Testudo Curriculum Management
User Documentation
Rev. 1.5 – 2012.12.5
Table of Contents
Important notes before you begin .................................................................................................. 1
Overview of Helpful Tips .................................................................................................................... 2
New Course Proposal ........................................................................................................................... 5
Course Information .......................................................................................................................................... 6
Course Logistics ................................................................................................................................................. 9
Learning Outcomes ....................................................................................................................................... 10
Course Requisites .......................................................................................................................................... 12
Active Dates ..................................................................................................................................................... 17
Collaborators ................................................................................................................................................... 18
Supporting Documents ................................................................................................................................ 18
Review Proposal............................................................................................................................................. 19
Other ways to create and work with courses ............................................................................ 22
Find a Course ................................................................................................................................................... 22
Modify a Course .............................................................................................................................................. 24
Retire an Active Course ............................................................................................................................... 25
Copy to New Proposal (Create a Course by copying) ........................................................................ 29
Find a Submitted Course Proposal .......................................................................................................... 30
Recently Viewed .................................................................................................................................. 31
Management Tools ............................................................................................................................. 31
Dependency Analysis ................................................................................................................................... 31
My Action List ....................................................................................................................................... 34
What’s Next? .......................................................................................................................................... 35
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Important notes before you begin
Testudo Curriculum Management (CM) is a web-based program in which faculty can create,
organize, and edit a new or existing course, and set parameters for it in preparation for entry into
the course catalog. Testudo CM integrates with the Student Information System (SIS). General
information about the course proposal and review process can be found at the following link:
http://www.vpac.umd.edu/.
When a course is proposed or modified, it must be approved by the corresponding college before
it can be sent for inclusion in the course catalog and scheduling. It is advisable to leave a minimum
of six weeks for this process. Proposals must be received at least two weeks prior to a scheduled
Vice President’s Advisory Committee (VPAC) meeting to be included on the agenda for
consideration. Proposals can be heard no later than the February VPAC meeting for inclusion in
the next year’s academic catalog. More information can be found at the following link:
http://www.vpac.umd.edu/schedule.html.
If a course has been deleted (retired), the course number cannot be added to the system for a
minimum of five years.
The Testudo CM website can be accessed using recent browser versions, including Internet
Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, and Safari. Mobile devices are not currently supported.
To log into the site, access the following link: https://cm.testudo.umd.edu. You will need to log in
using your University of Maryland directory ID and password.
A helpful information site has been set up with links, documents and training videos at the
following link: http://www.testudo.umd.edu/ks/.
A feedback form for your comments and suggestions can be accessed from the information site or
by going directly to the form at the following link:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dElCY2Jsa0tkdkhrRFlBWXU0MGNKUH
c6MQ.
For help with University of Maryland login issues, please contact the Division of Information
Technology Help Desk at 301.405.1500.
For help with proposals and policies, please contact your college’s VPAC Representative or Mike
Colson, Senior Coordinator for Academic Programs, at 301.405.5626.
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Overview of Helpful Tips
As you work through the course proposal process, you will see helpful icons and example links.
Here is a list of many of these tips.


A red asterisk (*) denotes a required field that must be filled in before you save the page
and move on.
By comparison, the faded gray text “Required on Submit” does not have to be filled out
immediately to save the page, but must be completed by the time you submit your course.

A faded gray “See examples” button will provide an information textbox with helpful
examples This button turns blue when you point at it with your mouse.

A faded gray question mark will give you ideas on how to fill in the information field.

Clickable links and buttons for expanding fields of information can be selected.
o An example is a link under a field selection that opens to a new series of fields to be
filled out:
o Another example is a button that expands to show new choices:

Some fields in which you manually type information will have a character limit. The
maximum limit is shown at the bottom of the field as a gray number. As you begin typing
into the field, the gray number will count down. So, for example, if you have a total of 400
available characters, when you enter a single character you will see the number change to
399.

Avoid the use of the following special characters when copying and pasting from a
Microsoft product to the CM fields. Instead, insert the special characters you need directly
into the CM field.
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‘1’ – Single Quote (left and right) from Word
“2” – Double Quote (left and right) from Word
^ – Caret
{ – Left brace
} – Right brace
| – Pipe
~ – Tilde
` – Single Quote (left) from keyboard

If you do not fill in a required field, the missing information will be highlighted for easy
identification.

Once you are in a course proposal, navigate between screens by using any of the following:
o the Course Sections menu on the left side of the screen,
o the menu breadcrumbs at the top of the screen, or
o the Select an area… dropdown at the top right of the screen.

It’s a good idea to save your work often. The CM site will time out if you leave the screen
for a period of time.
Only one person can be in a proposal at a time, to avoid conflicts.
Regarding popup blockers: there are only a few features in the Curriculum Management
system that are affected by a popup blocker, and it’s unlikely to affect most features,
however, disabling it may help your functionality. One of the features is the export feature,
which does use a popup.
After you’ve submitted a proposal, click on the My Action List link. You’ll see your proposal
in the list. Make a note of the Document ID number. It will come in handy if you need to
find your document later.
As you work through the proposal process, you will notice that the status of the proposal
will change depending on where it is in the workflow. Here’s a list of proposal statuses you
might see:
o Saved – indicates that you have saved the proposal but have not yet submitted it
o Cancelled – indicates that you have cancelled a saved proposal
o Enroute – indicates that you’ve submitted the proposal to workflow




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


o Withdrawn – indicates that the proposal you have withdrawn the proposal prior to
final approval
o Approved – indicates that the proposal is approved
o Rejected – indicates that a reviewer has rejected the proposal
o Draft – indicates you have not yet saved the proposal
You should include a syllabus with your proposal; this is done at the Supporting Document
section, covered later in this document. Syllabi are required for new courses.
Help on many course proposal topics can be found by clicking the How do I…? link at the
top of the Curriculum Management screen.
The ability to work with Programs will be added in a future release.
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New Course Proposal
To start a new course you can start from scratch and build the course with new information, or
copy an existing course or course proposal. Once you submit and receive approval for the course,
it will be published in the course catalog.
Note: Before you create a new course proposal, ensure that a course or course proposal using the
same prefix and course number pairing does not already exist. You can search for existing course
prefix/number pairs using the Find features, described later in this document.
1. Under the Create… section of the Curriculum Management screen, click the Create a
Course link.
2. Click the Start a blank proposal radio button, then the Start Proposal button.
3. You can also create a new course by copying another course. This will be covered
elsewhere in this manual.
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The Create a Course window opens onto the Course Information screen and has a menu list of
seven Course Sections: Course Information, Course Logistics, Learning Outcomes, Course
Requisites, Active Dates, Collaborators, and Supporting Documents. The last section is
Review Proposal, where you will see all proposal fields, including any that still need to be
populated.
As you go through each section and click the Save and Continue button, you will advance to the
next section. You can access an individual section at any time by clicking on it in the side menu.
Course Information
There are four areas in this section: Course Information, Description and Reason for Proposal,
Course Governance, and Additional Information.
Course Information:
1. The Course Prefix and Course Number is where you begin to identify your course – you
need to know the information for these fields prior to submitting your proposal.
a. Click in the Course Prefix field and begin entering the first letter of your course
prefix. All subjects beginning with the first letter you type will appear. As you see
your subject prefix, click on it to select.
b. Click in the Course Number field and enter the 3-digit number.
2. Titles:
a. Proposal Title (120 characters permitted): Enter the course prefix, course number,
and course title into the proposal title field. This is to identify the proposal through
the approval process.
b. Course Title (120 characters permitted): Enter the course title into the associated
field. It is recommended that you use the same course title as used in the Proposal
Title, minus the course prefix and number.
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c. Transcript Title (24 characters permitted): When clicked, the Transcript Title field
automatically copies the first 24 characters of the Course Title field. This can be
adjusted for the purpose of having a meaningful title on printed transcripts.
3. If you have any special requirements click on the Cross List, Jointly Offer, Formerly, and
Credit Only Granted For link. The link expands and provides sections for each item. The
link acts as a toggle, so when you click it a second time the information is collapsed.
a. Cross Listed Courses: A cross listed course refers to a single course which is
offered using multiple course prefix and/or numbers. All offerings of this course
across the cross listed relationship must have the same level, title, description, and
learning outcomes. (Suffixed courses cannot be cross listed at the curricular level.)
You can add additional cross listed courses if needed. Click the Add Another Cross
Listing button as needed.
b. Jointly Offered Courses: A jointly offered course refers to two or more courses that
may "meet with" one another with the same meeting location, day/time, and
instructor. The title, description, and learning outcomes for each course may differ.
This generally occurs when the courses cover a common subject area. You can add
additional jointly offered courses if needed. Click the Add Another Course button
as needed.
c. Formerly: If this course was previously offered using a different course prefix
and/or number, including pilot courses and Special Topics, identify the former
course information by providing the old course prefix and number.
d. Credit Only Granted For: Used when the courses are so similar that the student
taking both should not receive double credit. Enter the course prefix and number.
Description and Reason for Proposal:
4. Description: The description will appear in the catalog and is required to submit your
proposal. Do not include course requisite information in this field, and do not begin
descriptions with “This course will….”
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5. Additional Course Information: Information that is pertinent to the students to
understand requirements, and who may be given priority getting into the class. Click the
See examples button for samples. This information will be published in the catalog.
6. Reason for Proposal (400 characters permitted): This field is used to evaluate the
proposal and is not published in the catalog. List programs in which this class will be used.
Course Governance:
7. Curriculum Oversight Unit:
a. Once you have entered a course prefix at the top of the screen, the Add to list
button is activated with the unit responsible for the content of that program, as well
as determining the workflow and approval process for this proposal. Click the down
arrow and select the pre-populated unit.
b. Click the Add to list button to add the information onto the page.
Additional Information
8. Programs, Curricula and Courses (PCC)
a. Select if this course addition or change will affect the degree program requirements.
9. AP and IB
a. Click the checkbox if Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB)
can be attributed to this course.
10. CORE and General Education
a. Select either or both selections.
10. Click the Save and Continue button. If everything is filled in correctly you will see a Save
Successful notice with a green checkmark and you will be automatically placed on the next
section of the form.
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Course Logistics
Grading Method
1. Policies can be reviewed at http://vpac.umd.edu/policies.html.
2. Select Regular (Letter) and/or Satisfactory/Fail.
Student Registration Options: click the checkbox to select the preferred option(s).
3. Audit: Allow students to take the class without formal assessment.
4. Pass-Fail: Undergraduate registration item that shows Pass or Fail on their academic
record.
Credit Information
5. Credit Options: Detailed selections show depending on your selection.
a. Fixed shows a Total Credits field when selected. 1 Credit has a minimum of 15
contact hours; 2 is 30 contact hours; 3 is 45 contact hours; 4 is 60 contact hours, etc.
b. Variable shows two fields, Minimum Credits and Maximum Credits, when
selected.
6. Semester Type: Select either Standard Semester (15 weeks) or Nonstandard Format.
7. Hour Commitment per Week:
a. Example: If you entered three hours for the Total Credits field above and enter three
hours for Lecture or Seminar, the total contact hours returned here will be 45.
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8. Repeat Credits: Repeatable courses must use a course number that ends in "8" or "9", e.g.,
FMST 498.
9. Click the Save and Continue button.
Learning Outcomes
This section is used to build a bullet-point style outline for the learning outcomes of the course.
Each field can hold up to 1,500 characters. In addition, fields can be reordered by clicking on the
up and down arrows that are above each field. You can also store and search for existing learning
outcomes by clicking the link to Search for Learning Outcomes.
Note: Learning Outcomes are typically required for new course proposals by VPAC. Learning
Outcomes can be categorized, but categories themselves are optional. If you want to make
categories specific to your own department or program, it is suggested that you indicate your
college and department/program in the category for easy identification.
After clicking the Search for Learning Outcomes link, select from the Define By drop down
menu: Course Only, Course and Program, or Program Only.
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To search for a learning outcome, enter any or all of the following: Keyword in the Learning
Outcome you are searching for; Learning Outcome Category; Course Code; Course Title;
Organization Name; Organization Type. Then click Search.
Note: For some existing courses, learning outcomes were imported from the VPAC database.
1. Enter the desired learning outcome.
a. Enter a category for the learning outcome, then click Add. As you start typing in the
Category field, possible choices will appear that you may select from if desired.
b. You may also click the Browse for Categories link.
i. Choose to filter by Type by using the check boxes.
ii. Start typing a word in the By words in category field. As you start typing,
possible choices will appear.
iii. Click on the desired category and click Add.
2. Click the Add Additional Learning Outcomes button at the bottom of the screen if you
need to add more fields to the outline or Delete to remove an existing one.
3. Click the Save and Continue button.
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Course Requisites
The Course Requisites (“Rules”) section establishes the requirements, if any, that are required for
course registration. This is accomplished through a two-step process of adding rules to the course
to govern the requirements.
Note: When creating a course requisite that specifies an organization such as a college, e.g.,
“Permission of <curriculum org> required,” enter the school or college first, then the department
or program, for example: “BSOS-Psychology” or “CMNS-Physics.” Additionally, do not use a
suffixed course (e.g. EDCI389G) in a course rule. If a suffixed course needs to be used in this way,
a permanent number for the suffixed course should be proposed first.
Enrollment Eligibility
Prerequisites
1. Click the Add Prerequisites button to add courses, with or without grade requirements,
which a student must have completed in order to enroll.
2. The screen presents two steps. Step 1 allows you to Build and Add Rules.
a. Click the down arrow to display and select your rule(s). If an appropriate rule does
not appear, you can use the Free Form Text option to enter your own, such as
“Complete certificate program x.”
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b. If you select a rule that requires you to enter further options, such as required
courses, you will be presented with an expanded screen to do this.
c. Once you have selected a course to link with your proposed course, click Add Rule.
You can add as many rules as you require.
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3. Step 2 will show the rules you have added. You can add Boolean logic to link multiple rules.
a. You can modify your rules to have AND/OR relationships, using the objects seen in
the Edit with Object tab.
i. You can click the checkmark next to AND, and you can change to OR by
clicking the OR button.
ii. Additionally, you can group ANDs and ORs together by selecting several rules
and clicking the Group button to create (A and B) or C.
b. You can also type in your own logic on the Edit with Logic tab, such as typing A
and B or (A and B) or C.
c. You can move your rules up or down if you wish to change their order by clicking
the Move Up or Move Down buttons as needed.
d. You can delete a rule by clicking the checkmark next to a rule, then clicking the
Delete button.
e. Once you are finished adding rules and logic, click the Save button.
4. After your prerequisites are entered, the screen will reflect this change.
a. You can edit or delete your prerequisites by clicking the Edit or Delete links.
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Corequisite
2. Click the Add Corequisite button to add courses to be taken at the same time as this
course.
3. The screen presents two steps. Step 1 allows you to Build and Add Rules.
a. Click the down arrow to display and select your rule(s). If an appropriate rule does
not appear, you can use the Free Form Text option to enter your own.
b. If you select a rule that requires you to enter further options, you will be presented
with an expanded screen to do this.
4. Step 2 will show your rules. You can add Boolean logic to link multiple rules.
a. You can modify your rules to have AND/OR relationships, using the objects seen in
the Edit with Object tab.
i. You can click the checkmark next to AND, and you can change to OR by
clicking the OR button.
ii. Additionally, you can group ANDs and ORs together by selecting several rules
and clicking the Group button to create (A and B) or C.
b. You can also type in your own logic on the Edit with Logic tab, such as typing A
and B or (A and B) or C.
c. You can move your rules up or down if you wish to change their order by clicking
the Move Up or Move Down buttons as needed.
d. You can delete a rule by clicking the checkmark next to a rule, then clicking the
Delete button.
e. Once you are finished adding rules and logic, click the Save button.
Recommended
1. Click the Add Recommended button to add recommended courses to prepare for this one.
Courses added here will not prevent students from registering, but will be printed in the
catalog.
2. The screen presents two steps. Step 1 allows you to Build and Add Rules.
a. Click the down arrow to display and select your rule(s). If an appropriate rule does
not appear, you can use the Free Form Text option to enter your own.
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b. If you select a rule that requires you to enter further options, you will be presented
with an expanded screen to do this.
3. Step 2 will show your rules. You can add Boolean logic to link multiple rules.
a. You can modify your rules to have AND/OR relationships, using the objects seen in
the Edit with Object tab.
i. You can click the checkmark next to AND, and you can change to OR by
clicking the OR button.
ii. Additionally, you can group ANDs and ORs together by selecting several rules
and clicking the Group button to create (A and B) or C.
b. You can also type in your own logic on the Edit with Logic tab, such as typing A
and B or (A and B) or C.
c. You can move your rules up or down if you wish to change their order by clicking
the Move Up or Move Down buttons as needed.
d. You can delete a rule by clicking the checkmark next to a rule, then clicking the
Delete button.
e. Once you are finished adding rules and logic, click the Save button.
Restrictions
1. Click the Add Restrictions button to add conditions that will restrict enrollment, such as
open only to majors, credit level requirements, test scores, etc.
2. The screen presents 2 steps. Step 1 allows you to Build and Add Rules.
a. Click the down arrow to display and select your rule(s). If an appropriate rule does
not appear, you can use the Free Form Text option to enter your own.
b. If you select a rule that requires you to enter further options, you will be presented
with an expanded screen to do this.
3. Step 2 will show your rules. You can add Boolean logic to link multiple rules.
a. You can modify your rules to have AND/OR relationships, using the objects seen in
the Edit with Object tab.
i. You can click the checkmark next to AND, and you can change to OR by
clicking the OR button.
ii. Additionally, you can group ANDs and ORs together by selecting several rules
and clicking the Group button to create (A and B) or C.
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b. You can also type in your own logic on the Edit with Logic tab, such as typing A
and B or (A and B) or C.
c. You can move your rules up or down if you wish to change their order by clicking
the Move Up or Move Down buttons as needed.
d. You can delete a rule by clicking the checkmark next to a rule, then clicking the
Delete button.
e. Once you are finished adding rules and logic, click the Save button.
Active Dates
1.
2.
3.
4.
Start Term: Enter the earliest semester in which the course can be offered in the catalog.
Pilot Course: Check box for yes, or leave blank. This is for a one-time/pilot course.
End Term: Required for visiting professors or a pilot course.
Click the Save and Continue button
Note: Pilot course status is for a course to be approved for a single term only and does not
have to go through the standard review process (although approval must be granted by the
VPAC office after the course is submitted). If this is selected, you must select an End Term. An
additional term may be granted with permission by changing the active and end terms.
If you wish to make a pilot course permanent, do not create a new Pilot course (which
would add multiple, unrelated instances of the same course). Instead, use Find a Course from
the main page to find the original Pilot course (the course will appear as “Retired” because it
has an end term). Once you find and select the course, select Modify Course to make a
modification to the original Pilot Course. Make whatever changes you would like to make to
the course. Be sure to add Learning Outcomes and a syllabus (on the Supporting Documents
page) unless it is not required for the course (e.g., a special topics course). On the Active Dates
page, the term that you select for the Start Term should be after the last Pilot term. Make sure
that the Pilot box is unchecked. Submit the proposal as you would any other course
modification proposal.
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Collaborators
This section allows you to enter a collaborator, who is typically not on the standard approval path,
who can edit, comment on, or view the course proposal. For example, this could be used in a
situation where another department will be providing a prerequisite; they can indicate their
approval by adding a comment.
1. Enter the Directory ID of the collaborator or click the Advanced Search link to search by
Name and/or Directory ID.
2. Choose the desired Permission level for the collaborator (edit, comment, and/or view).
3. Choose the Action Request (at this time, FYI is the only selection).
a. Both Permission and Action Request are required to complete adding a
collaborator.
4. Click the Add Collaborator button.
5. Add additional collaborators by following the steps as many times as needed.
6. If you wish to delete a collaborator, click the “X” under the Delete column next to that
collaborator’s name in the Added Collaborators section.
7. When you have added your collaborator(s), click the Save and Continue button.
Supporting Documents
Upload any document(s) associated with this course, particularly such as a syllabus, which is
required for new courses. Most file types are supported. Maximum file size permitted is
approximately 9 MB.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Click the Browse button for a file to upload. Enter a Description, if desired.
Click the Include More Files button to add another file, if desired.
When you are done adding files, click Upload.
If it is necessary to remove a file, before upload, click the X in the top right corner of the File
box. After upload, click the X in the Delete column of the Attached Documents.
5. When all of your files are uploaded, click the Continue button.
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Review Proposal
1. After you have completed all the preceding sections, the next step is to Review Proposal. If
any fields are missing or if there are any warnings, you will see a yellow box at the top of
the screen.
a. Click the Show what’s missing link. All errors (missing information) will be
highlighted in pink.
b. To see any errors, click the Edit link next to the section you wish to review. The
errors will appear in a yellow box in the relevant section.
c. To make any changes, click on the Edit link next to each section to be edited. You
will be returned to the corresponding Course Section page to make any changes –
then click Save and Continue.
2. Click Review Proposal in the left side menu as often as needed to find and edit any section
in need of completion. All completed fields will return to normal (e.g., the pink highlights
will be removed).
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Note: Until you have cleared all the pink highlights (missing information) or resolved any
errors, you will not be able to submit your proposal. When you have entered all missing
information and corrected any errors, the yellow box and the link to Show what’s missing will
be removed.
Another error you may encounter is a course number in use error. To fix this error, choose a
different course number. Be sure to search for course prefix/number pairings first to avoid
this.
3. If you would like to export the proposal summary to a PDF or Word document, click the
Export icon at the top right of the proposal screen. You can also send this summary directly
to the printer by clicking the Printer icon.
Note: In order to export your proposal summary, you must disable your popup blocker.
4. When you are ready, click the Proposal Actions drop down menu and select Submit
Proposal, Cancel Proposal, or Copy to New Proposal.
a. If you select Submit Proposal, a window will appear asking if you are sure. Click
Submit when ready. You will receive a message saying “The Proposal has been
submitted to workflow.”
b. If you select Cancel Proposal, a window will appear stating that the action is not
reversible, and asking if you wish to continue or return to the proposal.
Note: Always cancel a proposal that you do not plan to send forward through the
approval process. If you don’t cancel an unneeded proposal, the system holds it in a
saved state, locking it and preventing anyone from submitting a different proposal for
that course.
c. If you select Copy to New Proposal, most of the information you entered will be
copied to a new proposal, and you’ll be taken to the copy. The title of the copied
proposal will be Copy of (name of original proposal).
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5. From within a submitted proposal, you can follow the review/decision process by clicking
the Decisions link, located below the proposal title at the top of the proposal screen below
the proposal title. This window will show who has approved the proposal so far. Also, you
can add comments for the reviewers (and view comments by the reviewers) by clicking the
Comments link.
6. Once a proposal is submitted, you can withdraw, resubmit or copy the proposal. From the
Review Proposal screen, from the Proposal Actions drop down menu, you can select
Withdraw Proposal or Copy to New Proposal, if necessary.
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Other ways to create and work with courses
To return to the Testudo Curriculum Management main menu at any time, click on the Select an
area… drop down menu at the top right of the screen and select Curriculum Management.
Find a Course
In Find… section of the Curriculum Management screen, you can search for courses or proposals
to view, copy, modify, or retire.
1. Click the Find a Course link.
2. Enter a course prefix and/or number, a course title or phrase in the description to find the
desired course. Just entering the course prefix (such as ARCH or ANSC) will result in a list
of all courses in that area.
3. The Search Results screen appears. All courses, including pilot courses (courses with
approval to be offered to only one term) and those which have been retired (deleted), will
be retrieved.
a. An end term should appear for any retired course.
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b. A retired course can be modified.
c. This is the process for submitting pilot courses for permanent approval, and for
reactivating a retired course.
4. Click on the course you want to work with and click the Select button.
5. The course information screen appears. There are three information tabs in this window:
At A Glance, Detailed View, and Catalog View.
a. You can also view the Version History by clicking the link next to the Course
Actions drop down menu.
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b. Version History shows when the course first became active, as well as any other
changes. You can compare versions by clicking the checkboxes next to 2 versions,
and clicking the Show Version(s) button.
c. Version History is limited to SIS information and capacity (i.e. no previous
descriptions or rule statements).
6. From the Course Actions drop down menu, you can select Modify Course, Retire Course,
or Copy to New Proposal.
Modify a Course
To modify an existing course, find the course as described above.
1. From the desired course information screen, click the Modify Course option from the
Course Actions drop down menu.
2. The Modify screen for the course appears. Two columns appear: one showing the details of
the proposed modifications, and the other showing the original course. This ability to
compare versions is very useful.
3. Each section of the Review Proposal screen is listed and contains an Edit link. Always start
a course modification proposal by clicking Edit in the Course Information section.
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4. Start by modifying the Proposal Title field by adding the course prefix and number to the
title. This will help the proposal reviewers in identifying the proposal throughout the
review process.
5. Continue through the modify proposal until you have completed your changes. The
summary screen will highlight all changes to the original course.
6. When you are ready to submit your modified proposal, select Submit Proposal from the
Proposal Actions drop down menu.
7. If you decide not to submit, be sure to cancel the proposal to remove it from the system.
Retire an Active Course
If you need to retire an active course, you can do so once you have found the course as described
above.
1. From the desired course information screen, click the Retire Course option from the
Course Actions drop down menu.
2. The Retirement Information screen appears.
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Retirement Information
As you go through each section and click the Save and Continue button, you will advance to the
next section. You can access an individual section at any time by clicking on it in the side menu.
Note: If you click want to Cancel this retirement proposal, and you click Cancel at the bottom
of the screen (next to the Save and Continue button), you will be taken to the Review
Proposal screen, where you must click the Cancel Proposal button to truly cancel the
proposed retirement. If you do not, the proposal will still be active in the system, and no one
else will be able to retire that course.
1. The Proposal Title field will be pre-populated with the existing Course Title with the
prefix Retire:.
2. Provide a brief Rationale for Retirement in the next field, which has a 400 character limit.
3. The original Start Term for the course will be pre-populated. Provide an End Term for the
last term in which the course can be offered.
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4. You can enter any other comments in the Other Comments field.
5. Click the Save and Continue button.
Collaborators
This section allows you to enter a collaborator, who is typically not on the standard approval path,
who can edit, comment on, or view the proposed course retirement.
1. Enter the Directory ID of the collaborator, or click the Advanced Search link to search by
Name and/or Directory ID.
2. Choose the desired Permission level for the collaborator (edit, comment, and/or view).
3. Choose the Action Request (at this time, FYI is the only selection).
a. Both Permission and Action Request are required to complete adding a
collaborator.
4. Click the Add Collaborator button.
5. Add additional collaborators by following the steps as many times as needed.
6. If you wish to delete a collaborator, click the “X” under the Delete column next to that
collaborator’s name in the Added Collaborators section.
7. When you have added your collaborator(s), click the Save and Continue button.
Supporting Documents
Upload any document(s) associated with this course retirement proposal. Most file types are
supported. Maximum file size permitted is approximately 9 MB.
1. Click the Browse button for a file to upload. Enter a Description, if desired.
2. Click the Include More Files button to add another file, if desired.
3. When you are done adding files, click Upload.
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4. If it is necessary to remove a file, before upload, click the X in the top right corner of the File
box. After upload, click the X in the Delete column of the Attached Documents.
5. When all of your files are uploaded, click the Continue button.
Review Proposal
1. From the Proposal Actions drop down menu, you can select Submit Proposal or Cancel
Proposal.
a. If you select Submit Proposal, a window will appear asking if you are sure. Click
Submit when ready. You will receive a message saying “Proposal has been routed
to workflow.”
b. If you select Cancel Proposal, a window will appear stating that the action is not
reversible, and asking if you wish to continue or return to the proposal. Please
remember to Cancel any proposal you do not wish to put through the system.
2. Once you have submitted the Retirement Proposal, you can choose to withdraw the
proposal by clicking the Withdraw Proposal button on the final Review Proposal screen.
A screen will appear asking for your Decision Rationale. Type your information in the field
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and click the Confirm button. You will receive a message saying “Your proposal will be
withdrawn.”
Copy to New Proposal (Create a Course by copying)
Copying an existing course or course proposal makes it easy to create a new course, as much of the
information you need will be there. All you need to do is customize the required friends. There
are 2 ways to copy a course to create a new course.
1. Find a course as above, and select Copy to New Proposal.
2. Fill in the required fields as described above, and adjust the others to customize this course
for the new information you need, including the new Course Prefix and Number, Proposal
Title, Course Title, Description, and so on. Submit the proposal to as described above.
3. The other way is to click Create a Course from the main CM screen and select Copy an
approved course.
4. Use the drop down menu under Course to Copy:
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a. Select by Course Prefix and/or Number.
b. Or, Select by Course Title
c. Start typing the course prefix/number or course title in the box. As you begin
entering, a list will appear that matches what you are typing, making it easy to find
the course you want to copy.
5. Click on the course from the list, then click the Start Proposal button.
6. Fill in the required fields as described above, and adjust the others to customize this course
for the new information you need, including the new Course Prefix and Number, Proposal
Title, Course Title, Description, and so on. Submit the proposal to as described above.
Find a Submitted Course Proposal
1. From the Curriculum Management screen, click the Find a Course Proposal link.
2. Enter the course prefix and/or number or title of the course you are searching for, then
click Search.
3. In the Course window that appears, scroll through the list of courses, click on the desired
course, then click Select or double click on the course.
4. The course information appears.
5. From the Course Actions drop down menu, you can select Modify Course or Copy to New
Proposal.
6. If you can’t find your submitted proposal in any other screen, from the Select an area…
drop down menu at the top right of the screen, you can select Workflow Doc Search. If you
know the Document ID, which is located in My Action List, you can search for it here. By
noting the Document ID number immediately after submitting your proposal, it is easier to
find the proposal again.
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Recently Viewed
In this section of the Curriculum Management screen, you can view courses that you have
recently visited. Click the appropriate link to view them.
Management Tools
Dependency Analysis
Dependency Analysis is a tool that allows you to see if a course is related to another course as a
prerequisite, corequisite, recommended course, or cross-listed or jointly offered course. It also
allows you to see if the course is part of a defined course set.
1. From the home page of Testudo CM, click the Dependency Analysis link.
2. The Dependency Analysis screen appears.
3. In the search box, enter the course prefix/course number for which you wish to perform a
dependency analysis, click on it from the course listing that appears, then click the yellow
Go button.
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4. The search results appear.
5. From the menu on the left sidebar, you can check the specific item you wish to use to filter
the view of the presented data. The default view is to show all dependencies and course
sets.
6. The information presented on the screen includes Course Dependencies and Course Set
Inclusions, depending on the course selected.
a. To view the information under these headings, click the red triangle to expand or
collapse its information.
b. You can also click the Expand All | Collapse All links above and below each heading.
i. Each course in Course Dependencies has a red triangle as well. Click this
triangle to view the specific dependency and curriculum oversight unit.
c. To view specifics about the course, click its red triangle. This will display the course
rule and curriculum oversight unit. Please note that the expanded view shows only
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the rule statement that contains the target course. Click on the View Course link for
a complete listing of the rule statements for that course.
d. Next to each course set, there is a link for View Course Set for more detail on each.
e. The Course Set view lists the courses that comprise a selected course set. Please
note that only formally approved courses will appear in the course sets, meaning
that suffixed and special topics courses will not appear.
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7. You can export the summary of the information to a file or to the printer by clicking one of
the buttons at the top right corner of the Dependency Analysis results screen.
My Action List
The My Action List link is available from the Select an area… drop down menu, or the link above
the Recently Viewed section of the Curriculum Management screen.
My Action List is used to view your course proposals, status, and other information such as the
Log of Actions Taken for your proposed course.
1. From the Action List screen, you can open and edit a saved proposal by clicking its ID. This
screen is used to show proposals that still need to have action taken on them, such as
proposals awaiting approval, or proposals you’ve saved but not submitted.
2. Once a course is submitted, you can perform several actions, based on your requirements:
a. You can track the proposal’s status by clicking on the Outbox link.
b. You can open a proposal by clicking its ID. Only authorized users can edit a proposal
after it has been submitted.
c. To check the action log, click the Log button at the right side of the Outbox table. The
Route Log screen allows you to track the proposal’s progress through the approval
process.
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d. You can show or hide action requests to see who has responsibility in the workflow
and who is on the next node.
e. After you have finished viewing the Route Log, click the Close button to return to
the Outbox.
What’s Next?
Once you have submitted a proposal, it will be sent through the workflow, to be reviewed in the
following order by:










Proposer
Department Curriculum Chair (if applicable)
Department PCC (Chair approves)
Department Chair
College Curriculum Manager (if applicable)
College PCC (Chair approves)
College Dean
Academic Affairs
VPAC
Scheduling Office
These reviewers can comment, edit, approve or reject the proposal. You can see the comments and
where the proposal is in the review process by opening your proposal and clicking on the
Comments and/or Decisions links on the proposal page. As noted above, you can also see the log
of action requests as well.
If changes are needed, you will be contacted.
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