Minor modifications are part of the Curriculum Review process, and involve making changes to programs and courses that do not affect program learning outcomes (for major changes, please visit Academic Change).
Minor modification proposals are reviewed 3 times per year by Curriculum Committees at scheduled meetings, and receive final approval during specific Academic Affairs Committee cycles. Proposals must be submitted through the Curriculum Management (CM) system by deadlines specified by the Program & Curriculum Unit (PCU) in order to be considered for upcoming committee meetings.
Below are a list of minor modification types and the proposal process for each.
Minor Program Modifications
Minor program modifications are changes to academic programs that do not affect learning outcomes. This may include:
- Changing pre-requisites, co-requisites, and/or exclusions
- Updating the terminology used in program descriptions
Any changes that impact learning outcomes would be considered Major Program Modifications, which are managed differently. The process for minor program modifications is described below.
After discussing changes with their own Departmental Curriculum Committees, units propose minor program modifications through the Curriculum Management (CM) system. All proposals must include a session start date to indicate when the change will take place, a brief description of the change being made, and an academic rationale for the change.
Please review the following resources for more information about minor program modifications:
Once units have submitted their proposals, staff from the PCU will check them for completion and clarity. PCU staff may follow-up with questions for units to ensure the proposals are ready for the review process. If a proposal requires significant further consideration, it may be recommended to withdraw the proposal and submit it at a later date.
Curriculum Committees (CC) meet to review minor modification proposals. Each unit must have faculty representatives present at their respective meetings (HUM, SCI, SSC, Graduate) to share the proposals with the committee and take feedback.
Proposals are compiled into reports for each meeting, which will be posted on the Meeting Dates & Documents page beforehand. Units should review these reports and inform PCU staff of any issues before the day of the meeting. Presenters should also print or download the reports the morning of the meeting in preparation for sharing the proposals.
Please review the following resources before attending the appropriate CC meetings:
Proposals that do not require changes after CC meetings are brought to the Academic Affairs Committee (AAC) for final approval. Once approved, the proposed changes are applied in CM and updated in the Academic Calendar, making them available to students.
After discussion with their own Departmental Curriculum Committees, units propose new courses through the Curriculum Management (CM) system. All proposals must include a session start date to indicate when the course will first be offered, an academic rationale for the new offering, and confirmation of submission of the New Course Resource Implications form.
The Program and Curriculum Unit (PCU) sets submission deadlines for proposals to ensure they are prepared in time for the full review process – these deadlines will be communicated to units via email.
Please review these resources before submitting a proposal:
- New Course Proposal Guide (PDF)
- How to Propose a New Course on CM (PPT)
- New Course Resource Implications Form
- Online Learning Planning Guide (PDF) (if the course will be delivered online or hybrid)
Once units have submitted their proposals, staff from the PCU will check them for completion and clarity. PCU staff may follow-up with questions for units to ensure the proposals are ready for the review process. If a proposal requires significant further consideration, it may be recommended to withdraw the proposal and submit it at a later date.
Curriculum Committees (CC) meet to review minor modification proposals. Each unit must have faculty representatives present at their respective meetings (HUM, SCI, SSC, Graduate) to share the proposals with the committee and take feedback.
Proposals are compiled into reports for each meeting, which will be posted on the Meeting Dates & Documents page beforehand. Units should review these reports and inform PCU staff of any issues before the day of the meeting. Presenters should also print or download the reports the morning of the meeting in preparation for sharing the proposals.
Please review the following resources before attending the appropriate CC meetings:
Proposals that do not require changes after the UG CC meeting are brought to the Academic Affairs Committee (AAC) for final approval. Once approved, the proposed changes are applied in CM and updated in the Academic Calendar, making them available to students.
After discussing the changes with their own Departmental Curriculum Committees, units propose course modifications through the Curriculum Management (CM) system. All proposals must include a session start date to indicate when the change will take place and an academic rationale for the change. Changes that impact resources, such as changes to delivery mode or instructional hours, must be accompanied by confirmation of submission of an Existing Course Resource Implications form.
The Program and Curriculum Unit (PCU) sets submission deadlines for proposals to ensure they are prepared for the full review process – these deadlines will be communicated to units via email.
Please review these resources before submitting a proposal:
Once units have submitted their proposals, staff from the PCU will check them for completion and clarity. PCU staff may follow-up with questions for units to ensure the proposals are ready for the review process. If a proposal requires significant further consideration, it may be recommended to withdraw the proposal and submit it at a later date.
Curriculum Committees (CC) meet to review minor modification proposals. Each unit must have representatives present at their respective meetings (HUM, SCI, SSC, Graduate) who can share the proposals with the committee and take any feedback provided.
Proposals are compiled into reports for each meeting, which will be posted on the Meeting Dates & Documents page beforehand. Units should review these reports and inform PCU staff of any issues before the day of the meeting. Presenters should also print or download the reports the morning of the meeting in preparation for sharing the proposals.
Please review the following resources before attending the appropriate CC meetings:
Proposals that do not require changes after the UG CC meeting are brought to the Academic Affairs Committee (AAC) for final approval. Once approved, the proposed changes are applied in CM and updated in the Academic Calendar, making them available to students.
Course Retirement
A course retirement may occur due to low enrolment, changes to the field, or resource limitations. The benefit of retiring courses is that it allows the course codes to be reused in the future.
Course retirement proposals can be submitted at any point, but the course must remain in the Academic Calendar for 3-5 years after retirement; this includes appearances in program requirements/elective buckets, and in course prerequisites, exclusions, etc.
After discussing the retirement with their own Departmental Curriculum Committees, units propose minor modifications through the Curriculum Management (CM) system. All proposals must include a session start date to indicate when the course will be retired and a rationale for the retirement.
Units must also check if the course is listed under specific programs on the Academic Calendar. If a course is listed in another unit's program, that unit must be consulted about the proposed retirement. The Course Modification Guide contains additional considerations for course retirement.
The Program and Curriculum Unit (PCU) sets submission deadlines for proposals to ensure they are prepared for the full review process – these deadlines will be communicated to units via email.
Once units have submitted their proposals in CM, staff from the PCU will review them for completion and clarity. The PCU may follow-up with questions for units to prepare proposals for the review process.
Curriculum Committees (CC) meet to review minor modification proposals. Each unit must have representatives present at their respective meetings (HUM, SCI, SSC, Graduate) who can share the proposals with the committee and take any feedback provided.
Proposals are compiled into reports for each meeting, which will be posted on the Meeting Dates & Documents page beforehand. Units should review these reports and inform PCU staff of any issues before the day of the meeting. Presenters should also print or download the reports the morning of the meeting in preparation for sharing the proposals.
Please review the following resources before attending the appropriate CC meetings:
Proposals that do not require changes after the UG CC meeting are brought to the Academic Affairs Committee (AAC) for final approval. Once approved, the proposed changes are applied in CM and updated in the Academic Calendar, ensuring the course is no longer visible to students.
