CourseShare

The Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA) CourseShare Program allows students at member universities to take less commonly taught language (LCTL) classes offered at other Big Ten schools — all without leaving their home campus.

The program started in 2005, created by the Liberal Arts and Sciences Deans from the Big Ten Academic Alliance universities. Their goal was to make it easier for students to access specialized courses, especially those with low enrollment or unique topics that might not be available at every campus. In 2009, the program’s focus shifted specifically to less commonly taught languages, using technology to connect classrooms across campuses in real time.

Program Highlights:

• Expands access to less commonly taught language instruction courses for students at BTAA member universities. 
• Only enrolled degree-seeking students at Big Ten universities may participate. 
• Students register through their home university as they would for any other course. The credits and grades count directly toward your degree at your home university.
• Participating students do not pay tuition or additional fees to the hosting university.
• Students interested in learning or participating in LCTL CourseShare should talk with their advisor to confirm it fits their degree plan and then reach out to their Campus Coordinator to ensure they are eligible and that the desired LCTL course is available.
• Faculty that offers courses via LCTL CourseShare can collaborate with colleagues across the Big Ten, reach more students, use innovative technology, and keep specialized language courses available that might otherwise be cancelled.
• BTAA Faculty interested in offering LCTL courses via CourseShare should contact their Campus Coordinator to ensure they meet the program’s guidelines and requirements. 

Since it began, over 1,500 LCTL courses with a combined enrollment over 5,500, have been shared across Big Ten universities through this program.