Curriculum Management Frequently Asked Questions

Will the proposer field change if additional users make changes to an existing course/program another proposer originally created?

The person who made the original proposal will always be the proposer for the new/edited course or program.

I’ve logged into the Course Inventory Management and/or Program Management page. When I go to search for a course/program, no results show up, and the page keeps showing “loading”.

If a page never loads information, this means the system has timed you out. Log into your portal and refresh the Course Inventory Management or Program Management page.

Why can’t I continue editing a course/program I’ve been working on?

If a proposal has been submitted into workflow, it can no longer be edited as it has moved into workflow and is awaiting approval. If the proposal was prematurely submitted into workflow, you can contact catalog@calpoly.edu to roll back the proposal for further edits, or you can contact the first person in workflow and ask that they roll back the proposal.

Why do I keep getting error messages when I try to Start Workflow for my proposal?

If you try to submit a proposal into workflow without completing all of the required fields (fields in red boxes), the system will not allow the proposal to Start Workflow. Instead, the system will alert you to the mandatory fields which must be completed. Be sure to review all of the fields in the proposal, fill in any empty red boxes, and then try to Save and Submit again.

Note: Each field for the units per mode of instruction (e.g., Lec, Lab, Act, Sem, etc.) must be completed. Do not leave any of them blank; enter a zero if there is no value. The system will not save the proposal, nor submit it into workflow, until the “units per mode” fields are complete.

**Remember to “Save Changes” often to ensure none of your information is lost.

How do I view an old course proposal, one previously approved through electronic workflow?

To view a course proposal that was approved through electronic workflow in the past, you need to see the course "History". There are two ways to do this:

(1) Search for the course in the Course Inventory Management page. When you select the course and it is highlighted in gray, you will be able to scroll down to see the course information displaying in the preview window.

Notice the gray “History” header located on the right-hand side, under “Edit Course” and “Preview Workflow.” This course “History" shows a list of the approved proposals for this course. When you click on each history, the full details of the approved course proposal will open in a new window. You can print the proposal, or save it. Or,

(2) Simply check the "History" box next to green 'Search' button before searching for the course in the Course Inventory Management page. The search result will list of all proposals approved through the electronic workflow. When you click on each history, the full details of the approved proposal will appear in the viewing pane below. You can print the proposal or save it.

What is the 'Quick Searches' feature?

The Quick Search is the drop-down menu in both the Course Inventory and Program Management forms that allows users to quickly sort all of the proposals based on the type e.g., Edited Courses, Added Courses, Deactivated Courses, Edited Programs, Added Programs, Deactivated Programs, etc.

Can I sort by Course Code, Title, Workflow, Status in the Course Inventory Management homepage?

You can re-sort the search results by clicking on the column headers (e.g., Course Code, Title, Workflow, Status). If you click on 'Course Code,' this will list the course codes in reverse alphanumeric order. If you select 'Title,' the search will sort the courses by title in alphabetical order.

I'm searching for an existing course but no results are returned?

Try refreshing your cache. Below are shortcuts to clear cache and refresh the browser with the latest changes.

Windows: CTRL+F5
Mac/Apple: Apple + R OR Command + R

In the Course Inventory Management, why are edited courses showing up in the Quick Searches (Added Courses) pull down?

When a new crosslisted course has been added to an existing course, the new crosslisted course is displayed as an added course.

What does the 'Status' header show?

The status header in the course and program forms shows users if a course or program is 'Added', 'Edited', or 'Deactivated'. The status informs users what actions if any have been made to a course or program. If no status is displayed, then the course or program is at rest and can be edited or deactivated. If it is a new course or program and no status is displayed, then the proposal has not been submitted into workflow and changes may still be made.

How do I see who the approvers for workflow are?

Search for a course/program. Once the proposal content is displayed, click on “Preview Workflow” in the top right corner. A separate box titled "Preview Workflow" will display the approver workflow order and names of the approvers.

I received an automated email with a link to approve a proposal, but I can’t see the proposal. Why is that?

First start by checking the status of the course/program proposal by going in the Course Inventory Management and/or Program Management page and search for the proposal. Once the course/program proposal content is displayed, review the “In Workflow” column at the top. If this field is empty, that means the proposal is not in workflow and the proposer needs to submit it into workflow. It could be that this proposal was approved but the proposer requested our office to roll it back to the proposer. If that is the case, you can view notes for these actions by clicking on the proposal, navigating to the very bottom, and read the “Course Reviewer Comments” field.

There may be more than one approver in a role as determined by the department/college in which case all parties receive the email notification and are all designated to approve the proposal. If one party approves the proposal, it will move onto the next reviewer role in the workflow. You can check if the proposal was approved by another designee by reviewing the "Approval Path". Simply search for the course/program in the Course Inventory Management and/or Program Management page and then select the proposal. Once the proposal content populates, review the right column “Approval Path” information. Here you will find who approved the proposal and when.

I’m in the Approve Workflow page but there are no proposals to approve under my name.

There will never be any proposals under a user's name. Instead, the proposals will be under a designated role (e.g., Department Curriculum Chair, Department Chair, College Curriculum Chair, etc.) in workflow. To see the roles in workflow, click on the drop-down arrow for “Your Role”. If there are any proposals in your queue waiting for approval, they will be found under your designated workflow role.

How can you see if a course or program is in 'Workflow'?

After locating the desired course or program by either using the search field or the quick search feature, you can see 1.) if the proposal is in workflow and 2.) if so, where the proposal is in the workflow queue. Simply select the course or program in workflow and the online view will show the proposal. In the right hand corner, the 'In Workflow' header will list the workflow order. The current role where the workflow is being reviewed will be highlighted in orange.

When are consultation memos needed?

If a new course is being proposed and is to be included in a program's curriculum, then a consultation memo is required from the department where the program is going to be added.

For all programs, if courses from other departments are being added to or removed from the curriculum, consultation is required. See the Consultation with Other Departments webpage for more information.

When are consultation memos NOT needed?

For existing courses, the Curriculum Management tool pulls from the Cal Poly PeopleSoft database; courses that reside anywhere in a program's curriculum will automatically generate an FYI email to the respective departments/colleges. This email serves as the former paper consultation memo. The email notifies the department/colleges, giving them two weeks to respond. If no responses are received, that will be considered approval of the changes.

What if I made changes to a course/program, but decide not to submit the changes? How can my edits be reverted back to the original course/program information?

Contact catalog@calpoly.edu letting us know to rollback the course to its original state.

What if I accidentally deactivated a course/program, and I don't want it to go through workflow? How do I bring it back?

Contact catalog@calpoly.edu with a brief description, and we will take the course out of deactivated status.

Why can't I use a course number that shows it has been 'Deactivated'?

A new course number is required if the deactivated course has become inactive in the previous three two-year cycle catalogs or six one-year cycle catalogs (6 years).

What if I created a course proposal, but I no longer want to submit it? How do I delete it?

Only Admin users have the ability to delete proposals. Users need to contact catalog@calpoly.edu with a description of why a proposal needs to be deleted, and the proposal will be discarded for you.

How do I reactivate a course that has been inactivated?

If an inactive course does not have any learning objectives on file with the Registrar’s Office, a new proposal and Senate approval will be required to reactive the course. A request to reactivate a course should be made by the department heads/chairs and sent to the Registrar no less than two quarters prior to the quarter the department would like to begin re-offering the courses (e.g., to offer an inactive course in Spring, contact the Registrar in the Fall quarter).

If a course has learning objectives on file with the Registrar, the course may be reactivated provided there are no active courses with learning objectives similar to the inactive course. If the learning objectives of the course to be reactivated overlap with those of existing courses, or other problems emerge, it may require more than two quarters to determine if the course may be reactivated. Refer to Academic Senate Resolution AS-776-14 for more information.

Why has this course been inactivated?

If a course has not been offered for six or more years (three two-year catalog cycles or six one-year catalog cycles), it will be inactivated and will not appear in the subsequent Cal Poly catalog. Refer to Academic Senate Resolution AS-776-14 for more information.

What form do I use if I want to propose a GE course or add a GE listing to an existing course?

To propose a new course with a GE designation, a new course proposal will need to be submitted. To add a GE listing to an existing course, submit an edit course proposal with a new catalog number. If you are unsure of available course numbers contact catalog@calpoly.edu for assistance.

What form do I use if I want to propose a USCP course or add a USCP listing to an existing course?

To propose a new course with a USCP designation, a new course proposal will need to be submitted. To add a USCP listing to an existing course, submit an edit course proposal with a new catalog number. If you are unsure of available course numbers contact catalog@calpoly.edu for assistance.

What form do I use if I want to propose a GWR course or add a GWR listing to an existing course?

To propose a new course with a GWR designation, a new course proposal will need to be submitted. To add a GWR listing to an existing course, submit an edit course proposal with a new catalog number. If you are unsure of available course numbers contact catalog@calpoly.edu for assistance.