UMass Boston

Registrar

Campus Center, 4th Floor
UMass Boston
100 Morrissey Boulevard
Boston, MA 02125
registrar@umb.edu



Phone:  617.287.6200
Fax: 617.287.6242

New Graduate Course

Curriculum Governance Path for a New Graduate Course Request

    Responsible Person or Committee Process Details
1 Originator (Faculty Member) starts the new graduate course proposal
  • Log into Curriculog using your single sign-on credentials.
  • Find the New Graduate Course form: Click the "New Proposal" button, select the correct form, and click the "Start Proposal" checkmark.
  • Choose a course number that has not been used in at least 5 years. To find information on this, look in WISER in Curriculum Management and search for courses in your subject (e.g., ENGL) in the Course Catalog link.
  • Check that the course number does not conflict with a fixed number used for specific courses:
    • 691-694, 791-794, 891-894: Seminars, variable titles
    • 695-696, 795-796, 895-896: Independent Study
    • 697, 797, 897: Special Topics, variable titles
    • 698: Practicum
    • 699: Master's thesis
    • 899: Doctoral dissertation
  • Run an impact report, then copy & paste the results into the corresponding text box.
  • Attach documents to the request: click "Files" paperclip on the right side. For a new course, you will need a rationale explaining why the new course is needed and a syllabus with all the core components including a course description, course assignments, course schedule, an explanation of grading for the course, and the syllabus sections that address the Provost's Minimum Faculty Responsibilities letter.
  • Validate (click) and launch the proposal. Once you do this, your proposal will be visible to others who log into Curriculog.
  • Approve the proposal (click again) at the Originator step. You can do this in the proposal itself under "Decisions" or on the My Tasks page by selecting and clicking "Approve Selected".
  • If the course will be cross-listed, create custom routing to run a parallel approval path through the other department(s), and also college/school, if different than yours.
2 Department Curriculum Committee Some questions that the Department Curriculum Committee may consider include:
  • Are all documents attached?
  • Does the syllabus contain all elements?
  • Is the course description clear and appropriate?
  • Does the rationale for the new course sufficiently explain the need?
  • Is the topic of the course the right grain size?
  • Is the course of high quality?
  • Does the course fit within a program?
Note that applies to all steps from here forward: If a proposal is rejected at any step, it will go back to the previous level. It can also be custom routed to any level and the future routing determined at the time. Any level can also contact the originator and work out any changes with the originator. In the latter case, email correspondence that documents this should be uploaded as an attached file in Curriculog at the step where the issues were worked out.
3 Department Chair Some questions that the Department Chair may consider include:
  • Does the course fit in the department?
  • Does the course advance the goals of the department?
  • Is the course unique (i.e. doesn't replicate another course)?
  • Is the course number appropriate?
  • Does the department have the resources to support this course?
  • Is there evidence that there will be sufficient demand for the course that it will be sustainable?
  • If course will be cross-listed, work with the Department Chair(s) in the other department(s) to develop a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on how the instruction of the course will be split by the departments, and upload this as an attachment in Curriculog.
4 College or School Governance may include one or more:
  • College/School Academic Affairs Committee
  • College/School Senate
 Some questions that College or School Governance may consider include:
  • Is the course unique (i.e. does not replicate another course in the college)?
  • Does the course adhere to the standards and mission of the college?
  • Does the college/school have the resources to support this course?
  • If the course will be cross-listed, is the MOA appropriate?
  • Is the course description written in a way that makes sense to those outside its own department?
5 College or School Dean Some questions that the Dean may consider include:
  • Does the course advance the goals of the college?
  • Is it resourced and sustainable?
6 Graduate Studies Governance includes:
  • Graduate Studies Committee
  • Dean of Graduate Studies
 Some questions that the Graduate Studies Committee and Dean of Graduate Studies may consider include:
  • Is this course unique (i.e. does not replicate another course in the university)?
  • Does it advance the goals of the university?
  • Is the course description written in a way that makes sense to those outside the college?
7 Faculty Council Some questions that the Faculty Council may consider include:
  • Is this course unique (i.e. does not conflict with other courses)?
  • Is the course aligned with the overarching mission and vision of the university?
8 Provost Some questions that the Provost Office may consider include:
  • Does or will the university have the resources needed for the course?
9 Registrar The Registrar inputs the new course information into WISER and Course Catalogue.
Registrar

Campus Center, 4th Floor
UMass Boston
100 Morrissey Boulevard
Boston, MA 02125
registrar@umb.edu



Phone:  617.287.6200
Fax: 617.287.6242