Course Entry Guidelines for Departmental Chairs

Introduction
The accuracy and clarity of calendar entries is important to all students, faculty, staff and external users. Omissions and errors may lead to students paying additional fees, delaying graduation and/or appealing regulations.

Departmental Curriculum Chairs should review the "Policy on Calendar Submissions" http://www.uvic.ca/shared/shared_usec/docs/policies/AC1120_2100_.pdf, thoroughly. This policy includes an appendix on formatting course entries (APPENDIX B: CALENDAR FORMAT AND STYLE). The purpose of the appendix is to provide for consistency in Departmental course entries, to make it easier to follow the Calendar and to minimize the possibility of misinterpreting the intent of the Department when docket information is translated into the various fields on the Course Update System by Scheduling. This policy and format must be followed for all changes to course entries.

Scheduling builds Banner (historically the Course Update System (CUS)) from major and minor curriculum changes to courses submitted to Senate and the Office of the Registrar and Enrolment Services. Major and Minor Curriculum Change Forms are available at Curriculum Forms.

A few important points to bear in mind as you prepare or review your curriculum submission:

1. Major/Minor Forms. Unless otherwise instructed by the faculty curriculum chair, separate the major and minor changes into two separate submission groups. These should be numbered sequentially on the bottom right-hand corner. If you have both major and minor curriculum changes for the same course, submit the minor changes together with the major on the “Proposed Major Curriculum Change” form. Number your forms sequentially at the bottom right corner within the major or minor category. Curriculum forms should show the existing entry on the left with a stroke through changes to be made; new entry on the right with changes underlined.
2. Course numbers may not be re-used. Re-using course numbers would result in a duplicate being recorded on the student’s academic record when no duplication exists. Re-using course numbers would also make tracking of the student’s academic record extremely difficult for all those involved, especially the student. Changes to course numbers can be allowed only when exigent circumstances are accepted by the Office of the Registrar and Enrolment Services.
3. The CUS report for Winter Session and the CUS History Report archives may be used for assigning course numbers for which no past records exist with student enrollments. These reports list all courses offered since 1970 by Faculty, course and academic session.
   
   

   The course history file may be used:

   - to see the sessions a course has been offered
   - to see if a course was formerly some other number
   - to see if the units or title has changed
   - to see when a course split into A/B
   - *most importantly* to check curriculum submissions to ensure a course number is not re-used.

   Assistance for undergraduate course is available from timetabling (local 8129).

   For assistance with the CUS History Report for graduate course, please contact the Director of Graduate Admissions and Records (local 7975).

    

4. The term “formerly” remains in place as part of a course description for 10 years. Former course names should be retained, since students cannot at any time repeat a course for credit unless stated in the calendar. Former course names are always retained on the course update system. NOTE: The 10-year time frame does not apply to prerequisites (a former course number should be referenced as a prerequisite only for as long as the department deems it as beneficial to the students and the department).
5. Mutually exclusive (MX) information is to be entered in all of the calendar entries for the referenced course(s) where the course number changed, requiring the addition of a “formerly” reference or where overlap with another course exists. The MX note is intended to clearly identify course overlap when credit will be granted for only one course. If the MX is interdepartmental, departments should coordinate their MX calendar entries. Cross-list courses should have an MX note to cover duplicate credit. MX entries remain permanently. Please refer to Appendix B, (Mutually exclusive credit) for correct formatting.
6. Sequence credit: if credit can only be given when courses are taken in a specific order (sequence), it is important this be stated specifically in the course description note fields in all courses involved (see Policy 2100: Appendix A: Calendar Format and Style “Sequence credit”). Please also refer to Appendix B, (Sequence credit) for correct formatting.
   
7. Maximum credit: Students cannot at any time repeat a course for credit unless stated in the calendar. Maximum credit calendar entries should follow the format given in Policy AC1120: Appendix A: Calendar Format and Style “Other Credit Information”. Once a students has reached the maximum credit limit, the student’s next registration in the course will be recorded automatically as a ‘duplicate’.
8. Grading: include any special grading in the curriculum submission
   http://web.uvic.ca/calendar/FACS/UnIn/UARe/Grad.html
9. Sunsetting: Courses not offered for 5 years are to be removed from the calendar and a minor curriculum change form is required. If the course is to be retained a clear rationale supporting this retention must be provided (for example: intend to offer the course next (winter) session). Please refer to the list entitled “Courses Not Offered for 5 years”- distributed annually in mid March for the winter session starting in the following year. (Copies are available by calling Scheduling at 8127). Graduate courses may remain in the calendar for longer than 5 years whether offered or not.
10. Special fees: courses with Special Fee Units are listed in the Fees section of the Calendar.