UMass Boston

Table of Contents

• Logistics of using Curriculog
• Processes of curriculum governance and correspondence to Curriculog usage
• Troubleshooting errors in Curriculog usage

Logistics of Using Curriculog

L1. I wish to make multiple changes to one course. Do I need to fill out a Curriculog form for each change?
No. You can make multiple changes to one course on the same Curriculog form. Make sure to check all the appropriate boxes at the top of the form to indicate which changes you are making and that your additional documents clearly explain each change and the rationale for each one.

L2. I wish to make a program change that would apply to our major and minor. Do I need to fill out a Curriculog form for both programs?
Yes. You need a separate Curriculog form for each program of study that the change should apply to. However, you can use the same additional documents to explain the change and the rationale for it. For example, if you wish to allow 100-level courses to count towards an elective requirement in both the major and the minor, you will need a separate Curriculog from for each program of study, but you can create one rationale that explains the change and upload this as the additional file for each proposal (see more on grouping proposals below).

L3. I wish to make the same change to multiple courses. Do I need to fill out a Curriculog form for each course?
Yes. You need a separate Curriculog form for each course that you are making changes to. However, you can use the same additional documents to explain the change and the rationale for it. For example, if you wish to cross-list multiple courses in your program with another department, you will need a separate Curriculog form for each course, but you can create one rationale that explains all change and upload this as the additional file for each proposal (see more on grouping proposals below).

L4. Is there a way to group related proposals together?
There isn’t a way to officially group proposals together in Curriculog. However, it is very useful to indicate that proposals should be considered together (for example, proposals that make the same change to several courses as part of a larger curricular revision or proposals for new courses that support the development of a new program of study). In these cases, please include a section at the start of your additional documents which clearly states which proposals should be considered together and why. If appropriate, you may use the same supporting documents for each proposal in the group.

L5. What is the difference between launching and approving a proposal?
You first have to launch and then you approve, and after that the proposal is in motion. Launching a proposal means that the next stage of review in the workflow can see the proposal. This will be your department curriculum committee (if you don’t have a department curriculum committee this will be your chair). The department curriculum committee will be able to look the proposal and make suggestions for revisions as necessary. However, they will not be able to formally approve it in the system yet. The originator is still able to edit or delete the proposal at this stage. Once the proposal is finished being filled out by the Originator, the originator needs to approve the proposal. This will make it possible for the proposal to progress through the workflow and for next stage of review to formally approve it. However, once a level of review has approved the proposal they can no longer make changes to it.

L6. How do I delete a proposal?
You can cancel (delete) a proposal while you are drafting it and after it is launched. However, once you have approved a proposal it cannot be canceled (deleted). If for some reason you wish to cancel a proposal that has already been approved, you will need to contact a Curriculog system administrator (Louise Putnam or Karen Delaney) to cancel the proposal on your behalf. Once it has been canceled, the proposal and any uploaded documents cannot be recovered, so make sure that you do in fact want the proposal permanently removed from the system and you have saved copies of any uploaded files you may need.

L7. Are there guidelines for course descriptions and syllabi?
Yes. There are guidelines for both WISER course descriptions and for course syllabi. Please see the “Curriculog Guidelines” document on this website for more information. Please follow these guidelines as closely as you can to ensure that your proposal moves quickly through the governance workflow.

L8. Can I track what changes have been made to the Curriculog form?
Yes. From the toolbox on the righthand side of the proposal page, select “discussion.” This will open the comment chain for your proposal. At the top of this chain, there is a drop-down menu under User Tracking. The default option is “show current.” Click on the chevron to the right of this and select “show current with mark-up.” This will show you all the edits that have been made to the Curriculog form and who made them.

Processes of Curriculum Governance and Correspondence to Curriculog Usage

P1. I launched my proposal, but the next stage of review can’t approve it. Why not?
After you have launched a proposal, the next level of review can see it, but they cannot approve it until you do. As the originator, you must both launch and approve your proposal before it advances to the next stage of review. Once you have approved your proposal you can no longer make changes to it, so make sure that you’ve consulted with your department and made all the necessary changes before you approve the proposal.

P2. How will I know when my proposal has moved forward?
Curriculog will automatically email you with updates about your proposal. You can change the frequency of these updates (“email options”) and what updates Curriculog notifies you about (“process”) in your account settings.

P3. How can I check on the status of my proposal?
To check on the status of your proposal, log into Curriculog and click on the “workflow status” icon on the right. This will show you the workflow for your proposal and which governance body is currently reviewing it. It also lists the names of the chairs of each level of review, so you can contact them if you have questions or concerns.

P4. One of the levels of review has requested revisions to my proposal. What do I need to do?
The decision maker for this level of review should reach out to you via email to explain the revisions they are requesting and why. Once you understand the issue and the suggested revisions, you should talk with your department/program and make sure they approve the requested changes (you should not autonomously accept or reject the requested revisions). Once your department/program approves, you should let the decision maker know and send any revised materials (if necessary). The decision maker will keep a record of these revisions in the comment function in Curriculog for further levels of review. Please see the “Curriculog Guidelines” for more details.

P5. I made a mistake on the Curriculog form and/or additional files but I’ve already approved the proposal. How can I fix these errors?
As an originator, you can make changes to a proposal after you launch it, but you cannot make changes to a proposal once you have approved it. If you wish to make changes after approval, you will need to reach out to the decision maker at the current level of review and ask them to make the changes for you (changes can only be made by the decision maker for the working level of review). If the changes are substantial, they may require the proposal to be returned to prior levels of review.

P6. I'm not sure if my proposal is superficial or substantial. What should I do?
If you are unsure whether your proposal is superficial or substantial, you should consult with the decision-makers for the levels of review further along in the workflow as well as your college/school Curriculog representative (see the “Curriculog Guideslines”). Collectively, they should help you to determine whether your proposal is superficial or substantial.

P7. What happens if someone in the review chain thinks that my superficial proposal is actually a substantial change?
If any decision maker in the workflow is concerned that a superficial proposal is more substantial, they will speak with the proposal originator and department/program chair (cc’ing everyone in the workflow below them) to clarify the nature of the proposal and determine whether it needs to be resubmitted as a substantial proposal that requires full governance review.

P8. What happens if someone in the review chain thinks that my substantial proposal is actually a superficial change?
Nothing. The proposal will continue to move through the governance process for substantial proposals. However, the decision maker who thinks the proposal is superficial may let you know for future proposals as the superficial workflow is faster.

Troubleshooting Common Errors in Curriculog Usage

The following mistakes are easy to make when you first start using Curriculog. Please take the time to double-check your proposal so that it isn’t unnecessarily slowed down.

T1. Forgetting to check whether there is similar course already in existence.
College and administrative levels of review will check for points of overlap or connection across departments. Before you propose a new course or program, you need to check for these things and, if necessary, address them in your rationale. While overlap is not always a problem, it can slow down a proposal if review bodies have questions, so it is better to address these issues in your proposal.

T2. For new courses, forget to check whether the chosen course number is already in use.
Course numbers can only be used once. This is true for both active and inactive courses, so it is important that you check to make sure your chosen course number is not currently in use. If a course already exists with the number you wish to use, you should submit a substantial change to an existing course proposal rather than a new proposal.

T3. For cross-listed courses, forget to ensure that the course numbers in both departments match.
Cross-listed courses must have the same number in all departments (for example, ENGL 258L and CINE 258L). So, you must check to make sure that your chosen course number is not currently in use in any of the departments in which a course is being cross-listed).

T4. Restating the course title and number in the WISER description is not appropriate.
This is redundant and can cause problems in the future if the course title or number change. Please consult the WISER style guide for more information.

T5. Mismatch between the course description on WISER and on the syllabus.
The first paragraph of the course description on the syllabus must match exactly the WISER description. This is required by accreditation and is important for students who wish to transfer credits or apply to graduate school. Please see the syllabus guidelines for more information.

T6. Forgetting to run the Impact Report.
This is required for administrative review and for the registrar’s office to implement the changes in WISER. To run the Impact Report, click on the icon in the ribbon at the top of the form (underneath the course title). Copy and paste the information into the Impact Report Information text box below.

T7. Forgetting to check all the boxes at the top of the list that indicate all the changes being made.
You can make multiple changes to the same course on one Curriculog form. However, the Registrar’s Office will only make changes that are indicated in these checked boxes. Changes made to unchecked items will be disregarded. So, make sure you check the boxes for all the changes that apply to your proposal (you can select from: Course Number; Long Course Title; Short Course Title; Description; Repeat for Credit; Grading Basis). Make sure that your additional documents also explain each change and offer a rationale for each one.

T8. Forgetting to ensure evidence that the department(s) with which a course is being cross-listed approve the cross list.
Cross-listed courses must be approved by all departments that have subjects included in the cross-listing. You can provide evidence in two ways: (1) via custom routes, or (2) by corresponding by email with the other departments and then uploading a PDF of the correspondence before you approve. Custom routes can be requested by any step in the process. If you are submitting a proposal for cross-listing with a subject that is not in your department, you can request custom routing in your decision tab instead of approving. Thus, you could send the proposal to be reviewed by the other subject before it goes to your program/department. Warning: UNCHECK the default of assigning a PIN for custom routing. After the custom route concludes, the proposal will return to you and then you can approve it and it will move on to your program/department.

T9. Forgetting to attach additional materials.
Additional materials are required to support most Curriculog proposals. Exactly what you need to upload depends on the particular type of proposal you are launching. Please see the “Curriculog Guidelines” for more information regarding the additional documents required for each type of Curriculog proposal.

T10. Originator forgets to approve the proposal after launching it.
As the Originator, you need to both launch and approve your proposal before it can move on to the next stage of review. Once you have approved your proposal you can no longer make changes to it, so make sure that you’ve consulted with your department and made all the necessary changes before you approve the proposal.

T11. Governance review levels after the Originator forget to include a record of decisions and/or changes in the comments section for their step.
Comments that record any changes requestions and the decisions of each level of governance are fundamental to an efficient and transparent governance system. Decision makers are required to use the Curriculog comments function to briefly summarize the conversation at their level of review and the results of the vote. Specifically, the comment should note any debate and the resolution of those debates and the number of no votes or abstentions (if any). Fortunately, it is easy to remedy this if you forget to write comments. Just find the current step that the proposal is at, send that person your comments, and ask them to add the comments to your step's comment box.