Nine Key Features of a Curriculum Management System

Bringing on a new curriculum management system is a huge endeavor and selecting the correct solution is critical.

If your institution is preparing to adopt a new solution in the coming months or years, you’ll want to be sure you select the best one for the unique needs of your institution. 

No matter what your business processes or hierarchy look like, there are key features you’ll want to be aware of in your search. In this post, we’ll dive into the top nine most important features in a curriculum management solution and why each feature is so significant.

Most Important Curriculum Management Features

1. Smart Forms

First, smart forms allow administrators to configure forms to meet the institution’s needs. Administrators can build flexible forms unique to specific content types like courses or programs.

Smart forms can also integrate with campus systems. For example, after integrating a student-facing smart form with campus identity data, the form could automatically fill the student’s student identification number, email address, current major, or other similar data points that already exist in the institution’s records.

Additionally, integrations with campus records could allow for smart searching or drop down options that align with existing naming conventions. For example, if a student tried to input the name of a new major they hoped to switch to, the student could begin typing “History” and the more accurate title “Department of History” would appear.

Smart forms enable students and faculty members to spend less time filling forms and can help administrators mitigate data entry errors.  ‍

2. Graphical Workflows

Graphical workflows allow administrators to build a workflow using a visually appealing drag-and-drop interface to organize reviews, approvals, and even notifications.

Creating unique workflows allows administrators to tailor the new technology to their current processes rather than forcing current processes into an unfamiliar structure. This way, you can cater to those necessary one-off processes or circumstances without affecting the entire system.   

3. Dependency Analysis

The dependency analysis feature helps you understand how your curriculum is connected. 

When administrators make changes to one program that has ripple effects within other programs, it can be very difficult to find those effects manually. If students happen upon those hidden dependencies, students can experience financial aid ramifications and a delayed path to graduation.

Understand how programs, courses, learning outcomes, and even micro-credentials work together with a dependency analysis feature.    

Transparent dependencies were particularly beneficial for Southern New Hampshire University when they shifted to a more powerful curriculum management solution. Learn more about how SNHU benefits from dependency analysis here. 

4. Dynamically Build Catalog

Seek out a solution that integrates with and aids in the building process of your catalog solution. Building the catalog manually takes weeks and weeks of effort, and many institutions have multiple catalogs such as a website catalog and/or catalogs for different geographic regions or languages. With a curriculum solution that integrates with your catalog, you can get hundreds of hours back. 

5. Broad & Inclusive Access

Ensure that your tool of choice complies with accessibility standards as well as print-ready PDF needs. Provide faculty, staff, and students with a responsive design that can be used on any kind of device. 

6. Dashboards & Reports

Seek out a solution with a dashboard and reporting functionality. Dashboards, particularly personalized dashboards, give you and other users a tailored user experience, allowing you to see your proposals awaiting approval and tasks waiting for your attention.

7. Single Sign On Permissions

Single sign on (SSO) permissions allow users to login with an existing username and password. SSO provides an added level of security and allows for role-based permissions and access within the product.  

8. API

An API, or application programming interface, allows software solutions to integrate with one another. In a curriculum management system, a comprehensive API allows administrators to easily retrieve and manage data.

After moving from a paper-based curriculum management system, the University of Victoria was pleased to finally have a historical record of their data and a better way to analyze it using an API. You can read more about their journey to improve curriculum data here.

“We now have a database with all of our curriculum records, which is something that our institution has never had before. That’s a wonderful asset.” Laurie Barnas, Associate Registrar, University of Victoria

9. SIS Connector

The integration of your curriculum management solution and the student information system (SIS) is critical. When seeking out a new curriculum management tool, ensure it can connect in all the right ways to your SIS. Integration with other third party systems can also improve the efficiency of your team. 

Learn More About Curriculum Management Software 

With the right software solution, you can spend less time on manual tasks and more time on mission critical work, such as improving the student experience and curriculum. 

Ready to dive deeper into curriculum management software? Take a look at Kuali Curriculum Management today.