What can a curriculum and catalog management solution do for your institution?

September 18, 2023 Kris Babe

What can a curriculum and catalog management solution do for your institution?

Managing curriculum and catalog development on campus is deadline-driven and labor-intensive, whether you’re involved in production, review, or both. How can curriculum and catalog management software speed up approval, review, and updates?

Below, we'll answer some questions about common challenges on campus and how a software solution can help.

Q. What challenges do campuses face in producing academic catalogs?

A. Most campuses that aren’t using a catalog management solution maintain their catalog and other academic content, like handbooks, in word processing or desktop publishing documents. When a department chair or dean emails required changes for the catalog, updating the documents is a manual process. Someone — usually in the registrar’s office — must go into the source document and type in the changes.

This process becomes especially challenging as the deadline for catalog changes approaches. Enforcing the deadline often involves sending multiple emails or knocking on doors to get things submitted on time. Since many contributors wait until the last minute to submit changes, the person responsible for the catalog works long hours at the last minute to meet the final production deadline.

Here are some other general challenges associated with higher education curriculum and catalog development.

1. Minimal time

Between handling financial aid-related matters, overseeing admissions, and juggling numerous other responsibilities, many higher education administrators have limited time to create and review new curriculums.

2. Limited knowledge of curriculum creation

Many administrators have minimal expertise in the world of curriculum design. They may require further training or access to resources to better understand this topic. Once a curriculum is mostly outlined, faculty members will need the correct materials that align with its course objectives. Finding affordable options that work well for that specific course can also be a challenge.

3. Lack of funds and resources

Many schools lack the resources to develop successful course curriculums. For instance, higher education institutions often have budget restrictions. This makes it difficult to invest in new textbooks, equipment, and other materials. Furthermore, they might not have adequate space to store them. Some schools also lack the necessary resources to train their faculty in curriculum development.

Budget constraints are prevalent in college settings. In a survey of higher education professionals, 79 percent of schools with fewer than 5,000 students reported experiencing financial challenges, as did 52 percent of schools with over 30,000 students. With schools facing tight budgets, many campuses struggle to justify purchasing new materials when they already have existing resources.

Additionally, many higher education institutions have outdated curriculums that don't reflect current standards. Updating a curriculum can be a challenge when you have little available information to do so, but this upgrade is long overdue in many schools. Only 27.3 percent of college graduates work in a field that aligns with their degree, while 62.1 percent don't even work in their major field. This suggests a need for reform in many outdated college curriculums.

4. Compliance with institutional standards

You'll also need to comply with standards by your state's board of education or other guidelines. That means creating a curriculum that covers information included in standardized testing.

Q. How does a curriculum and catalog management solution address these challenges?

Q. How does a curriculum and catalog management solution address these challenges?

A. Curriculum and catalog management software provides a systemized way to keep content up to date. Workflows in the system prompt contributors for changes to ensure they meet deadlines. You can import submitted changes directly into the catalog, eliminating manual updates. The software streamlines the process for everyone, especially those directly responsible for catalog production.

Q. What happens when there are changes to a curriculum at an institution?

A. Curriculum processes typically work the same way — institutions use word processing documents or paper forms to submit curriculum changes, email them back and forth, or pass them from desk to desk throughout the approval process.

  Curriculum changes involve a larger group of participants, including:

  • Faculty.
  • Department chairs.
  • Deans.
  • Relevant committees.
  • Marketing and IT.

That makes it even more time-consuming. What's more, forms aren’t always filled out correctly, causing additional delays as corrections make the rounds. That’s especially challenging when institutions have set deadlines around curriculum proposal submissions and approvals.

Q. How would a curriculum and catalog management solution address approval challenges?

A. A curriculum and catalog management solution eases curriculum approvals with digital workflows and process tracking. The best solutions customize review workflows to your institution’s processes. Email alerts to participants advance curriculum approvals and ensure you complete the process on time.

In addition, web-based forms with drop-down menus, required fields, and other tools prevent submission of incomplete forms. The most robust solutions will also let you push curriculum changes directly into the catalog. That way, there are no manual tasks necessary.

Q. What about producing a print catalog?

A. Curriculum and catalog management solutions help institutions create digital catalogs. However, the best solutions make it easy to produce print versions, as well. These are important since accreditors require them. When evaluating solutions, look for one that can easily export your entire catalog into a fully formatted word processing or desktop publishing document.

Q. What’s the biggest benefit of a single system for curriculum and catalog management?

A. Your catalog's information is the foundation or database that supports a curriculum solution. It’s important to have it in one place. A catalog and curriculum in one system provide a turnkey solution and make updates seamless.

Department chairs and deans involved in curriculum change processes can receive notifications, review changes, and approve them all in one place. People in the registrar’s office have one system where they can track and record all curriculum changes and archive approvals.

Learn more about our curriculum management software today

Every year, registrars must update academic catalogs for staff and students based on changes in policy and content relevance. Making the necessary revisions can be incredibly complex. A quality curriculum and catalog management software can facilitate this process.

If you're looking to reinvent your curriculum management workflow, Watermark can help. Watermark Curriculum Strategy (formerly SmartCatalog) offers an innovative way to streamline your curriculum and catalog creation processes. It allows you to:

  • Access real-time updates to keep your online catalog relevant and accurate.
  • Gather assessment data and student feedback to adjust your curriculum.

Curriculum Strategy displays the status of each item, missing information, and edits. Our solutions send data directly to the dashboard for fast reporting, meaning you don't have to worry about any manual data entry. 

With over 20 years of expertise, Watermark can deliver a data collection solution that promotes institutional improvement and student success. Let us help you build and share a curriculum that puts the needs of students at the forefront. 

Request a demo today to learn more about our curriculum management solution. You can also download our flyer for more information about Curriculum Strategy.

Learn more about our curriculum management software today

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