Pilot Training
March 26, 2012
Background
• What is Testudo CM?
– Replaces current VPAC proposal system
– Web application that integrates with SIS
– Automates workflow
– First step in SIS modernization using Kuali
• Who uses it?
– Everyone in the course proposal process
– Pilot colleges first, then the whole University
Pilot
• An unfinished but workable product released in order
to get early feedback.
• Newly discovered problems or enhancements will be
collected and prioritized and worked on throughout
the year.
• Particular problems and enhancements that already
have been discovered will be fixed or added to the
system throughout the pilot.
• New ways of handling some course issues need to be
understood. Some of these issues will require review
by the department to ensure quality.
Demonstration
Training environment:
http://umd-cm-training.dev.umd.edu/umd-cm/ (requires users to log in to VPN)
A feedback form has been developed to provide comments on the system:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dElCY2Jsa0tkdkhrRFlB
WXU0MGNKUHc6MQ
This Page is known as the “Landing Page.”
Changes will be made to make this page to
reflect actions user will want to take (for
example, “Modify a Course.” The ability to
Retire (VPAC’s current Delete a Course”
action, will be added after the pilot phase.
To modify a
course, first find
the course with
the browse or
find option.
Course Search Screen
Search Results:
Note that all courses, including
those that have been retired
(deleted), will be retrieved.
Version History:
View previous versions of courses (based
on SIS information). Information is limited
to SIS’s capacity (i.e., no previous
descriptions or rule statements).
There are three
Course View Screens
Version History:
Lists all versions of course. Indicates which version is active and when the
version started. Superseded versions indicate when version ended. You
can select two versions to see a side-by-side comparison.
Retired Courses:
Course status indicates if a course is retired (no longer active). An end term should
be visible for any retired course. A retired course cannot be modified, but a user
can copy the retired course information into a new course proposal.
Course Action Drop Down Menu:
Allows you to modify course or
copy information into a new
course proposal.
After modifying information,
summary screen highlights all
changes to original course.
Also will indicate any fields
that are required for the
proposal (marked with an
asterisk), such as the start
date.
Once you are ready to
submit your modified
proposal, select “Submit
Proposal” from Proposal
Action Menu.
Different ways to
navigate between
screens.
For new course
proposals, select
“Create a Course.”
Options
available for
creating a
course.
Course Prefix & Number are required to
submit proposal.
Proposal
Title: Will
help you find
proposal
later.
Some VPAC website
elements have been
refined in meaning:
•Cross-list: Courses
must be at same level
with same description
& title
•Jointly (was “shared”):
courses at
undergraduate level
and graduate level.
•“Formerly” &
“Credit Will Only be
Granted For” will
remain.
Additional Information:
Helpful but not essential
information for the course:
•Information that was listed in
the course requisite area but
not having to do with the
course.
•Optional!
Course Prefix:
Determines the Approval
Route for the Proposal
(linked to OIT’s data
table of official campus
units).
Current Elements in
VPAC form that are now
grouped differently.
Allows for Fixed or Variable Credit
Allows for Standard Semester or NonStandard Term
The Contact Hour “Widget.” Information collected
in VPAC form but designed to provide more
information to user, such as when contact hours do
not add up to indicated number of credits. Still
being refined.
System will let you know if the
hours are not enough for the
specified number of credits. Please
note: For existing courses, this
data is not currently kept in SIS and
so is being entered in the system
based on VPAC or SIS data.
Learning Outcomes are typically required for new course proposals by VPAC. In Testudo CM
Learning Outcomes can be stored and reused (you can search for them). They can also be
categorized. Since this is more functionality than we are used to in regard to learning
outcomes, more conversation is needed in VPAC to determine the best use of categories,
which are optional. If you want to make categories specific to your own department or
program, we suggest indicating your college and department/program in the category.
Searching for Learning Outcomes
Please note: For some existing courses, learning
outcomes were imported from the VPAC database.
Course Requisites (the “Rules”):
For the most part, these are now “codified” (i.e.,
linked to a specific course, program, or curriculum
unit). Codifying will make registration checks possible
down the road when we start the enrollment phase.
By codifying rules and
linking courses to other
courses and programs, the
system will be able to run a
report on how a course
proposal could impact other
courses or programs. This
reporting function, called
“Dependency Analysis,”
should be available by the
Fall of 2012.
Many rules are “codified.” This
allows data of different kinds to be
plugged in (courses, grades, math
eligibility, unit (for permission), and
academic degree programs).
You can free form text if it is not listed. Note: Minors, Certificate Programs, and LivingLearning Programs are not codified, but you can type in as free form text: “Must be in
Civicus Program.”
Course drop-down menu allows
you to select a course (and
therefore form a link between)
proposed course with another
course.
Rules Issues
• These rules were interpreted and entered in
by staffers working on the Testudo CM
implementation.
• Please double-check rule statements. Some
existing rule statements were ambiguous. For
example, Prerequisite: A, B, or permission of
department (does this mean (A and B) or
permission of department or (A or B) or
permission of department?)
Rules Issues, continued
• Permission of department now specifies your
department—double check that your department is
correct.
• Notice that permission of department is in two places
(prerequisites for prerequisite checking or restrictions for
seat management).
• “Or equivalent” has been changed.
• “For Majors Only” now specifies a specific academic
program—taken from a list of major codes. New codes
were created to distinguish Master Programs from Doctoral
Programs.
• Suffixed courses and retired courses will no longer be
entered in as prerequisites.
Rules Verification
• A message was sent to all Scheduling Officers to ask them
to review their rules in advance of the Schedule of Classes
publication (this deadline has been moved back to April).
• They were directed to a special website for checking the
rules statements: http://umd-cm.dev.umd.edu/umd-cmextras/rules/rulesSearch.do
• If there was a change needed, the scheduling officer was
directed to the following webform:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=
dHpRRHdqSlJsNzBDSWJCS2l3SFk5TFE6MQ
• These websites are still available; we encourage
departments to review their rule statements.
Enter the term in which you want to begin
offering the course.
Pilot Course:
What we are calling the current practice of
giving an unapproved course a one term
exception pending approval. By selecting
the Pilot Course option, the End Term will
automatically be populated with the Start
Term. Instead of sending through the
pipeline, department can just call the
Scheduling Office for approval once
information is submitted in Testudo CM.
Collaborator Screen:
Allows you to add someone to either
help you edit, or review and provide
comment (e.g., in a situation where
another department will be providing a
prerequisite they indicate their approval
by adding a comment).
Supporting Documents:
The course syllabus (which is required
for new courses) can be uploaded from
this screen.
Summary screen for reviewing
proposal before submitting.
Proposal Actions
Once a proposal is
submitted, a proposer can
also withdraw the
proposal. The proposal
can also be copied to a
new proposal if
convenient.
Course Approval Path
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Proposer
Department Curriculum Manager
Department PCC (Chair approves)
Department Chair
College Curriculum Manager
College PCC (Chair approves)
College Dean
Academic Affairs
VPAC
Scheduling Office
Departments and Colleges
will provide a list of
authorizations to determine
who has approval authority
for the appropriate levels.
Action List:
Gives you a list of items that
require your attention.
Click on ID number to open
proposal.
Review Screen.
If you have edit authority
you can edit proposal.
Proposal Actions:
Beware of “Reject.” Reject
terminates the proposal. If
you are really looking for a
revision, either use “Return
Proposal to Previous Node”
or confer with proposer and
make edits to proposal
yourself.
Note: “Return Proposal to
Previous Node” will require
the proposal to go through all
of the subsequent layers of
review again.
Decision Rationale:
As of right now, it is
required. Does not have to
be very informative.
Accomplishments to Date
• Data feeds
– SIS (two way)
– VPAC Database
– Campus Unit Bridge
• General Education and CORE
• Course Rules
– Entered as machine readable language
– Normalized natural language
Next Steps
• Colleges review course rules
– Schedule of Classes & Catalog published
• System goes “live” in production
• Pilot colleges begin work in Testudo CM
– Active VPAC proposals: Testudo CM team will enter
proposals, colleges approve via workflow
– URL and instructions sent to colleges upon launch
• Retire Course feature – during spring 2012
• Additional colleges phase in through summer
• AY 2012-2013: all course proposals via Testudo CM
Resources
• Testudo CM Information website
• College/Department Contacts
• Central Point of Contact: Mike Colson,
mcolson@umd.edu. 301-405-5626.
• Feedback form:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewfor
m?formkey=dElCY2Jsa0tkdkhrRFlBWXU0MGN
KUHc6MQ