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Managing Programs and Courses

The Academic Innovation Committee (AIC) and Undergraduate Curriculum Committee (UCC) have established detailed guidelines for creating programs and courses. Read the Academic Course Approval Policy for a detailed policy breakdown, which includes requirements for course proposals and revisions, and workflow and process information.

Curriculum as Part of Quality Assurance

Program and course management is part of our curriculum design process — and one piece of our recursive, progressive model of academic improvement. At UMKC, each phase of the quality assurance process informs the next, ensuring quality outcomes.

assessment-development-diagram-curriculum-continuation.jpg

Curriculum Timelines and Deadlines

To ensure inclusion in the next catalog publication, the deadlines for course and program proposals, modifications and catalog page edits are as follows: 

  • Aug. 1 — Next catalog modification available in CourseLeaf.
  • Nov. 1 — All program and course edits should be entered in Courseleaf.
  • Dec. 1 — Curriculum modifications approved by dean's office. All course and program modifications of current and new programs.
  • Feb. 15 — UCC and SGS approval of all new courses or course modifications. Deadline facilitates optimal course scheduling for subsequent Fall enrollment (opens mid-March). 
  • Feb. 15 — UCC and SGS initial review of all program modifications. Deadline provides opportunity for additional feedback to units by committee. 
  • April 1 — Catalog publication. Deadline provides catalog publication outlining degree requirements, etc. for incoming students for orientation.
  • April 25 — Final Board of Curators approval of new programs for next catalog. Promotion of program after Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development approval July 1.
  • July 15 — Catalog update of faculty. Deadline provides for processing new hires and promotions to ensure accuracy of faculty listings.
  • Aug. 1 — Catalog final publication and freeze. Required for a variety of accreditors, etc.  

Review our full list of curriculum and assessment deadlines for more information.

Curriculum and assessment deadlines

Managing Programs and Courses with CourseLeaf

CourseLeaf is UMKC’s online curriculum management and catalog editing software. This Curriculum Inventory Management System (CIM) is used to enter course and program proposals, which once approved, feed directly into the University Catalog (CAT). Learn more about the different interfaces used to propose, change and manage programs, including courses and course schedules.

Course Inventory Management (CIM)

Course Inventory Management (CourseAdmin) in CIM is used when proposing a new course or changing an existing one.

Go to Course Inventory Management

Course Management Guide (PDF)

Course Inventory Management FAQ

Yes. You can "save changes" at any point and come back to the proposal; however, the course proposal must be submitted to workflow to start the curricular approval process.
There are limited circumstances when a course number can be changed. Contact the Catalog team with questions.
Only courses fully approved by catalog deadlines will appear in the upcoming catalog. More information can be found by reviewing the Curriculum and Assessment Cycle deadlines.

UMKC’s Academic Catalog operates on a cycle beginning in August, when the next Effective Catalog Cycle is made available. Modifications or new proposals will appear in the next Academic Catalog when appropriate deadlines are met. Any modifications or new proposals entered and approved by the Dean after Dec. 1 of the current year will not be processed for the next Academic Catalog — modifications and new proposals will be held until the next Effective Catalog Cycle is made available. More information can be found by reviewing the Curriculum and Assessment Cycle deadlines.

Note: Noncurricular modifications (i.e., department title and role adjustments) may be made outside of the cycle but should be submitted and finalized by the end of July. Please connect with the Catalog team for assistance.

Program Management (CIM)

Program Management within CIM is used for proposing and revising overall requirements for all majors, minors, graduate programs and certificates.

If you have ideas about Program Innovation Proposals (program concepts and program modality) and other proposals (course subjects, new departments), please reach out to Laurie Ellinghausen to start the process.

 

Go to Program Management

Program Management Guide (PDF)

Program Management FAQ

Once modifications or new proposals are made and submitted into workflow, revisions are reviewed as follows:
  • Department Chair (per unit bylaws)
  • Dean
  • Assessment
  • UGRD or GRD Administrator
  • UGRD Committee or GRD Officers
  • UGRD Committee Chair or GRD Officer Chair
  • Academic Affairs (UGRD) or Dean of Graduate Studies
  • GRD Administrator (graduate only)
  • Registrar
  • Degree Audit
  • PeopleSoft (Data Sync)
Supporting documents should include the program’s Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs), curriculum mapping, Major Map (Optimal Semester by Semester Plan to Degree Completion), and four-year course rotation. See Curriculum Sequencing and Delivery for more information.

UMKC’s Academic Catalog operates on a cycle beginning in August, when the next Effective Catalog Cycle is made available. Modifications or new proposals will appear in the next Academic Catalog when appropriate deadlines are met. Any modifications or new proposals entered and approved by the Dean after Dec. 1 of the current year will not be processed for the next Academic Catalog — modifications and new proposals will be held until the future next Effective Catalog Cycle is made available. More information can be found by reviewing the Curriculum and Assessment Cycle deadlines.

Note: Noncurricular modifications (i.e., department title role adjustments) may be made outside of the cycle but should be submitted and finalized by the end of July. Please connect with the Catalog team for assistance.

Curriculum Approval Queues (CIM)

Proposed changes for courses, programs and four-year plans are reviewed within the Courseleaf Approval Queue. Authorized approvers include department chairs, curriculum committee chairs, the Provost's Office, the University Curriculum Committee and the Registrar's Office. Automatic notifications are sent out once a proposal appears within an approval queue.

Go to CourseLeaf Approval Queue

Quick Reference Guide for Approvers-Reviewers (PDF)

Curriculum Approval Queues FAQ

No. Modifications or new proposals may only be edited, approved or rolled back when they are in your individual approval queue. If additional modifications are necessary, you will have to wait until the course/program has made its way through the entire workflow.
Not finding the queue you are looking for means there is nothing in workflow for your particular queue/role.
Approvers have the ability to rollback proposals to any previous step in the workflow with comments. If a course/program is rolled back to the initiator, the approval path will be lost and the approval process starts over. It may be a better choice to roll the course/proposal back to the department chair instead.
Automatic notification emails are sent for one or two reasons:
  • A course/proposal has arrived in your approval queue and requires you to take action for the workflow to continue.
  • A course/program has been finalized (moved through the approval process) and you are being notified as an FYI.

Catalog Management (CAT)

Catalog Management (CAT) is UMKC’s catalog editing software, used by both academic and non-academic departments to update their content each year. A Catalog editing guide is coming soon. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please reach out to the Catalog team.

Go to Catalog Management

 

Catalog Management FAQ

The UMKC website and the Catalog are not the same and are edited using different platforms. The UMKC website can be updated at any time. The Catalog has a publication date, after which edits are no longer allowed.
You are in the Catalog if the URL begins with “catalog” or “nextcatalog”.
Next Catalog is where edits take place for the upcoming edition of the Catalog. Edits made in Next Catalog should be seen as a work in progress.
Yes. It is a good practice to submit Catalog pages through workflow even if you DO NOT have changes. This practice serves as an indication to our office that you have reviewed and approved the content that will be published within the Catalog.
Modifications to courses/proposals should be made when the next Effective Catalog Cycle is made available in August. Modifications can be made through the end of November, keeping in mind the Dec. 1 deadline.
Modifications cannot be made to the live/current Catalog. Any updates that take place after the Catalog goes live in August must wait until the next Effective Catalog Cycle.

UMKC’s Academic Catalog operates on a cycle beginning in August when the next Effective Catalog Cycle is made available. Modifications or new proposals will appear in the next Academic Catalog when appropriate deadlines are met. Any modifications or new proposals entered and approved by the Dean after Dec. 1 of the current year will not be processed for the next Academic Catalog — modifications and new proposals will be held until the next Effective Catalog Cycle is made available. More information can be found by reviewing the Curriculum and Assessment Cycle deadlines.

Note: Noncurricular modifications (i.e., department title and role adjustments) may be made outside of the cycle but should be submitted and finalized by the end of July. Please connect with the Catalog team for assistance.

CourseLeaf Section Scheduler (CLSS)

CourseLeaf Section Scheduler (CLSS) allows you to centralize and manage your course schedule across departments, making class scheduling easier and more transparent.

Go to Section Scheduler

Course Scheduling Guide — CLSS (PDF)

Still Have Questions?

Please direct your questions to the appropriate contact person.

Kim McNeley, Ph.D., Assessment, Vice Provost of Curriculum and Assessment
Brianna Portmann, Curriculum and Academic Policy Specialist
Mike Cadden, D.A., Assessment, Curriculum, Assessment and Articulation Specialist
Laurie Ellinghausen, Ph.D., Academic Innovation, Professor and Associate Vice Provost for Academic Innovation
Nancy Wilkinson, Bloch School of Management, Director of Student Services
Andrew Granade, Ph.D., Conservatory, Associate Dean of Academic and Faculty Affairs
Carolyn Barber, Ph.D., School of Education, Social Work and Psychological Sciences, Associate Dean
Nancy Hoover, School of Graduate Studies, Program Manager for Student Support Services
Alicen Lundberg, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Senior Program/Project Support Coordinator
Nancy Levit, School of Law, Curators' Professor
Allen Rostron, School of Law, Professor and Associate Dean of Students
Jamie Hunt, Ph.D., School of Nursing and Health Studies, Teaching Associate Professor and BHS Program Director
James K. Spence, School of Nursing and Health Studies, Clinical Assistant Professor and BSN Program Director
Katherine Bloemker, Ph.D., School of Science and Engineering, Assistant Dean and Teaching Professor
Andrea "Annie" Carr, Ph.D., University College, Career Development Specialist