Curriculog Proposal Instructions

Instructions for completing proposals have moved from the forms to this page. Below is information about building your form, your steps to complete the curricular change process and information about the fields within the forms. Visit the Curriculog Help page for instructions to start a new proposal and more.

Important

You will be asked to attach required documents to your proposal, based on the type of request you are making. The types of documents required in various forms include:

Curriculum Outline - The Curriculum Outline (Form A) is a form required by the Department of Higher Education (DHE). Their template must be complete and uploaded as a Word document. For changes to curricula, you will need to upload a current ("old") and a proposed ("new") Curriculum Outline. DHE requires these forms to be attached as separate Word documents. Please clearly label the Word documents with the title of your program (include the name of your plan and subplan) and the title of the document. For example, "BS Chemistry - Forensic Science Option - Curriculum Outline OLD" and "BS Chemistry - Forensic Science Option - Curriculum Outline NEW".
Degree Pathway - The Degree Pathway (DP) in the UMass Lowell (UML) academic catalog presents degree requirements in a sequential semester-based format that will help students visualize the recommended course load for each academic term and move them toward timely completion. See the academic catalog for existing Degree Pathways for undergraduate programs and existing Catalog Requirements for graduate programs. Complete the Degree Pathway grid template to demonstrate how your requested changes should be updated in the catalog.
Course Syllabus - The syllabus is required for course proposals to be reviewed. Please be sure to attach the syllabus as a PDF.

Build Your Form

When you start a new proposal, most forms will provide a fly-out window with initial questions to determine the specific questions and workflow to display in your form. Responses to these "first prompt" questions cannot be changed after the form is launched.

To learn more about the types of "first prompt" questions, please see the relevant descriptions below.

Academic Level

You might be asked to specify whether your course or plan/subplan pertains to the "undergraduate" or "graduate" level. This will build a form containing questions only relevant to your academic level.

Plans and Subplans

A subplan in SIS is either an "option" or "concentration" under a plan (major or program) with a designated Classification of Instructional Program (CIP) Code. Options and concentrations will be shown on student transcripts and diplomas. NOTE: "Specializations" and "tracks" are not a choice in SIS and will not be shown on student transcripts and diplomas. You might be asked if the plan (major, program, certificate, minor) has any subplans. This will build a form containing questions only relevant to your plan and/or subplan(s).

Delivery Modality

You will be asked whether a course or program is currently delivered in person and online. If the existing program is offered both on-campus and online, meaning one student could complete the whole program on-campus and another student could complete the whole program completely online, be sure to select "Yes" for both “in-person” and “online".

For requests to add a new course or plan/subplan to the catalog, you will be asked if you intend to deliver the course or program online. The question is referring to delivery mode. Will the student take the course online? Will the student be able to complete the degree online? If you intend to offer a course or plan/subplan online, you will be asked to meet with the GPS Program Development Team to discuss the feasibility of developing new courses online.

Catalog Description

The catalog description is a concise, publication-ready summary that describes the purpose, scope, and primary content of the course or program. This description will appear in the official academic catalog and should help prospective and current students understand what the course or program covers and, where appropriate, its goals or intended audience. Use clear, objective language and avoid references that may become outdated (for example: specific semesters, faculty names, or temporary requirements).

Request Checklist

If you are requesting changes, you will be asked to respond to a series of "Yes/No" questions for the course or program you are changing. Your responses to these questions will build a form that contains the specific questions relevant to your particular request.

Course Request Checklist

Course Title
Course Catalog Number
Catalog Description
Number of Credit Hours or Contact Hours
Grading Basis
Enrollment Requirements
Course Component
Final Exam Requirement
Learning Outcomes
Course CIP Code
Course Delivery Modality
Other Changes

Program Request Checklist

Title of Plan (major/program/certificate/minor)
Title of Subplan (option/concentration)
Required Courses
List of Approved Electives
Sequence of Courses (Degree Pathway)
Number of Credits
Catalog Description
Program Learning Outcomes
Admission Requirements
Plan CIP Code
Subplan CIP Code
Program Delivery Modality
Other Changes

Course Attributes

Proposals to request new or change existing courses include questions about the following course attributes.

Your Steps

Before You Begin

Please fill out the form carefully to ensure timely progression of your proposal. Below please find an overview of the steps you should take throughout the curriculum change process.

Complete - Provide all required information in the fields of the form. You may click "Save All Changes" on a partially complete form and return to it later.
Attach - Ensure the required documentation is labeled and attached as directed.
Launch(2 clicks!) - After you have completed the form please click "Validate and Launch Proposal" then click "confirm" to launch your proposal.
Approve(3 more clicks!) - After launching your proposal, you will need to approve it as the Originator. Use the Decisions tab (checkmark icon) and select "Approve", then click "Make My Decision". This will move your proposal forward into the approval workflow.
Watch & Respond - Watch your proposal as it progresses through the workflow, to respond to any questions or issues that may arise. If you need to communicate via email about the proposal, be sure to include a copy/paste of the Curriculog link to your specific proposal. Email clarifications should be saved as a PDF and uploaded directly to the proposal.
Attend - When your proposal reaches the relevant Faculty Senate Committee (UPC or GPAC) step, you or a representative from your department should attend the next scheduled meeting to address any questions the committee may have.
Review - After your proposal has been voted on and implemented, provide a final review to confirm that official records are accurately aligned with what was passed by governance, provide any final comments or feedback that we can use to improve upon the process in the next academic year, and "approve" to close the proposal.

Visit the Faculty Senate Committees webpage to find the next scheduled monthly meeting.

The Curriculog Form

Each Curriculog form contains the following collapsible sections labeled for the type of request you are making (course, program, policy).

Housing - Complete all four fields using the dropdown menus to select the relevant academic level, college, College Curriculum Committee, and department or program in which the course or program is housed.

Catalog Identifiers - Complete all fields to identify the existing course or program within the catalog, the state program inventory, and federal reporting requirements.

Request Details - This section is determined by your responses to the "First Prompt" questions described above. Answer all questions in this section.

Next Steps - Provide the name of the faculty member who will attend the Undergraduate Policy Committee (UPC) or Graduate Policy and Affairs Committee (GPAC) meeting, and any other relevant information that was not already included.

Academic Governance - No action required. This will be completed by the Faculty Senate Committee Chair, President, and/or Associate Director of Operations.

UML System Updates - No action required. This will be completed by the Registrar's Office, Data Analytics and Institutional Research (DAIR), Admissions, Financial Aid, Web Services, and other relevant offices.

Final Review - Return to this section at the very end of the Workflow, after the UML System Update steps are complete. You will be asked to review the updates in the catalog to ensure accuracy and alignment.

Workflow

A typical workflow might include the following:

Originator
Department Chair or Program Coordinator
College Curriculum Committee
College Dean or Designee
Undergraduate Policy Committee (UPC) or Graduate Policy and Affairs Committee (GPAC)
Faculty Senate Executive Committee
Provost and Chancellor
President's Office (UMPO)
Department of Higher Education (DHE)
UML System Updates

In Curriculog, use the "Workflow Status" tab to view which steps have been approved and which steps the proposal is 'working' on. The decision to approve has various meanings depending on the roles assigned to each step. See the Enter a Decision page for more detailed information.

Final Review

After your proposal has been voted on and implemented, provide a final review to confirm that official UML records are accurately aligned with what was passed by governance.

Then please provide any final comments or feedback that we can use to improve upon the process in the next academic year.

Finally, select "approve" to close the proposal (if all is well), or select "custom route" the proposal to the Curriculum Management team (if there are issues).

If you have questions at any time, please email: curriculog@uml.edu

Curriculog Proposal Instructions