Rule R6-500A: University Catalog and Curriculum Change Cycle

1. University Catalog
2. Student Catalog Rights
3. Course Applicability

Purpose and Scope‌

1. Purpose.

   The purpose of this rule is to establish a university-wide standard governing the stability, maintenance, and modification of the official University Catalog (Catalog). This rule ensures transparency, predictability, and equity for students; supports sound academic planning and governance; and aligns Curriculum management practices with institutional regulations, accreditation expectations, and state requirements, consistent with Policy 6-100 and Policy 6-500.

2. Scope.

   This rule applies to all Course-offering Units and governs all courses and Programs of Study that lead to a degree or a certificate.

‌Definitions‌

The definitions provided in Policy 6-500 apply for this rule. In addition, the terms below apply for the limited purpose of this rule.

1. “Catalog” means the official University of Utah Catalog that is published annually and constitutes the authoritative record of approved courses, Programs of Study, academic requirements, and policies that pertain to a degree or a certificate.

2. “Catalog Stability” means the maintenance of predictable, clearly communicated, and operationally reliable academic requirements and policies within the official Catalog, allowing students to plan their educational pathways with confidence and enabling the institution to administer academic programs consistently.

3. “Catalog Year” means the set of academic requirements, policies, and program rules published in the Catalog that apply to a student’s degree or certificate program. A student’s Catalog Year is established by the academic year (fall, spring, summer) in which the student matriculates and remains in effect for the duration of the student’s continuous enrollment, unless the student is assigned a different catalog year in accordance with this rule.

4. “Continuously Enrolled” means a student maintaining registration in all required terms.

5. “Course-Offering Unit” is defined in Policy 6-100.

6. “Curricular Modification” means a change that materially affects academic requirements or student progression, including but not limited to changes in:

   1. academic program admissions requirements (e.g., prerequisite coursework, minimum GPA, required exams, auditions, portfolios);

   2. degree or program requirements (e.g., required courses, general education/ bachelor’s degree requirements, credit totals, sequencing, capstone/thesis, minimum cumulative GPA);

   3. courses (e.g., credit hours, course numbers, titles, descriptions, prerequisite, corequisites);

   4. learning outcomes (e.g., program-level learning outcomes, course-level learning outcomes, required accreditation or licensure standards); or

   5. degree, certificate, or program structure (e.g., creation, revision, suspension, or elimination of programs);

      Curricular Modifications do not include editorial, typographical, or formatting changes that do not alter academic requirements or student progression.

7. “Curriculum” means the planned and organized collection of courses, learning outcomes, and instructional and academic requirements, as designed by faculty of Course-Offering Units.

8. “Program of Study” means a formally approved Curriculum that leads to the awarding of a credential and includes defined requirements—such as general education, major, emphases, minors, course and completion requirements—with established course and programmatic learning outcomes.

‌Rule‌

1. ‌University Catalog‌

   1. Curriculum Change Cycle

      1. Curriculum requirements are codified via publication in the Catalog. A Course-Offering Unit that intends to make a Curricular Modification must do so through the process described in Policy 6-500. All approved changes are automatically future-dated and implemented in the next Catalog Year.

      2. The Office of Curriculum Management and Academic Planning (CMAP) shall verify that proposed Curricular Modifications comply with existing university regulations, Utah Board of Higher Education policies, and state and federal regulations.

      3. Conditions warranting deviation from the standard Curriculum change cycle may include but are not limited to compliance with law or regulation, accreditation requirements, or other compelling academic necessity as determined by the cognizant Executive Vice President.

   2. Catalog Stability Requirement

      1. Curricula published in a Catalog must be honored and maintained for a minimum of six years following the publication of that Catalog.

      2. This requirement intends to:

         1. protect students from shifting requirements;

         2. preserve the integrity and reliability of the Catalog;

         3. support timely completion;

         4. enable effective advising, marketing, and academic planning; and

         5. comply with consumer transparency requirements for accreditation and under the Higher Education Act (HEA).

   3. Oversight and Reporting

      1. The Office of the Registrar shall maintain records of Catalog change histories and monitor compliance with this rule.

      2. The Office of the Registrar shall provide periodic reports to the Academic Senate regarding Catalog Stability, exception requests, and compliance trends.

2. ‌Student Catalog Rights‌

   1. Students are held to the requirements as published in the Catalog that are in effect at the time of their initial matriculation into the University. The Catalog Year assigned will correspond with their first term of matriculation.

   2. Continuously Enrolled students and those who resume academic study after an approved leave of absence may elect to change to the Catalog Year in effect at the time of election. This election requires approval from their academic advisor and the Office of the Registrar. Students may only be declared in the Catalog Year assigned at initial matriculation or the Catalog Year in effect at the time of election.

   3. Students who cease enrollment without being on a university-approved leave of absence must apply for readmission. Students are assigned a Catalog Year based on their term of readmission into the university.

   4. Students will be held to all academic requirements as published in the assigned or elected Catalog Year.

      1. A student may be assigned to a different Catalog Year for an academic program that is created after their assigned or elected Catalog Year with the approval of their academic advisor and the Office of the Registrar.

3. ‌Course Applicability‌

   1. Credits earned more than 10 years before a student’s anticipated conferral date are not guaranteed to apply towards program of study requirements, regardless of whether they were earned at the University of Utah, transferred from another institution, or awarded through examination or other approved means.

   2. Course-offering Unit faculty determine whether credits that exceed the ten-year threshold remain applicable to the student’s current program of study and may approve, deny, or require revalidation of such credits and associated learning outcomes before those credits are applied toward program of study requirements.

   3. Credits earned fewer than 10 years before a student’s anticipated conferral date will be applied to all declared Programs of Study unless the requirements of the accrediting, licensing, or regulatory body of a program has established more restrictive standards regarding the age or applicability of credits/coursework. In such cases, those requirements supersede this rule.

      ---

      Sections IV-VII are for user information and are not subject to the approval of the Academic Senate or the Board of Trustees. The Institutional Policy Committee, the Policy Owner, or the Policy Officer may update these sections at any time.

      ---

‌Policies/ Rules, Procedures, Guidelines, Forms, and other Related Resources‌

1. Policies/ Rules.

   1. Policy 6-500: Curriculum Management and Administration

2. Procedures, Guidelines, and Forms. [ reserved ]

3. Other Related Resources. [ reserved ]

‌References‌

1. Policy 6-100: Instruction and Evaluation

2. Policy 6-001: Academic Units and Academic Governance-Roles of Faculties, Committees, Councils, and Academic Senate

3. Policy-6-101: Undergraduate Study and Degrees

‌Contacts‌

The designated contact officials for this regulation are:

1. Policy Owner(s) (primary contact person for questions and advice): Vice Provost for Student Success

2. Policy Officer(s): Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Executive Vice President for Health Sciences

   See Rule 1-001 for information about the roles and authority of policy owners and policy officers.

‌History‌

Revision History.

1. Current version. Revision 0.

   1. Effective Date August 11, 2026.

   2. Legislative History

   3. Editorial Revisions

2. Previous versions.

3. Renumbering

   1. Not applicable