This is just a simple explanation of the catalog approval process the university follows. It is important to know because it dictates the deadline by which the Committee must approve new catalogs.
The first draft of the new fall catalog must be submitted by the faculty to the university no later than October 15 of the previous year. For instance, the first draft of the 2011 catalog to be used for the academic year beginning in the fall of 2011, must be submitted to the university by October 15, 2010. This means that we must have access to the catalog sufficiently in advance of the October 15 deadline to review it, offer our advice and allow time for the faculty to address our concerns and/or opinions.
The draft catalog is submitted by October 15th to a university committee that basically reviews the catalog for technical issues, but not issues of substance. Once this review is complete, the faculty has until early February or so to make the changes and submit the final draft of the catalog. However, the Committee’s responsibility ends when the first draft is submitted in October.