Policy Approval Processes
Faculty may use Curriculog to propose a new academic policy or request a change to an existing policy at the department, college, or university level.
Policy proposals move through the appropriate faculty governance review process in Curriculog. The Undergraduate Policy Committee (UPC) and Graduate Policy and Affairs Committee (GPAC) review proposals when they reach the appropriate committee step in the workflow by the agenda deadline, which is one week before the next meeting. After Committee review, the proposals move forward to the Faculty Senate Review step.
Curriculog Forms
Use one of the following forms in Curriculog to propose a new policy or change an existing policy. Select the form based on the scope of the policy: department, college, or university.
Proposals for college-level or university-level policy may apply to undergraduate students, graduate students, or both.
Change an Existing Policy
- Change an Existing Policy (Department-Level)
- Change an Existing Policy (College-Level)
- Change an Existing Policy (University-Level)
Request a New Policy
- Request a New Policy (Department-Level)
- Request a New Policy (College-Level)
- Request a New Policy (University-Level)
Timelines for Requests
View Curriculum Proposal Deadlines (pdf) to determine the best timeframe for submitting your proposal.
Requests to change an existing policy or establish a new policy do not require approval by the UMass President’s Office (UMPO) or the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education (DHE). However, proposals must complete the applicable UMass Lowell faculty governance review and approval process before implementation.
When Will an Approved Policy Take Effect?
Policy proposals submitted during the 2026–2027 review cycle are generally intended for the 2027–2028 academic catalog.
Changes to admission requirements may require additional implementation time and may not take effect until the 2028–2029 academic catalog, depending on the applicable admission cycle.
Choosing the Appropriate Policy Level
The academic policy level determines which groups participate in the review and approval process.
Department-Level Policy
Use a department-level form for a policy that applies within a single department.
Department-level policy proposals follow the same governance processes used for program proposals.
College-Level Policy
Use a college-level form for a policy that applies across a college.
The workflow may include both undergraduate and graduate College Curriculum Committees, as applicable. All departments and programs within the college are included in the proposal workflow so that affected academic units have an opportunity to review the proposal.
University-Level Policy
Use a university-level form for a policy that applies broadly across UMass Lowell.
The Faculty Senate has established a campus-wide review process for university-level policy proposals. This process provides opportunities for colleges, departments, deans, faculty governance committees, and other members of the university community to review and comment on a proposal before the Faculty Senate takes final action.
University-level policy proposals generally move through a two-month approval cycle:
Faculty Senate Initial Review → Campus Call for Comment → UPC → GPAC → Faculty Senate Final Review → UML System Updates → Originator Final Review
Approved policies generally take effect at the beginning of the following fall semester. Changes to admission requirements may follow a later implementation schedule based on the admission cycle.
Department-Level Policies
Department-level policies apply within a single academic department. Use the appropriate Curriculog form to request a new department-level policy or propose changes to an existing department-level policy.
Department-Level Policy Review and Approval Process
Department-level policy proposals follow the same general faculty governance process as program proposals. After the proposal is launched in Curriculog, it moves through the applicable department and college approval steps before proceeding to the appropriate Faculty Senate policy committee.
Depending on the academic level affected by the policy, the proposal will be reviewed by:
- Undergraduate Policy Committee (UPC) — for policies affecting undergraduate students
- Graduate Policy and Affairs Committee (GPAC) — for policies affecting graduate students
The Curriculog workflow identifies the required reviewers and approvals for the proposal.
The Originator or another knowledgeable representative should be prepared to attend the applicable UPC or GPAC meeting to present the proposal and answer questions.
Admissions and Catalog Impact
The Curriculog form will ask whether the proposed policy affects admission requirements. If it does, identify the applicable Admissions area so that the appropriate office can be notified of the approved change.
Approved department-level policies will be reflected in the appropriate undergraduate or graduate catalog content, as applicable.
Requesting a New Department-Level Policy
Use the Request New Policy (Department-Level) form in Curriculog when proposing a new academic policy that will apply within a single department.
Before beginning the proposal, consult with the appropriate department leadership and faculty. Be prepared to describe the proposed policy, explain why it is needed, identify the students or programs it will affect, and provide the information necessary to support its review and implementation.
Changing an Existing Department-Level Policy
Use the Change Existing Policy (Department-Level) form in Curriculog to propose revisions to an existing academic policy within a department.
Identify the existing policy and provide the current and proposed policy language. Clearly describe the requested changes, the reason for the changes, and any anticipated impact on students, programs, advising, admissions, or other academic processes.
Attach supporting documentation when needed to explain or support the proposed change.
After You Submit
After completing all required fields and attaching any necessary supporting documents, follow the Launch & Enter Approval instructions in Curriculog to validate, launch, and enter your approval for the proposal.
Continue to monitor the proposal as it moves through the approval workflow. Respond promptly if reviewers request revisions, additional information, or other action.
Visit Curriculog Help for assistance using Curriculog or the Faculty Senate Committees page for meeting dates, agenda deadlines, and committee information.
Questions about the curriculum management process may be directed to curriculog@uml.edu.
College-Level Policies
College-level policies apply across a college and require review by the academic units and curriculum committees within the college before proceeding to the appropriate Faculty Senate policy committee(s).
Use the appropriate Curriculog form to request a new college-level policy or propose changes to an existing college-level policy.
College-Level Policy Review and Approval Process
After the proposal enters the approval workflow, it is routed to all department chairs and program coordinators in the college for review. Each reviewer has seven days to enter feedback directly in the Curriculog proposal.
Following this review period, the proposal proceeds through the college curriculum committees for formal review and a vote:
- Undergraduate Curriculum Committee
- Graduate Curriculum Committee
All college-level policy proposals are reviewed by both college curriculum committees, regardless of whether the policy applies to undergraduate students, graduate students, or both.
After college-level review, the proposal proceeds to the appropriate Faculty Senate committee based on the academic level affected:
- Undergraduate only: Undergraduate Policy Committee (UPC)
- Graduate only: Graduate Policy and Affairs Committee (GPAC)
- Undergraduate and graduate: UPC, followed by GPAC
The Curriculog form will ask who will attend the applicable UPC and/or GPAC meeting. The Originator or another knowledgeable representative should be prepared to attend the meeting to answer questions about the proposal.
Admissions and Catalog Impact
The proposal will ask whether the college-level policy affects admission requirements. If it does, select the Admissions area affected by the proposed policy:
- Undergraduate Admissions (on-campus)
- Undergraduate GPS Admissions (online)
- Graduate Admissions
This information is used to notify the appropriate Admissions office of approved policy changes.
Approved policies will also be reflected on the appropriate undergraduate and/or graduate catalog policy pages, based on the academic level to which the policy applies.
Requesting a New College-Level Policy
Use the Request New College-Level Policy form in Curriculog when proposing a new academic policy that will apply across the college.
Before beginning the proposal, consult with the appropriate departments, programs, and college leadership. Be prepared to clearly describe the proposed policy, explain why it is needed, identify the student populations it will affect, and provide the information requested in the form to support its review and implementation.
Changing an Existing College-Level Policy
Use the Change Existing College-Level Policy form in Curriculog to propose revisions to an existing academic policy that applies across the college.
In addition to identifying the existing policy and providing the current and proposed policy text, the form asks for a description and rationale for the requested changes and the anticipated impact on student populations.
Because the policy applies at the college level, you must also provide an implementation plan for the college and a timeline for implementation. Identify who will oversee departmental compliance when applicable.
If implementation will vary by department, complete the Department-Level Implementation section and provide the specific implementation plan for each applicable department.
Attach applicable letters of support and any other documentation needed to support the proposal.
After You Submit
After completing all required fields and attaching the necessary supporting documents, follow the Launch & Enter Approval instructions in the Curriculog form to validate, launch, and enter your approval for the proposal.
Continue to monitor the proposal as it moves through the approval workflow. Respond promptly if revisions, additional information, or other action is requested.
Visit the Curriculog Help page for assistance using Curriculog and the Faculty Senate Committees page for meeting dates, agenda deadlines, and committee information.
Questions about the curriculum management process may be directed to curriculog@uml.edu.
The Two-Month Approval Cycle for University-Level Policies
1. Originator Submits the Proposal
- The Originator creates and submits the university-level proposal in Curriculog.
2. Faculty Senate - Initial Review
- Faculty Senate Operations places the proposal on the next Faculty Senate meeting agenda if it reaches this step by the agenda deadline, one week before the meeting.
- Faculty Senate reviews the proposal during the week before the meeting.
- The Originator presents an overview of the proposal at the Faculty Senate meeting.
- Faculty Senate discusses the proposal and votes on whether it should proceed through the full university-level policy review cycle.
- If approved to proceed, the proposal moves into the campus Call for Comment process.
3. Call for Comment
The Call for Comment provides colleges and other members of the university community with an opportunity to identify potential impacts, concerns, and recommendations before the policy reaches UPC and GPAC.
- Faculty Senate Operations posts the Call for Comment on the Faculty Senate Policy Announcements page.
- The Faculty Senate President announces the proposal through Today at UMass Lowell and invites members of the university community to participate in the review process.
- Faculty Senators bring the proposal to their departments for review and discussion.
- College Curriculum Committees review the proposal and submit comments directly in Curriculog during their designated 7-day response period.
- College Deans review the proposal and the comments received and submit impact statements directly in Curriculog during their subsequent 7-day response period.
- The Originator reviews and responds to comments in Curriculog throughout the process.
4. Undergraduate Policy Committee (UPC)
- UPC reviews the proposal and comments in Curriculog during the week before the UPC meeting.
- The Originator continues to review and respond to comments and presents an overview of the proposal at the UPC meeting.
- UPC discusses the proposal with the Originator and other interested parties in attendance.
- UPC votes to:
- approve the proposal as written;
- approve the proposal with requested changes; or
- return the proposal to the Originator for revision and resubmission.
- If approved, the proposal moves to GPAC.
- If returned for revision, the proposal moves back to the Originator in Curriculog.
5. Graduate Policy and Affairs Committee (GPAC)
- GPAC reviews the proposal and comments in Curriculog during the week before the GPAC meeting.
- The Originator continues to review and respond to comments and presents an overview of the proposal at the GPAC meeting.
- GPAC discusses the proposal with the Originator and other interested parties in attendance.
- GPAC votes to:
- approve the proposal as written;
- approve the proposal with requested changes; or
- return the proposal to the Originator for revision and resubmission.
- If approved, the proposal moves to Faculty Senate for final review.
- If returned for revision, the proposal moves back to the Originator in Curriculog.
6. Faculty Senate - Final Review
- Faculty Senate reviews the final proposal and comments during the week before the Faculty Senate meeting.
- The Originator continues to review and respond to comments in Curriculog.
- Faculty Senate discusses the proposal with the Originator and other interested parties in attendance.
- Faculty Senate votes to:
- approve the proposal as written;
- approve the proposal with requested changes; or
- return the proposal to the Originator for revision and resubmission.
- If approved, the proposal moves to the appropriate UML system update steps.
7. UML System Updates
Following final governance approval:
- The Registrar’s Office updates the academic catalog to reflect the approved policy, generally effective the following fall semester.
- The Admissions Office, when applicable, updates admission requirements after the current admission cycle closes and before the next applicable admission cycle begins. Because admission requirements must be communicated in advance to prospective students, implementation is typically three to four semesters after approval.
8. Final Review by the Originator
After the required UML system updates are complete:
- The Originator reviews the published catalog information to confirm that the official university record accurately reflects the policy approved through faculty governance.
- If the information is correct, the Originator closes the proposal in Curriculog.
- If a correction is needed, the Originator contacts Curriculum Management for assistance before closing the proposal.
Calls for Comment
Faculty Senate Calls for Comment are typically announced through Today at UMass Lowell on the Friday following the Faculty Senate meeting at which the proposal received its initial review.
Details and updates for each Call for Comment are posted on the Faculty Senate Policy Announcements page. The page is updated as UPC, GPAC, and Faculty Senate take action on each proposal.
College Curriculum Committees have a designated 7-day response period to enter comments directly in the Curriculog proposal. College Deans then have a separate 7-day response period to enter their impact statements.
The Call for Comment is not limited to these formal response periods. Members of the UMass Lowell community may also attend the applicable UPC, GPAC, and Faculty Senate meetings to provide feedback and participate in discussion.
More About Academic Policies
Policies in the Undergraduate Catalog
Polices in the Graduate Catalog