Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Curriculum Strategy is the University's official curriculum management system used to submit, review, approve, and implement curriculum changes. The platform supports course proposals, program proposals, curriculum approvals, and catalog publication.

All faculty members have access to Curriculum Strategy and may submit curriculum proposals related to courses and programs. Proposals must be acknowledged by their respective School/College before routed to the Office of Curriculum and Institutional Assessment.

Common proposal types include:

• New Course
• Change Course
• Delete Course
• New Program
• Change Program
• Delete Program

A Program Text File is a Word document that contains a copy of the academic program requirements as they appear in the university catalog.  Program Text Files are available in the Curriculum Resources Microsoft Teams channel used for curriculum and catalog review. The files are shared with Department Chairs, Program Directors, and Deans for review and verification of program requirements. To obtain a copy of a program's text file, please contact your Department Chair or Program Director, who can provide access to the appropriate document.

All curriculum proposals must include clear evidence of faculty governance and approval through the appropriate departmental, college, and institutional review processes. Additional supporting documentation requirements vary depending on the type and scope of the proposal.

Examples of required documentation may include course syllabi for new courses, teach-out plans for discontinued programs or courses, accreditation or regulatory documentation, resource impact statements, articulation agreements, or other materials necessary to support the proposed change.

Supporting documentation should provide a clear rationale for the proposal, demonstrate academic and operational feasibility, and verify compliance with university policies, state regulations, accreditation standards, and other applicable requirements. Complete and accurate documentation helps facilitate a timely and thorough review of the proposal.

Faculty are encouraged to submit proposals as early as possible to allow sufficient time for review, approval, implementation, and catalog publication.

In most cases, substantive changes to catalog content must be submitted through Curriculum Strategy. Contact OCIA (curriculum@utrgv.edu) if you are unsure whether a proposal is required.

The proposal type depends on the nature of the change. If you are unsure whether to submit a course, program, or policy proposal, contact OCIA for guidance before beginning the submission process.

Yes. Proposals may be returned to the submitter for revisions, clarification, or additional documentation at any stage of the review process.

Most curriculum proposals follow this workflow:

1. Faculty Submitter
2. College Acknowledgement
3. OCIA Compliance Review
4. Department Chair Review
5. College Committee Review (if applicable)
6. Dean Review
7. Advisory Group Review
8. Provost Approval
9. OCIA Final Processing

The college acknowledgement step confirms that the college is aware of the proposal and authorizes the Office of Curriculum & Institutional Assessment (OCIA) to begin its review.

Yes. A proposal may be returned, revised, withdrawn, or not approved if concerns are identified during the review process.

Yes. Proposals may be returned to the submitter or a previous workflow step whenever revisions or additional information are required.

Approved curriculum proposals are not implemented immediately after final approval. Once a proposal is fully approved, it moves into post-approval processing, where the Office of Curriculum & Institutional Assessment coordinates the approved curriculum information for catalog publication and downstream implementation in Banner and Degree Works.

Implementation timelines vary depending on the type of proposal, effective term, catalog cycle, required system updates, and whether additional institutional, state, or external approvals are needed. Programs requiring external approval are not implemented in university systems until all required authorizations have been obtained.

For this reason, faculty submitters should plan ahead and submit proposals early to allow sufficient time for approval, catalog publication, Banner processing, Degree Works updates, advising preparation, and any related implementation steps.

Curriculum standards are institutional guidelines that define academic requirements, curriculum structure, catalog formatting, and compliance expectations for courses and programs.

A hidden prerequisite is a course required for enrollment in a required major course but not included in the published degree requirements. Programs should avoid hidden prerequisites whenever possible.

No. Graduate courses may not be applied toward an undergraduate degree except in approved Fast-Track programs.

A bachelor's degree must contain a minimum of 120 semester credit hours, Programs that exceed 120 semester credit hours may require additional review and approval beyond the standard institutional curriculum process. Depending on the nature of the proposal and the total number of credit hours, approval may be required from The University of Texas System (UT System), the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), and/or the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).

Bachelor's degrees must include a minimum of 42 advanced credit hours.

A new program includes the creation of a new degree, major, minor, concentration, certificate, or program modality. These proposals may require institutional, state, and accreditor review before implementation.

New majors, minors, concentrations, certificates, and modalities must be reviewed by the Program Development and Analysis Team (PDAT) in the Office of Institutional Accreditation, Program Development, and Analysis (OIA) before they are presented to institutional curriculum committees.

Yes. New academic programs often require additional institutional, state, and accreditor approvals before implementation.

Departments are encouraged to consult with OCIA during the planning stages to determine applicable approval requirements and timelines.

New majors, minors, concentrations, certificates, and modalities must be reviewed by the Program Development and Analysis Team (PDAT) before they are presented to institutional curriculum committees.

Program proposals should include:

• Program rationale
• Curriculum requirements
• Learning outcomes
• Resource considerations
• Accreditation or licensing implications
• Catalog-ready language

Faculty are encouraged to begin discussions as early as possible. Programs requiring external approval cannot be implemented until all required authorizations have been obtained, and additional time is needed for catalog publication, Banner processing, Degree Works updates, advising preparation, and other implementation activities.

Proposal status may be monitored through the Curriculum Dashboard within Curriculum Strategy.

Archived Proposals are curriculum proposals that have completed the approval process and are maintained as part of the institutional curriculum record.

Yes. Historical and approved proposals may be available through the Archived Proposals area of Curriculum Strategy, depending on user permissions.

Catalog language serves as the University's official academic record and should be clear, concise, accurate, and consistent with approved curriculum.

Following final approval, OCIA reviews and prepares approved curriculum items for publication in the official catalog and implementation processes.

Approved curriculum proposals are not implemented immediately after final approval. Once a proposal is fully approved, it moves into post-approval processing, where the Office of Curriculum & Institutional Assessment coordinates the approved curriculum information for catalog publication and downstream implementation in Banner and Degree Works.

Implementation timelines vary depending on the type of proposal, effective term, catalog cycle, required system updates, and whether additional institutional, state, or external approvals are needed. Programs requiring external approval are not implemented in university systems until all required authorizations have been obtained.

For this reason, faculty submitters should plan ahead and submit proposals early to allow sufficient time for approval, catalog publication, Banner processing, Degree Works updates, advising preparation, and any related implementation steps.

Contact the Office of Curriculum & Institutional Assessment (OCIA) for assistance with:

• Proposal development
• Curriculum standards
• Curriculum Strategy
• Catalog requirements
• Approval workflows
• Program revisions