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Maintenance and Publication of University Catalogs - Procedure

Office of the Provost

Academic Regulation, Procedure 

CATEGORY: PUBLIC RELATIONS
SECTION: University Publications
SUBJECT: Maintenance and Publication of University Catalogs
EFFECTIVE DATE: January 11, 2017 Revised
PAGE(S): 4

I. PURPOSE

To define the process by which the University Catalogs are updated, archived, and supported.

II. SCOPE

This procedure applies to all campuses of the University.

III. RESPONSIBILITIES

The Office of the Provost is responsible for defining organizational and content guidelines, reviewing catalog information for consistency with approved University academic policies and procedures, resolving problems of accuracy regarding academic program policies and procedures and approval of the final format and design.

Deans and Campus Presidents are responsible for ensuring that the program requirements are accurate and complete in the University Catalogs for their respective school(s) or campus(s). Deans and Campus Presidents or their designee(s) are also responsible for updating the catalogs for their respective school(s) or campus(s) via the designated catalog management system. Updates must include program definitions, requirements, and required courses as well as school/campus specific program information.

Directors and Managers of University Administrative Offices are responsible for ensuring that the information in the University Catalogs for their respective offices is complete and accurate. Directors and Managers or their designee(s) are also responsible for updating the catalogs for their respective offices via the designated catalog management system

The Office of the University Registrar is responsible, under the direction of the Office of the Provost, for management and oversight of the University Catalogs as well as the catalog management system used to update and archive the catalogs. A Catalog Manager, within this office, will be assigned the duties necessary to fulfill these responsibilities. The Catalog Manager is responsible for training, oversight, maintenance, and support of the catalog management system as well as publishing and archiving the
University Catalogs.

The Office of University Marketing Communications is responsible for ensuring the online availability of archived University Catalogs prior to the spring 2017 term.

IV. PROCEDURE

Timeline

Once per year, the University Catalogs will be archived and new University Catalogs will be published in advance of the subsequent academic year. The below timeline identifies the milestones and associated dates required to archive and publish new University Catalogs annually. Deans, Campus Presidents, Directors and Managers of University Administrative Offices, and Catalog Editors are encouraged to develop and implement additional, unit specific milestones (as necessary) that serve to more effectively achieve the below milestones.

  • June 15th – Deadline for Catalog Editors to make all updates to the Unpublished Catalogs
  • June 16th thru June 30th – Catalog Managers review and prepare Unpublished Catalogs to be published (Questions/issues identified during this period will be discussed and resolved jointly between the Catalog Manager who identified the issue(s) and the appropriate Catalog Editor.)
  • July 1st – Catalog Managers publish Unpublished Catalogs and archive previously Published Catalogs
  • July 2nd thru June 15th – Catalog Editors update, review, and approve Unpublished Catalogs (Approvals that may be required as unit specific milestones must also be completed during this timeframe.)

 

Office of the Provost – Responsibility Details

  1. Notify Catalog Manager of curriculum management/academic planning additions and updates.
  2. Approve the organizational and style guidelines as well as the implementation procedures for the catalogs as suggested by the Office of the University Registrar.

 

Deans and Campus Presidents – Responsibility Details

  1. Review catalog content respective to school(s) or campus(s); notifying designated Catalog Editor(s) of required updates.
  2. Identify and approve a member or multiple members of their staff to serve as the school or campus Catalog Editor(s). Schools and campuses with multiple levels may designate a Catalog Editor for each level. Catalog Editors should be able to perform and coordinate all of the tasks defined in this document.
  3. Provide contact information for the Catalog Editor(s), including full name, office address, telephone number, and email address(s). Any changes of Catalog Editor(s) should be communicated via email to the Catalog Manager, with a copy to the University Registrar.

 

Directors and Managers of University Administrative Offices – Responsibility Details

  1. Review catalog content respective to office; notifying designated Catalog Editor(s) of required updates.
  2. Identify and approve a member or multiple members of their staff to serve as the office Catalog Editor(s). Offices with multiple levels may designate a Catalog Editor for each level. Catalog Editors should be able to perform and coordinate all of the tasks defined in this document.
  3. Provide contact information for the Catalog Editor(s), including full name, office address, telephone number, and email address(s). Any changes of Catalog Editor(s) should be communicated via email to the Catalog Manager, with a copy to the University Registrar.

 

Office of the University Registrar – Responsibility Details

  1. Identify and support a Catalog Manager.
  2. Archive catalogs and enforce catalog review/archive deadlines.
  3. Resolve system problems and update catalog structure as necessary.
  4. Continue to advance the technology necessary to produce and manage the University Catalogs.
  5. Provide paper or electronic copies of the catalogs to requesters as approved by the Office of the Provost.

 

University Marketing and Communications – Responsibility Details

  1. Perform maintenance and support necessary to ensure the online availability of archived catalogs prior to the spring 2017 term; at the initially established web addresses. Changes to web address of archived catalogs should be coordinated with the Catalog Manager.
  2. Advise Catalog Manager on University publication standards and the University writing style manual. Advisement should include spelling, grammar, and sentence structure.

 

Catalog Manager – Responsibility Details

  1. Update the published (version available on Internet) catalogs as requested by the Office of the Provost or designee.
  2. Audit updates to the unpublished catalogs as they occur throughout the year; notifying Catalog Editors of issues or concerns.
  3. Develop a timeline for the review, publishing, and archiving of the catalogs and communicate deadlines to the Catalog Editors.
  4. Verify that all catalog text agrees with University Policy and organizational guidelines as defined by the Office of the Provost.
  5. Verify that all official program and course information agrees with the student information system data; referring questionable text to the Office of the Provost for approval.
  6. Monitor unpublished catalogs to ensure that program information is updated in the unpublished catalogs in a timely manner.
  7. Train Catalog Editors and provide program reference documents for those without access to student information system data.
  8. Provide Catalog Editors content specific access to the catalog management system within the unpublished catalog.
  9. Confirm that the content for all programs (majors, minors, tracks, areas of concentration, and certificates) contains complete graduation requirements. This information must be fully contained in the University Catalogs. It cannot be linked to a  website outside of the University Catalogs.
  10. Work with University Marketing and Communications to ensure the online availability of catalogs prior to spring 2017.
  11. Maintain microfilmed copies of archived catalogs.
  12. Identify and correct broken hyperlinks within the published and unpublished catalogs on a monthly basis.

 

Catalog Editors – Responsibility Details

  1. Update the information for their respective areas in the unpublished catalog by using the designated catalog management system throughout the year as changes occur. Updates should be processed as they occur and should not be held until a final review of the unpublished catalog is requested. Information to be updated include the creation or changes to new degree types, programs, majors, minors, certificates, tracks, and areas of concentration. Suspension and/or termination of any of the above should also be updated upon approval from the Office of the Provost; please note that each of the above have several options so complete details must be included in the updates for each.

    *** Catalog Editors will make updates using a catalog management system to unpublished catalogs (i.e. working version of the catalogs). These unpublished catalogs will be published once a year therefore becoming that academic year’s University Catalogs. The publishing date will be identified by the Provost’s Office and enforced by the University Registrar. Publishing the catalogs will make them openly available to University constituents on the Internet. ***
  2. Complete a review of the unpublished catalog prior to the publishing date.
  3. Ensure catalog updates comply with University Policies and align with the student information system terminology; including program and course information. To verify catalog content compliance with University Policies see specifically Policy 02-01-01, Academic Program Structure, Policy 09-04-13, Dual Degrees/Joint Degrees, and Policy 09-04-14, Minors and Areas of Concentration and organizational guidelines as defined by the Office of the Provost. Also see “Guidelines for the Review of Academic Planning Proposals” at the Provost’s Office website.
  4. Ensure that the content for all programs (majors, minors, tracks, areas of concentration, and certificates) contains complete graduation requirements. This information must be fully contained in the University Catalogs. It cannot be linked to a website outside of the University Catalogs.
  5. Ensure that all hyperlinks and web addresses are accurate and linked sites are available.
  6. Review official program and course information as defined in the student information system (questionable entries and updates will be reviewed with the Office of the Provost for approval).
  7. Ensure that information on the respective area websites and other published materials match the information in the catalog.
  8. Ensure that the “detailed term credit” information agrees with the “total credits required” information in the catalog.
  9. Verify that all program content includes basic graduation requirements; including the courses and number of credits required for graduation.
  10. Coordinate all the information that may be submitted from individual departments and update the unpublished catalog appropriately.
  11. Newly appointed Catalog Editors should contact the Catalog Manager to gain access to catalog management system, training, and required documentation.
  12. Adhere to the deadlines set for catalog updates and reviews, as communicated by the Catalog Manager. Established deadlines are subject to change as business processes and systems change.

V. REFERENCE

Academic Regulation: Maintenance and Publication of University Catalogs

 

Maintenance and Publication of University Catalogs - Procedure (PDF)