CURRICULUM TIMING GUIDELINES [DRAFT]
NEW COURSES, DEGREES & CERTIFICATES
New courses and programs can be made effective at the beginning of the term following final approval*. If new
curriculum receives final approval by [date TBD**], it will be included in the catalog for the following academic
year. If new curriculum receives final approval after [date TBD**], it will be included in a mid-year catalog
addendum, to be released each December or January.
Timing for New Course, Degree & Certificate Proposals
It can take several months following Curriculum Committee approval for a new course to receive final approval;
new programs often have an even longer review period. For this reason, it is recommended to submit new
course proposals to the Curriculum Committee 2-3 semesters before the desired first term to be offered, and
new degrees or certificates 3-4 semesters before the desired first term to be offered.
COURSE REVISIONS
Starting with the 2016-17 Academic Year, students can now register for summer, fall, and spring semester
courses when registration opens each April. Once students have registered for a course, there are certain
elements that cannot be changed until the next registration period. This means that some course & program
revisions cannot be made effective until the beginning of the next catalog year.
Catalog Changes
A general rule of thumb is that changing any piece of course information printed in the catalog will need to wait
until the next catalog year to be made effective. A few elements on this list don’t appear in the catalog, but
serve other administrative and scheduling purposes with similar constraints.
Changing any of the following items in the Course Outline of Record (COR) is considered a catalog change, and
cannot be made effective until the beginning of the next catalog year following final approval*:
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Course Dept & Number [CB01]
Course Title (Long or Short) [CB02]
TOPs Code [CB03]
Credit Status [CB04]
Course Transfer Status [CB05]
Units [CB06/07]
Contact Hours
Basic Skills Status [CB08]
SAM Priority Code [CB09]
Course Prior to transfer Level [CB21]
Funding Agency Category [CB23]
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Catalog Description
Prerequisite(s)
Corequisite(s)
Recommended Prep
Grading Standard
Repeatability
Degree Applicability
Significant changes to Course Content,
Outcomes, etc., such that the revised
course will not be equated with the
previous version (very rare).
* Final approval can vary depending on the details of each proposal. In most cases, the Chancellor’s Office is the final
approval body. If you aren’t sure which levels of approval your proposal requires, please consult with your Dean or Director,
the Curriculum Committee Chair, or the Curriculum Specialist.
Last Revised: 04/08/16
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Non-Catalog Changes
Changes to any course information not listed above as a catalog change can be made effective at the beginning
of the term following final approval*.
Timing for Course Revision Proposals
Content for scheduling and catalog is finalized in the early spring to prepare for release in late spring/early
summer. Curriculum proposals that have received final approval* by [date TBD**] are guaranteed to be included
in the following year’s catalog.
It can take several months following Curriculum Committee approval for a course revision to receive final
approval*. For this reason, it is recommended to submit course revision proposals to the Curriculum Committee
2-3 semesters before the desired term to become effective.
Example: For a course revision to be effective in Fall 2018, it must receive final approval* by [date TBD**]. To
allow 2-3 semesters following Curriculum Committee approval, this course should ideally be presented to the
Curriculum Committee meeting during the Spring 2017 semester.
DEGREE & CERTIFICATE REVISIONS
Due to the high number of variables involved with degree/certificate revision proposals, it is recommended for
Faculty, Deans and Directors to consult with the Curriculum Committee Chair and/or Curriculum Specialist
regarding timing for degree/certificate revision proposals.
In general, it is recommended to submit degree/certificate revision proposals to the Curriculum Committee 3-4
semesters before the desired first term to be offered (though some proposals will take longer).
** date TBD: this date will be determined around new dependencies for scheduling a full year at once.
Previous versions of this draft used the date April 1, but it will likely need to be earlier in the academic year.
* Final approval can vary depending on the details of each proposal. In most cases, the Chancellor’s Office is the final
approval body. If you aren’t sure which levels of approval your proposal requires, please consult with your Dean or Director,
the Curriculum Committee Chair, or the Curriculum Specialist.
Last Revised: 04/08/16
Page 2 of 2