Course Revision
Course review occurs throughout the year as part of the routine work of academic areas across the college. The ongoing review and revision of courses ensures continuous quality improvement of the programs and courses offered. Revisions are made within the Curriculum Information Management (CIM) system, and the approval of revised courses resides with the Dean/Associate Dean.
The information below details the process steps for making minor and major course outline changes. To find which change is required for your course, use the course and program revision chart.
Following the process is a list of the components of a course outline and the submission timelines.
Minor changes
The following outlines the process for proposing minor changes to a course:
- Initiator (usually faculty) consults with the Dean/Associate Dean about a proposed change
- Initiator consults with other faculty experts and stakeholders as needed
- Initiator revises the course within the Curriculum Information Management system (CIM)
- Initiator contacts the Office of Academic Quality (OAQ) for guidance as needed
- Initiator submits the proposed course change to the OAQ for review via CIM
- Dean/Associate Dean approves on program change in CIM
- OAQ Curriculum Support Specialist implements approved changes in the system
Changes to the grade mode are usually considered to be minor; however, consultation with both the OAQ and Office of the Registrar is required. Please follow the Grade Mode Change Process.
Major changes
The following outlines the process for proposing major changes to a course:
- Initiator (usually faculty) consults with the Dean/Associate Dean about a proposed change
- Initiator consults with other faculty experts and stakeholders as needed
- Initiator contacts the Office of Academic Quality (OAQ) for guidance as needed
- Initiator proceeds with required steps for Program Revision.
- Once the program changes have been approved, the initiator completes the necessary course changes within CIM using the course code assigned during the Program Revision approval process
- Initiator submits the proposed changes to the OAQ for review via CIM
- Dean/Associate Dean approves proposed changes via CIM
- OAQ Curriculum Support Specialist implements changes in the student information system
Components of a course outline
The following is a list of the components of a course outline. This information can also be found within the field help bubbles in CIM.
| Section | Requirements |
|---|---|
| Effective Term | First term the new/changed course will be offered |
| Subject Code | Four-character subject area identifier (eg. ACCT, MATH) |
| Course Number | As assigned by Office of Academic Quality (leave blank for new course) |
| Full Course Title | Maximum 100 characters including spaces, cannot use “&” |
| Preferred Short Title | Maximum 30 characters including spaces, cannot use “&” |
| Year Offered In | Include for new courses not already assigned a course number |
| Program Level | Represents credential level of the program the course is offered in |
| Grade Mode | Identifies how the final grade will appear on student transcript (either % or P/F) |
| Total Course Hours | Total course delivery hours, college standard is 42 hours |
| PLAR Applicable | Yes or no |
| Co-requisite(s) | Course(s) that must be completed in the same term |
| Prerequisite(s) | Course(s) that are required to be completed in a prior term |
| Concurrent Prerequisite(s) | Course(s) that are required to be completed in a prior term OR in the same term |
| Equivalent Courses | Meet 80 per cent of the learning outcomes |
| Schedule Types | Course delivery (e.g. lecture, lab, online) |
| Course Attribute | Primarily used to identify areas where students have college-wide choice, such as General Education (GNED) |
| Course Description | For additional help, refer to Writing a Course Description |
| Learning Outcomes | Approximately five to 10 measurable outcomes. For additional help, refer to Writing Learning Outcomes |
| Course Content | A list of topics covered. For additional help, refer to Writing Course Content |
| Evaluation Method | Categories by which the student will be evaluated. For additional help, refer to Determining Course Evaluation Categories |
Submission timelines
Be mindful of the following course change submission deadlines:
- Georgian College Courses
- developed or revised as part of New Program Development, Program Renewal, or adoption of a new Program Standard must be approved by the Dean/Associate Dean in CIM prior to program curriculum approval at Academic Council.
- revised as a result of the curriculum review during annual Program Assessment, must be approved by the Dean/Associate Dean in CIM by Nov. 30. These changes are effective fall of the following calendar year.
- Ontario Learn Courses
- March 31 for fall implementation
- June 30 for winter implementation
- Nov. 30 for summer implementation