Yes, for this reason we removed the calendar from the web pages when an instructor creates a course. Unfortunately, because a calendar is available when submitting reserve requests, instructors assume they can change the start/stop dates just by editing the calendar. I would prefer for the calendar to re-set to the default pre-assigned dates if any dates are selected outside of the assigned semester dates.

Yes, but we would prefer if the dates on the calendar would either default to the original start/stop dates assigned or allow them to edit the start/stop dates no more than two or three weeks since instructors will try to have the course up indefinitely.

So it sounds like instead of preventing them from making items available outside the semester, we need to let them pick those dates and display them for those dates regardless of the semester they're in.

All items need to be available outside of the pre-selected semester dates. For example, our current default semester dates are Aug. 21st - Dec. 13th but instructors want the readings to be available before and after these dates. Readings need to be available because courses are either graduate courses or the course itself starts or end before Aug. 21 - Dec. 13th.

So if the graduate and online courses don't match the semester dates, should the item be available in those dates outside the semester? Or despite the course being in those outside dates, should all items be restricted to the dates of the semester?

We have graduate and online courses whose start/stop date do not correspond with the start/stop semester dates assigned in ARES. Instructors submit reserve requests and update the start/stop date for the reserve request item thinking it will override the pre-set assigned start/stop dates which is not the case. Is there a way we can update the calendar in the reserve request web page to default to assigned semester dates in ARES if they choose any dates before or after the assigned semester start/stop ARES dates?