How SCSU is Uniting Departments Through Accessible Curricular & Policy Insights

The Challenge

Manual, One-Size-Fits-All Workflows Undermined Collaboration and Accuracy

SCSU’s curriculum approval process was faculty-driven, but incomplete proposals often reached the committee after an already lengthy submission cycle. Even once approved, updates to the course catalog had to be entered manually, a process frequently disrupted by data silos and fragmented workflows that left key stakeholders out of the loop.

The most frequent complaint raised to academic leadership was the wasted effort involved. Faculty spent hours preparing curriculum proposals, only for committees to receive incomplete submissions missing key information needed for proper evaluation.

"Before we started using Coursedog, our curriculum system was a competitor and it was essentially paper forms that were slapped into an online form, but did not use any sophistication or logic. There was a one-size-fits-all workflow so every proposal had to go through exactly the same steps and we weren't able to add custom fields. There was only one pathway and users were accustomed to it being rigid and inflexible." - Dr. William Cook, University Curriculum Coordinator

As a result, the quality of the course catalog suffered in accuracy and usability. Students and advisors found it difficult to navigate program and course requirements, undermining its reliability as a resource.

"Our old catalog was a series of manually edited text documents web page. For example, in our old approval process for deactivated courses, the course would go through the workflow and then someone would need to manually delete it out of the appropriate catalog page. That was really inefficient and made our catalog prone to errors." - Dr. William Cook, University Curriculum Coordinator

The Solution

Flexible Workflows and Standardized Forms Drive Better Data and Faster Approvals

By adopting Coursedog’s integrated Curriculum & Catalog Management solution, SCSU streamlined curricular approvals and automated catalog updates across eight colleges and more than 200 academic programs. Faculty and staff now submit complete, high-quality proposals from the start, while catalog updates occur automatically and notify stakeholders in real time. Accurate curriculum data is critical for accreditation, system consistency, and strategic decisions. With higher-quality information reviewed efficiently, SCSU maintains a reliable catalog that helps students plan effectively, stay on track, and graduate on time.

Standardized forms and flexible workflows ensure the right information is captured at the right time, improving compliance, collaboration, and overall data governance.

"With Coursedog, our process is much better in that we're able to use flexible workflow logic to have certain proposals and certain requests only go to the steps needed. We weren't able to do that in our previous system. It's really great that we're able to customize things as much as we can. We are able to add fields into forms and the course and program templates any time we want. Because of that, we've been able to make sure we have all the correct information we need and make our curriculum and catalog process much more complete." - Dr. William Cook, University Curriculum Coordinator

Routine changes now move quickly through fewer review steps, while more complex proposals still receive a thorough but efficient evaluation. The system guides users through the submission process, automates backend work, and delivers proposals that are easier for committees to review.

“We’ve set [Coursedog] up so the end user has some of the submission and approval process navigated for them. Once we gather the essential information, a lot of things can happen behind the scenes that we don’t have to burden our faculty and staff with. Because of this, we’ve made the review process and the information presented in the final product much higher in quality. It’s not just about speed, it’s much more about the accuracy and completeness of the information we’re presenting to the committee.” - Dr. William Cook, University Curriculum Coordinator

Looking Ahead

SCSU Uses Coursedog to Unlock Early Access to Catalog Updates

Coursedog has also enabled SCSU to give stakeholders  early visibility into future programs and courses before the official catalog release. Previously, newly approved programs remained hidden until the following summer, frustrating faculty, staff, and students who couldn’t find them in the catalog.

Now, advisors and students can view a “future state” catalog that displays approved but not-yet-active programs and courses. This small but powerful change makes their process far more organized and transparent. Instead of waiting months, advisors and students can see what’s coming, plan ahead with confidence, and trust that the information is accurate.

"When a new program is approved, it usually doesn’t appear in the catalog until the following summer when the new catalog is released. Now, we’ve added a link to the in-progress ‘future state’ catalog (labeled as next year’s catalog) right on the main catalog page. So when someone asks about an upcoming program or course, I can point them there, and all the information is available. It’s been a great improvement." - Dr. William Cook, University Curriculum Coordinator