CourseShare FAQ for Instructors

LCTLs at all levels can be shared. The Big Ten defines a LCTL as a language that is not Chinese, French, German or Spanish. The class can have a cultural or historical focus, but it cannot be taught in English. The languages that we share most frequently are those that are relatively unique in the Big Ten, and not available at the majority of institutions.

The following universities are part of BTAA:

• Michigan State University
• Northwestern University
• Ohio State University
• Penn State University
• Purdue University
• Rutgers University
• University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
• University of Chicago
• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
• University of Indiana Bloomington
• University of Iowa
• University of Maryland
• University of Michigan
• University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• University of Oregon
• University of Southern California (USC)
• University of Washington
• University of Wisconsin-Madison

Note: As of Fall 2026, UCLA, the University of Oregon, USC, and the University of Washington are not yet fully participating in BTAA LCTL CourseShare.

No, the scope of the BTAA CourseShare program is limited to LCTLs.

If you haven't shared in the Big Ten before, first let your director of language instruction or other departmental leader know about your interest. Then reach out to the CourseShare staff to express your interest.

Please contact CourseShare staff as soon as possible so the connection can be officially created.

Contact CourseShare staff to request promotional assistance through the social media team, including development of a flier or video. If you have language program connections at another university, consider reaching out to them directly as well. 

Students in the University of Minnesota system can join Twin Cities classes through the Multi-institutional or Multi-I process. See:

• Multi-I for Twin Cities students
• Multi-I for Crookston students
• Multi-I for Duluth students
• Multi-I for Morris students
• Multi-I for Rochester students

In addition, most local language programs at the University of Minnesota permit non-degree / guest students to enroll.

CourseShare is a voluntary program, and connections are made with the consent of the instructional faculty, as well as coordinators at both universities. Instructional faculty and departmental staff decide how many seats are available for BTAA students. Once a connection is confirmed by CourseShare staff at the two universities, BTAA students can register through their university system. 

Yes, it can be shared with multiple universities as long as there are enough seats available for students.

Typically the students are added about a week or two before class begins, but some students may be added through the first week of classes. The registration process is labor-intensive and requires the work of multiple registrars. You can reach out to the CourseShare program staff to request updates. 

Look for students listed as College of Liberal Arts, Non-degree. If your class has both a cross-listed in-person and a remote section, the BTAA students will be on the remote section class list. 

Forward the email to CourseShare staff, and we’ll follow up. 

For Hindi, Urdu, Somali and Vietnamese, we have a placement tool that is available to BTAA students. The tool is usually shared with coordinators at the BTAA campus who then share access with their students. For other languages, students may require placement assistance using the same placement procedures you use with other students, and they may email you directly.

Yes. The expectation is that students participating in the program follow the schedule of the sending or home university. However, instructional faculty are encouraged to be flexible with students if the curriculum allows. 

Send them a link to the CourseShare for Non-UMN BTAA Students page which includes information about the process of initiating their email account. You can also direct them to [email protected] for assistance.

You can direct students to the UMN Disability Resource Center (DRC) or you can see the DRC Information for Faculty and Instructors for guidance. Depending on the type of support a student requires, it may make sense for them to also connect with their home campus. Please contact Stephanie Treat at [email protected] for help requesting support at another university.

BTAA students are responsible for purchasing materials for their classes. They are not advised to pay for participation in the CourseWorks program, because it is generally more expensive than the cost of materials for a single course. On the course syllabus or Canvas site, please provide students with information on how to purchase course materials. The Bookstore does provide shipping services for students. 

You do not need to do anything special to assign grades for these students. Follow your standard grading practices, and the grades will be assigned at their home university as well. Do not send student grades through email. 

Try to assist them if you can, but you cannot provide students with a grade until the class is complete. Please let CourseShare staff know if students request assistance with grades.

You can teach an asynchronous class (no fixed meeting times), a synchronous remote class (all students attend remotely together), HyFlex/hybrid (some students are in person, and others are remote), or any combination of those options. The only requirement for teaching in the CourseShare program is that all students can fully participate in class. If your class is not set up to be taught online, please connect with your departmental curricular staff.

See the OCM site for technology guides and specific information about your particular classroom. There is also a Folwell-specific guide due to the number of language classes in that building.  

See the OCM contact information to request support. You can also contact CourseShare staff to request an orientation session in a classroom. 

See the Zoom Room page for information on using the conferencing equipment in Jones Hall. 

Yes, but you should use Zoom to include remote students into the class. You can use Zoom breakout rooms instead of DILL software for student-to-student communication. Remote students will not be able to use DiLL. 

CLA instructional faculty can connect with the LATIS Learning Experience team and schedule a consultation.