diff --git a/cms/static/js/models/settings/course_details.js b/cms/static/js/models/settings/course_details.js
index ab80179142..bdbb46b3b1 100644
--- a/cms/static/js/models/settings/course_details.js
+++ b/cms/static/js/models/settings/course_details.js
@@ -68,10 +68,12 @@ CMS.Models.Settings.CourseDetails = Backbone.Model.extend({
 	save_videosource: function(newsource) {
 		// newsource either is <video youtube="speed:key, *"/> or just the "speed:key, *" string
 		// returns the videosource for the preview which iss the key whose speed is closest to 1
-		if (_.isEmpty(newsource) && !_.isEmpty(this.get('intro_video'))) this.save({'intro_video': null}); 
+		if (_.isEmpty(newsource) && !_.isEmpty(this.get('intro_video'))) this.save({'intro_video': null},
+				{ error : CMS.ServerError}); 
 		// TODO remove all whitespace w/in string
 		else {
-			if (this.get('intro_video') !== newsource) this.save('intro_video', newsource);
+			if (this.get('intro_video') !== newsource) this.save('intro_video', newsource,
+					{ error : CMS.ServerError});
 		}
 		
 		return this.videosourceSample();
diff --git a/cms/static/js/views/course_info_edit.js b/cms/static/js/views/course_info_edit.js
index 0ad02215db..cb396b2a7f 100644
--- a/cms/static/js/views/course_info_edit.js
+++ b/cms/static/js/views/course_info_edit.js
@@ -99,10 +99,7 @@ CMS.Views.ClassInfoUpdateView = Backbone.View.extend({
         var targetModel = this.eventModel(event);
         targetModel.set({ date : this.dateEntry(event).val(), content : this.$codeMirror.getValue() });
         // push change to display, hide the editor, submit the change        
-        targetModel.save({}, {error : function(model, xhr) {
-        	// TODO use a standard component
-        	window.alert(xhr.responseText);
-        }});
+        targetModel.save({}, {error : CMS.ServerError});
         this.closeEditor(this);
     },
     
@@ -145,8 +142,10 @@ CMS.Views.ClassInfoUpdateView = Backbone.View.extend({
         this.modelDom(event).remove();
         var cacheThis = this;
         targetModel.destroy({success : function (model, response) { 
-            cacheThis.collection.fetch({success : function() {cacheThis.render();}});
-        }
+            cacheThis.collection.fetch({success : function() {cacheThis.render();},
+                error : CMS.ServerError});
+        },
+        error : CMS.ServerError
         });
     },
 
@@ -225,7 +224,8 @@ CMS.Views.ClassInfoHandoutsView = Backbone.View.extend({
                             self.render();                
                         }
                     );
-                }
+                },
+                error : CMS.ServerError
             }
         );
     },
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ CMS.Views.ClassInfoHandoutsView = Backbone.View.extend({
     onSave: function(event) {
         this.model.set('data', this.$codeMirror.getValue());
         this.render();
-        this.model.save();
+        this.model.save({}, {error: CMS.ServerError});
         this.$form.hide();
         this.closeEditor(this);
     },
diff --git a/cms/static/js/views/server_error.js b/cms/static/js/views/server_error.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..11478b5712
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cms/static/js/views/server_error.js
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+CMS.ServerError = function(model, error) {
+	// this handler is for the client:server communication not the validation errors which handleValidationError catches
+	window.alert("Server Error: " + error.responseText);
+};
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/cms/static/js/views/settings/main_settings_view.js b/cms/static/js/views/settings/main_settings_view.js
index 9037d4510c..e2b5326aaf 100644
--- a/cms/static/js/views/settings/main_settings_view.js
+++ b/cms/static/js/views/settings/main_settings_view.js
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ CMS.Views.ValidatingView = Backbone.View.extend({
 		var newVal = $(event.currentTarget).val();
 		if (currentVal != newVal) {
 			this.clearValidationErrors();
-			this.model.save(field, newVal);
+			this.model.save(field, newVal, { error : CMS.ServerError});
 			return true;
 		}
 		else return false;
@@ -227,7 +227,8 @@ CMS.Views.Settings.Details = CMS.Views.ValidatingView.extend({
                     time = 0;
                 }
                 var newVal = new Date(date.getTime() + time * 1000);
-                if (cacheModel.get(fieldName) != newVal) cacheModel.save(fieldName, newVal);
+                if (cacheModel.get(fieldName) != newVal) cacheModel.save(fieldName, newVal,
+                		{ error : CMS.ServerError});
             }
 		};
 		
@@ -276,7 +277,8 @@ CMS.Views.Settings.Details = CMS.Views.ValidatingView.extend({
 	},
 	
 	removeSyllabus: function() {
-		if (this.model.has('syllabus'))	this.model.save({'syllabus': null});
+		if (this.model.has('syllabus'))	this.model.save({'syllabus': null}, 
+				{ error : CMS.ServerError});
 	},
 	
 	assetSyllabus : function() {
@@ -309,7 +311,8 @@ CMS.Views.Settings.Details = CMS.Views.ValidatingView.extend({
 					mirror.save();
 					cachethis.clearValidationErrors();
 					var newVal = mirror.getValue();
-					if (cachethis.model.get(field) != newVal) cachethis.model.save(field, newVal);
+					if (cachethis.model.get(field) != newVal) cachethis.model.save(field, newVal,
+							{ error : CMS.ServerError});
 				}
 			});
 		}
@@ -404,7 +407,8 @@ CMS.Views.Settings.Grading = CMS.Views.ValidatingView.extend({
 	setGracePeriod : function(event) {
 		event.data.clearValidationErrors();
 		var newVal = event.data.model.dateToGracePeriod($(event.currentTarget).timepicker('getTime'));
-		if (event.data.model.get('grace_period') != newVal) event.data.model.save('grace_period', newVal);
+		if (event.data.model.get('grace_period') != newVal) event.data.model.save('grace_period', newVal,
+				{ error : CMS.ServerError});
 	},
 	updateModel : function(event) {
 		if (!this.selectorToField[event.currentTarget.id]) return;
@@ -540,7 +544,8 @@ CMS.Views.Settings.Grading = CMS.Views.ValidatingView.extend({
 					object[cutoff['designation']] = cutoff['cutoff'] / 100.0;
 					return object;
 				}, 
-				{}));
+				{}),
+				{ error : CMS.ServerError});
 	},
 	
 	addNewGrade: function(e) {
@@ -671,7 +676,8 @@ CMS.Views.Settings.GraderView = CMS.Views.ValidatingView.extend({
 		}
 	},
 	deleteModel : function(e) {
-		this.model.destroy();
+		this.model.destroy(
+				{ error : CMS.ServerError});
 		e.preventDefault();
 	}
 	
diff --git a/cms/templates/course_info.html b/cms/templates/course_info.html
index f4fa661b6e..83d829efa0 100644
--- a/cms/templates/course_info.html
+++ b/cms/templates/course_info.html
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
   <script type="text/javascript" src="${static.url('js/models/course_info.js')}"></script>
   <script type="text/javascript" src="${static.url('js/models/module_info.js')}"></script>
   <script type="text/javascript" src="${static.url('js/views/course_info_edit.js')}"></script>
+  <script type="text/javascript" src="${static.url('js/views/server_error.js')}"></script>
   <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="${static.url('js/vendor/timepicker/jquery.timepicker.css')}" />
   <script src="${static.url('js/vendor/timepicker/jquery.timepicker.js')}"></script>
   <script src="${static.url('js/vendor/timepicker/datepair.js')}"></script>
diff --git a/cms/templates/settings.html b/cms/templates/settings.html
index 1fa5b0acce..8cd4246da9 100644
--- a/cms/templates/settings.html
+++ b/cms/templates/settings.html
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ from contentstore import utils
   <script type="text/javascript" src="${static.url('js/models/settings/course_settings.js')}"></script>
   <script type="text/javascript" src="${static.url('js/models/settings/course_grading_policy.js')}"></script>
   <script type="text/javascript" src="${static.url('js/views/settings/main_settings_view.js')}"></script>
+  <script type="text/javascript" src="${static.url('js/views/server_error.js')}"></script>
   
   <script type="text/javascript">
     $(document).ready(function(){