Three Benefits of Using Software for Curriculum Management

Curriculum management is complex. Many factors come into play to produce a high-quality curriculum, such as faculty members, review boards, and the registrar’s office, plus meeting deadlines and communicating openly in between. For institutions that support dozens of departments, these factors add up. 

Despite its complexity, some colleges and universities prefer to use paper to manage curriculum. It is, after all, much easier to conform paper to the unique business processes already in place than to do so with software. 

Or is it?

For years, the University of Victoria, one of Canada's leading universities serving around 21k students annually, used a paper-based curriculum management solution. Last year, they swapped paper for software. 

The Kuali Curriculum & Catalog Management software solution has made an impactful difference even just a few months after implementation. Not only does the solution offer the benefits of increased transparency, better data collection, and streamlined processes, but it is also configurable to fit the institution’s needs. 

Even if your registrar’s office is on board with procuring a software solution for curriculum management, it can be difficult for upper-level management to see its value, especially at an institution with unique, time-tested, paper-based processes. To change the conversation and bring software to the forefront, read on to learn about three key benefits of using software to manage your curriculum.

Benefits of Curriculum Management Software

1. Increased transparency

Perhaps the most important benefit for the University of Victoria is a whole new level of transparency it’s achieved with its new software solution. Everyone involved with a proposal can access the software from any place, at any time, and view the status of the proposal within the process. 

Previously, using paper-based methods, the institution struggled to provide transparency. Often, individuals were viewing outdated proposals. In other instances, administrators and faculty spent extra time trying to locate a proposal.

“The beauty of Kuali is that we’re always looking at the right proposal. There’s no chance that somebody is looking at an outdated source.” James Wigginton, Curriculum and Calendar Manager, University of Victoria

Now, using a software-based solution, the University of Victoria’s faculty and staff can be confident they are always viewing the most current proposal. Additionally, faculty members can check on the status of their proposals and see where bottlenecks are. Reviewers can deliver their comments within the software itself and send a document back for editing if needed. 

Each of these features have created a better, more transparent curriculum management process at the University of Victoria.  

2. Better data collection and reporting

With a new software solution in place, the University of Victoria staff can collect, store, analyze, and report on data in ways that were not possible with a paper-based system.

“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

Now, using a software-based system, the university can collect and store structured data. This data opens new doors; it can be used to find and sort information, perform new analyses, and integrate with other systems as needed.

3. Streamlined processes

Before moving to  a software system, much of the university’s conversations around curriculum happened via email or in person. As we have all experienced, conversations over email threads, with multiple document attachments, can quickly become tedious to keep up with. 

By using a software-based system, the University of Victoria has streamlined processes, taking communications out of email and putting it into a software system. Comments and edits to a proposal can be tracked and recorded directly within the software. Gone are the days when an associate registrar is required to sift through dozens of emails to find forgotten or lost information. 

Transparency, better data and reporting, and streamlined processes are three of the many benefits the University of Victoria has seen from making the switch from paper to software. The institution selected Kuali Curriculum & Catalog Management because the solution can capitalize on these benefits all within an easy-to-use system that offers greater flexibility, along with an impressive support team. Learn more about the University of Victoria’s experience using Kuali Curriculum & Catalog Management today.

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