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A Navigate U Step-by-Step Guide

Curriculum Governance Processes at the U

Overview & Rationale

Through strategic initiatives such as Tackling High DEWI Course Rates and the Academic Recovery Project, the University of Utah has made significant strides in improving student academic outcomes because of curricular innovation and faculty engagement. To catalyze on these efforts, next steps include: outlining the steps in the curriculum approval process at the U to those individuals most directly involved; ensuring academic units can identify the people and resources available to support them in navigating this process; and, connecting this process to truly Functional Four-Year Degree Plans.

Governance Process Summary

The Curriculum Process at the U reflects and honors a complex web of regulations, governance, and the demands of an evolving curriculum. Per Utah law, faculty have authority over the curriculum; their voices must be active in multiple stages of the review and approval process. The current system/platform supporting curriculum work at the U is Coursedog. In a primarily linear fashion, curriculum is initiated at the department level and then proceeds to the college level (where curriculum committees are governed by charters and Curricula Management Plans). Courses not seeking General Education (GE) or Baccalaureate Degree (BD) designations do not advance beyond the college level. Courses seeking GE/BD designations are routed to the General Education Curriculum Committee (GECC) where determinations are made and then shared with the Undergraduate Council (UGC).

Program-level changes go from the college committees to the UGC or to the Graduate Council (GC), both of which also play critical roles in the cyclical review of academic programs required by Utah System of Higher Education (USHE) and Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). Any undergraduate program proposal will receive a thorough review in advance by Curriculum Management and Academic Planning (CMAP) in the Registrar’s Office in conjunction with Undergraduate Studies (US) by submitting the full proposal three weeks prior to the target meeting date of the Undergraduate Council. When ready, proposals proceed through the remainder of the governance process outlined at curriculum.utah.edu.

Specific Deadlines

  • Courses seeking GE/BD designations are due to the GECC by Tuesday September 15, 2026 (for Fall 2027 implementation). This deadline will always be mid-September every Academic Year.
  • Applications for Special Fees (course fees and program fees) are due to the Special Fee Review Committee (SFRC) by Tuesday November 24, 2026—or, more generally, the fourth Tuesday of November.
  • All curriculum changes must be submitted to the final stage of approval by early spring 2027 to allow sufficient time for approval by the catalog final deadline.
  • The schedule for Fall 2027 publishes March 1, 2027.
  • The Catalog for AY 2027-2028 publishes April 1, 2027.

Action Steps for New/Substantive Programs for Fall 2027

  1. Any academic unit proposing new or substantive program changes to go into effect Fall 2027 should plan to do the bulk of the work in Spring 2026 to submit to the UGC in August or September 2026. This means departmental and college level approvals must be obtained prior to September 2026.
  2. New or substantive program changes submitted to the UGC in October may not receive all necessary approvals for the AY 2027-2028 catalog. No program that has not received all levels of approval can be advertised or we are subject to disciplinary action by NWCCU.

General Planning

  1. Your curriculum committees (both department and college/school) should likely be meeting no fewer than twice each academic semester.
  2. Timing should be coordinated such that department committees meet prior to college/school committees.
  3. If there are any doubts about whether a change is “substantive,” reach out to CMAP.

Recommended Fall Conversations at the College/School Level:

  • Discuss/Approve any significant changes planned for the upcoming Fall that will be presented at a Spring meeting later that Academic Year.
  • Review/Approve any GE/BD proposals before September 15, 2026.
  • Review/Approve any new course or program fees before November 24 – or, more generally, the fourth Thursday of November.
  • Review/Approve any minor changes before January 13, 2027.

Recommended Spring Conversations at the College/School Level:

  • Review/Approve any remaining minor changes before January 13, 2027.
  • Discuss/Approve any of the significant changes planned for the upcoming Fall (referenced in first point for Fall Conversations above).

Resources

Curriculum Management and Academic Planning

General Education Curriculum Committee

Undergraduate Council

Graduate Council

Learning Analytics and Outcome Assessment

Special Fee Review Committee

Through this collaborative work, the University of Utah can effectively foster greater coordination of academic support to the benefit of students and ensure every student can have an exceptional educational experience. #Navigate

Last Updated: 3/17/26