Tip: Deleting combined sections

This time of year, we see many class updates, including cancellations. Remember, if you cancel a class that is combined with other classes, the date, time, and instructor information will be deleted on all of the class sections in the combination. To avoid this, uncombine the class first, then cancel the class. Follow this guide to delete a combined section class from a combination before you cancel a combined section class. 

Combined sections are back!

Combined sections are now working again on the Twin Cities/Rochester campuses. The fix is the system will start reusing old numbers. The good news is the process of combining classes is still basically the same. You will still add a row at the top of the list to start the process of Creating a New Combined Section. 

What has changed is that the newly created combined sections may not appear at the top of the list once ALL the information is input. After the individual class information has been input and saved, whatever combined section ID was assigned when adding a new combined section row, is where you'll find your new combined section on the combined section table (the table is in numeric order).

Please let us know if you have any questions. 

Combined sections issue for spring 25 and beyond

For those who have not heard, we have unfortunately run out of combined section ID numbers in PeopleSoft, for the time being. 

What does this mean? The table that stores Combined Sections in PeopleSoft has reached its limit, and we are no longer able to create new combined sections within PeopleSoft for Spring 2025 and beyond. We are working with our partners in ASR-IT and OIT to implement a fix from Oracle. 

What is the workaround? Please let us know (ocmsched@umn.edu) if two (or more) classes need to be scheduled in the same room that are not already on the combined sections list. We are able to make that happen in Astra without the classes being combined in PeopleSoft first. We do not anticipate too many classes still needing to be combined for Spring 2025, and we are hoping to have a fix for this issue in PeopleSoft in the very near future. 

Once we are able to add combined sections again in PeopleSoft, our team will set up the combined sections that have been reported to us during this time. We will also provide any additional instructions on how to create combined sections in the future. Please let us know if you have any questions.