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Course and Curriculum Management System Help

Course and Curriculum Management System FAQ


Using the UMass Course and Curriculum Management System Creating Proposals Working with Attachments Reviewing Proposals Terminology Other Questions

Using the UMass Course and Curriculum Management System

How does the UMass Course and Curriculum Management System work?

The UMass Course and Curriculum Management System lets you create, review, track, and approve proposals for new or revised courses, programs, or requirements. The system sends each proposal through the appropriate review steps, a process called workflow. Users can see selected information for active proposals, depending on their roles relevant to that proposal.

Any University faculty or staff member can initiate a proposal. You first select the type of proposal you want to create, follow the on-screen instructions to complete the proposal, then save your proposal as a draft. You can return and work on your saved draft as often as you want.

You can add attachments and link the proposal to related proposals. For example, you may need to attach a syllabus for a proposed course, or you may want to link a proposal for a new minor to proposals for new courses that satisfy requirements for that minor.

When your proposal is ready, you submit it to workflow. The system sends the proposal to the appropriate review agencies, notifying them that they have work to do. Members of that review agency (reviewers) can comment on the proposal. Designated members (approvers) can approve the proposal to send it to the next step in the workflow, relegate the proposal back to the proposal originator for modification, or deny the proposal. The proposal completes workflow when it receives final approval or is denied.

How do I know whether I need to do something?

The UMass Course and Curriculum Management System sends automatic email notifications to you when you need to do something. To ensure that you receive your notifications, make sure that your junk mail filters allow mail from cps-help@cesd.umass.edu. The notification message contains a link to the relevant proposal.

You can also log in to the system and click My To Do List in the toolbar at the top of the page to see whether you have any waiting tasks.

How do I log in?

To log into the UMass Course and Curriculum Management System:

  1. Go to https://cesd2.cs.umass.edu/umacps/ (Note the “s” in “https”.)
  2. Log in with your NetID (SPIRE ID) and associated password.

The system logs you out after a period of inactivity. If this happens, just log back in again.

While using the UMass Course and Curriculum Management System, use the system links to navigate rather than your browser’s Forward or Back buttons.

Creating Proposals

How do I create a new proposal?

To create a new proposal:

  1. Log into the UMass Course and Curriculum Management System.
  2. In the toolbar near the top of the page, click Create Proposal.
  3. Scan the list of proposal types. Click the name of the proposal type that you want to create.
  4. If prompted to confirm your selection, click I Want to Proceed.
  5. Follow the directions to create your proposal. As you work, the system will guide you in filling out the needed forms.
  6. Make sure that you have provided all the necessary basic information for your proposal (proposal title, course titles, course numbers, etc.) as you cannot change this information after the proposal has been saved as a draft.
  7. When prompted, save your proposal as a draft.
  8. Continue following the on-screen directions to finish editing your saved proposal. You may need to complete additional forms or add attachments. You can edit and save your draft over multiple sessions spanning multiple days.
  9. When your proposal is ready, scroll to the Actions section at the bottom of the proposal page and click Submit Proposal.

How do I continue working on a saved draft?

To continue working on a saved draft:

  1. Click My To Do List to see a list of proposals you are working on.
  2. Click Edit next to the target proposal.
  3. Continue editing your proposal as needed.

Tip: Recently viewed proposals are also displayed on your Home page and can be seen by clicking Recent in the toolbar bar at the the top of any page.

How do I change the basic proposal information in my saved draft?

The UMass Course and Curriculum Management System does not allow you to change the basic information such as proposal title, course title, or course number after you save your proposal as a draft. If you discover that you’ve made a mistake and cannot change the information, you will need to withdraw the proposal and start again.

How do I link (or unlink) the current proposal to another proposal?

You may want to link related proposals together. For example, you may want to link a proposal for a change in major requirements to proposals for new courses that satisfy the revised requirements.

To link proposals:

  1. On the proposal page, scroll to the Details section.
  2. Click Manage Links to Other Proposals
  3. Click the down arrow next to the Proposals box to display a list of proposals you can link to the current proposal.
  4. Select the proposal you want to link to the current proposal.
  5. Click Link.

To un-link proposals:

  1. On the proposal page, scroll to the Details section.
  2. Click Manage Links to Other Proposals
  3. Find the proposal to un-link in the list of linked proposals at the top of the page.
  4. Click Remove Link next to the proposal to be un-linked.
  5. Click OK to confirm that you want to remove this link.

Can I have someone else work on a proposal draft?

You can only share or re-assign a proposal when it is in the draft stage. There are two ways you can coordinate work on a proposal with someone else.

To allow other individuals to view your proposal without editing it:

  1. On the proposal page, scroll to the Sharing section.
  2. Click Share Proposal.
  3. Begin typing the last name of the person you want to be able to view your proposal in the text box. The system displays all names beginning with those characters. Type enough characters to allow you to find and select the correct person.
  4. After selecting the person, click Share.

Sharing does not give this person permission to edit or submit the proposal, nor to see any reviewer actions or comments.

To reassign your proposal to someone else so they can work on it:

  1. On the proposal page, scroll to the Sharing section.
  2. Click Reassign Proposal.
  3. Click the down arrow next to your name in the Users box to display a text field where you can enter the name of the new proposal owner.
  4. Begin typing the last name of the person you want to be able to work on your proposal in the text box. The system displays all names beginning with those characters. Type enough characters to allow you to find and select the correct person.
  5. After selecting the person, click Reassign.

Once you reassign a proposal, you cannot work on it anymore. If you need to do additional work on the proposal, have the new owner re-assign the proposal back to you after completing his or her work.

How do I submit a proposal?

You can continue to work on your proposal as long as it is in the draft stage. Once you submit the proposal, you will not be able to make further changes.

To submit a proposal:

  1. Review the saved draft of your proposal to make sure that you have provided all necessary information and completed any required forms.
  2. On the proposal page, scroll to the Actions section.
  3. Click Submit Proposal.
  4. Note the warning that no further editing will be possible after you submit the proposal.
  5. If all the information is complete, click Submit.

Whoever submits the proposal is the originator of that proposal. Some actions, such as withdrawing a proposal, may only be performed by the proposal originator.

How do I re-submit a proposal?

If a review agency sends a proposal back to you for additional information, you can either add the requested information and re-submit the proposal, or withdraw the proposal from consideration.

To re-submit a proposal:

  1. Make any required revisions to the proposal.
  2. On the proposal page, scroll to the Actions section.
  3. Click Submit Proposal.
  4. If you have provided all the requested information, click Submit.

How do I withdraw a proposal?

Withdrawing a proposal removes the proposal from the system. You can no longer access a withdrawn proposal.

You can only withdraw a proposal that’s in the draft stage. Once the proposal has been submitted, it can only be removed from consideration by being denied or sent back to the proposal originator.

To withdraw a proposal:

  1. On the proposal page, scroll to the Actions section.
  2. Click Withdraw Proposal.
  3. Click OK to confirm that you want to withdraw this proposal.

How do I check the status of a proposal?

To check a proposal’s status:

  1. Search for the target proposal.
  2. Find the target proposal in the list of search results.
  3. Examine the Status column to see the proposal’s current status.
  4. Examine the Currently At column to where the proposal is in the workflow process.

Tip: You can see the status of recently viewed proposals by examining the list on your Home page or by clicking Recent in the toolbar at the top of the page.

Working with Attachments

How do I add an attachment?

If you are the proposal originator, you can add attachments to your proposal while it is in the draft stage. You may also be asked to provide additional materials as an addendum while the proposal is under review. Reviewers can also add relevant attachments when the proposal is at their step in the review process.

To add an attachment to your draft proposal or a proposal you are reviewing:

  1. On the proposal page, scroll to the Proposal Forms and Attachments section.
  2. Click Attach a Document.
  3. Click Browse to locate the attachment on your local computer.
  4. Add a description of the attachment in the Description box.
  5. Click Upload.

To add an addendum to your proposal while it is under review:

  1. On the proposal page, scroll to the Proposal Forms and Attachments section.
  2. Click Attach an Addendum.
  3. Click Browse to locate the attachment on your local computer.
  4. Add a description of the attachment in the Description box.
  5. Click Upload.

After attaching the document to the proposal, the system returns you to the proposal page. You can check the Proposal Forms and Attachments section to see that the attachment is now listed.

How do I view an attachment?

To view an attachment:

  1. On the proposal page, scroll to the Proposal Forms and Attachments section.
  2. Click Download in the row for the target attachment.

How do I delete an attachment?

To delete an attachment:

  1. On the proposal page, scroll to the Proposal Forms and Attachments section.
  2. Click Delete in the row for the target attachment.
  3. Click OK to confirm that you want to remove this attachment from the proposal.

Reviewing Proposals

How do I review a proposal?

If you need to review a proposal, it will be listed in your To Do list. To review the proposal:

  1. Click My To Do List to see a list of proposals you are working on.
  2. Click View & Approve next to the target proposal.
  3. Review the proposal information along with any associated forms and attachments.

If you are a designated approver for your review agency, after you have completed your review, you need to determine the next step for the proposal. You can

  • approve the proposal to send it to the next step in the workflow.
  • relegate the proposal to the originator for additional information.
  • deny (not approve) the proposal to remove it from consideration.

If you are a reviewer but not the approver for your review agency, you can add your recommendation and comments to the proposal:

  1. On the proposal page, scroll to the Review This Proposal section.
  2. Click Edit.
  3. In the first question, select your recommendation.
  4. In the second question, add your comments on this proposal.
  5. Click Save.

How do I assign additional reviewers for this proposal?

If your role permits, you can assign additional reviewers to a proposal:

  1. On the proposal page, scroll to the Assign Reviewers section.
  2. Click Change Reviewers.
  3. Click the selection boxes to add or remove reviewers from this proposal.
  4. Click Assign Reviewers.

Can I assign my task to someone else?

In general, you cannot assign your task to someone else. Each individual has one or more defined roles within the system that determines their responsibilities with respect to proposals that they are assigned to work on.

Before submitting a proposal (when it is still in the draft stage), you can allow others to share your proposal. Additionally, designated approvers can assign specific individuals from a pool of reviewers to review a proposal. However, once a proposal has been submitted and is in workflow, individuals cannot re-assign tasks related to that proposal to anyone else.

How do I send a proposal back for additional information?

If needed, you can send a proposal back to the originator so that he or she can provide additional information. Only designated approvers can send a proposal back for additional information.

To relegate a proposal to the originator:

  1. Click My To Do List to see a list of proposals you are working on.
  2. Click View & Approve next to the target proposal.
  3. On the proposal page, scroll to the Approval Decision section.
  4. Click to select Return to Proposer for More Work.
  5. In the large text box, explain why you have returned the proposal to the originator. List any additional information needed for this proposal.
  6. Click Save Decision.
  7. Click Send Back to confirm that you want to send this proposal back to the originator.

This removes the proposal from consideration until the originator re-submits the proposal. When the proposal is re-submitted, it will return to this step in the workflow.

How do I approve a proposal?

Approving a proposal sends it to the next review agency in the workflow for this proposal. Only designated approvers can approve a proposal.

To approve a proposal:

  1. Verify that you or members of your review agency have reviewed all information, attachments, and linked proposals as necessary.
  2. On the proposal page, scroll to the Approval Decision section.
  3. Click to select Approved.
  4. Enter any comments about the proposal in the large text box in this section.
  5. Click Save Decision.
  6. Click Approve to confirm that you want to send this proposal to the next review agency.

How do I deny a proposal?

Denying a proposal removes it from consideration. Only designated approvers can deny a proposal.

To deny a proposal:

  1. On the proposal page, scroll to the Approval Decision section.
  2. Click to select Not Approved.
  3. Enter any comments about the proposal in the large text box in this section.
  4. Click Save Decision.
  5. Click Do Not Approve to confirm that you want to deny this proposal and remove it from consideration.

Are there other actions that I can take?

All proposals follow the same basic workflow of creation, saving as a draft, submission, review, and approval or denial. In some cases, specific review agencies may have added additional custom options to meet the needs of that committee. Ask your committee chair if you are unsure what some of your options mean.

How do I find other proposals?

You can view the content of any proposal in the system, and you can see the status of proposals that you submitted.

To search for proposals:

  1. Click Search in the toolbar at the top of the page
  2. Choose whether you want to search all proposals or just the proposals that you are involved with.
    • Select Show Proposals I’m Involved With to limit your search to just those proposals that you have some involvement with.
    • Select Search All Proposals to include all proposals in your search.
  3. Select additional search restrictions as desired.
  4. Click Search.

    The system displays a list of proposals matching your search criteria. The list may span multiple pages; check the bottom of the page to see whether there are additional pages of search results.

  5. Click the View icon (magnifying glass) next to the target proposal.

    The system displays the proposal details page. You can see the text of the original proposal and its current status, but may not view comments made by other reviewers.

Terminology

What is workflow?

The process of creating, editing, reviewing, and approving a proposal is called workflow. You can think of workflow as a series of steps in this process. Each step corresponds to a specific review agency. A proposal passes from one review agency to another, and each review agency has a specific job to do when it receives a proposal.

What is a review agency?

A review agency is a committee or individual that has responsibility for reviewing and approving or denying a proposal at some step in the workflow. Proposals move through the system by passing from one review agency to another.

When a review agency comprises multiple individuals, usually one designated member has responsibility for the approve/deny decision while other members may be limited to reviewing and commenting on proposals.

Who is the proposal originator?

The person who submits the proposal is the originator of that proposal. Selected tasks, such as withdrawing a proposal, may only be performed by the proposal’s originator. If a review agency relegates the proposal for additional modification, it returns to the control of the proposal originator.

What is the difference between a reviewer and an approver?

Members of a review agency may be either reviewers or approvers. Reviewers are responsible for examining the proposal and making recommendations to the approver for that review agency; their roles are strictly advisory. Approvers are designated members who are authorized to approve, deny, or relegate a request.

In some cases, such as for single-person review agencies, the review agency may include only an approver.

Other Questions

How do I change my account information?

Click My Account in the toolbar at the top of the page to see your account information. Your basic account information (name and email address) comes from SPIRE. You must change this information in SPIRE; you cannot update it in the UMass Course and Curriculum Management System.

If you believe that your role is incorrect, click the link in the My Roles section of your account page to request a change to your role.

I still have a question...

Send your questions to cps-support@provost.umass.edu.


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