managing cross-listing sets to complete the process. Click Close Menu Scroll to the bottom of the form and click Submit the request to finish. If you have any questions or issues when filling out the form, please email us at cit@westfield.ma.edu with details of what exactly is happening. Once submitted you will receive a pop up telling you the process was successful, and an email with the details. You should see your new courses in your Plato list a few hours after submission.