Curricula, catalogs, and syllabi are often “untouchable” once they’re considered final. How did Provosts and Registrars deal with the significant disruption COVID caused this spring?
Grading & Transfer-in Policy |
Catalog |
63.3%considered and/or implemented changes to grading policies |
100%are likely to adopt a digital catalog solution for 2020-21 |
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In a Spring 2020 Watermark survey of 850 participants at 706 institutions, nearly two-thirds of respondents (63.3%) considered and/or implemented changes to grading policies as a result of COVID-19. Due to the changes in grading at many institutions, 40.1% are considering reevaluating and adapting transfer-in policies for external credits. |
100% of the responding institutions that historically only created print catalogs reported they are “very likely” to adopt a digital catalog solution for 2020-21. |
“If you’re like me, normally you think of the catalog as the Bible: ‘We launched it in August and there are no changes.’ That’s definitely not the case for the spring term. We began to adjust policies as we added a lot of experimental courses in the middle of the term that we previously would have never touched in the catalog.” Rodney Parks, University Registrar and Assistant Vice President Elon University
Curriculum Review & Revision |
Syllabi |
43.3%struggled to accomplish curriculum review and revisions |
41.7%or respondents expressed an urgent need to alter syllabi |
|
43.3% of institutions struggled to accomplish curriculum review and revisions due to COVID, with 20% of respondents having difficulty engaging participants digitally and 26.3% reporting difficulty meeting deadlines. |
The syllabus is typically viewed as a contract of sorts between student and instructor and doesn’t undergo major changes during the term. But COVID has changed all that: 41.7% of respondents expressed an urgent need to alter syllabi this spring. |
By documenting both the decision-making process and the policies resulting from it, you can create formal documentation for regulatory bodies and a framework for future revisions. A software solution can help eliminate the need for in-person communication (and storing paper records) while capturing data needed for accreditation and other accountability reporting.
A digital catalog is key to serving students in the future, ensuring current information is easily accessible and updates will be reflected as they happen. This makes it far easier to keep students informed of crisis-related changes. A digital solution also helps create clearer production processes and compliance documentation.
A digital curriculum management solution provides virtual meeting spaces and tracks key decisions as faculty plan for multiple instructional scenarios.
Develop policies and processes for identifying changes, implementing them, and documenting both the method and the results. Technology can help standardize the update process, create consistency in distribution, and simplify version control.
It’s a challenging time for higher education, and the ability to provide accurate, up-to-date information is essential. Consider how critical review processes and catalog updates can proceed within remote work environments, and adopt technology that supports these processes while documenting decision making and evidence for accreditation, external requirements, and internal continuity.
