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.

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.

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  

  1. 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.
  2. Faculty Senate reviews the proposal during the week before the meeting.
  3. The Originator presents an overview of the proposal at the Faculty Senate meeting.
  4. Faculty Senate discusses the proposal and votes on whether it should proceed through the full university-level policy review cycle.
  5. 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.

  1. Faculty Senate Operations posts the Call for Comment on the Faculty Senate Policy Announcements page. 
  2. 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.
  3. Faculty Senators bring the proposal to their departments for review and discussion.
  4. College Curriculum Committees review the proposal and submit comments directly in Curriculog during their designated 7-day response period.
  5. College Deans review the proposal and the comments received and submit impact statements directly in Curriculog during their subsequent 7-day response period.
  6. The Originator reviews and responds to comments in Curriculog throughout the process.

4. Undergraduate Policy Committee (UPC)

  1. UPC reviews the proposal and comments in Curriculog during the week before the UPC meeting.
  2. The Originator continues to review and respond to comments and presents an overview of the proposal at the UPC meeting.
  3. UPC discusses the proposal with the Originator and other interested parties in attendance.
  4. 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.
  5. If approved, the proposal moves to GPAC.
  6. If returned for revision, the proposal moves back to the Originator in Curriculog.

5. Graduate Policy and Affairs Committee (GPAC)

  1. GPAC reviews the proposal and comments in Curriculog during the week before the GPAC meeting.
  2. The Originator continues to review and respond to comments and presents an overview of the proposal at the GPAC meeting.
  3. GPAC discusses the proposal with the Originator and other interested parties in attendance.
  4. 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.
  5. If approved, the proposal moves to Faculty Senate for final review.
  6. If returned for revision, the proposal moves back to the Originator in Curriculog.

6. Faculty Senate - Final Review

  1. Faculty Senate reviews the final proposal and comments during the week before the Faculty Senate meeting.
  2. The Originator continues to review and respond to comments in Curriculog.
  3. Faculty Senate discusses the proposal with the Originator and other interested parties in attendance.
  4. 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.
  5. If approved, the proposal moves to the appropriate UML system update steps.

7. UML System Updates

Following final governance approval:

  1. The Registrar’s Office updates the academic catalog to reflect the approved policy, generally effective the following fall semester.
  2. 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:

  1. The Originator reviews the published catalog information to confirm that the official university record accurately reflects the policy approved through faculty governance.
  2. If the information is correct, the Originator closes the proposal in Curriculog.
  3. 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