Catalog Publication and Academic Planning Cycle Policy and Procedures
IMPORTANT NOTICE
The University Catalog(opens in new window) at Chico State is published on a one-year cycle that began with the 2011-2012 catalog. It is expected that a one-year cycle will help the University better coordinate with the degree audit process and a restructured curriculum review process. Deans, department chairs, and curriculum committee members should be aware of this one-year cycle for several reasons:
- To protect reliability of current catalog information for the many users, changes to existing programs or courses are approved for implementation effective with the next catalog. New programs and courses will be added to the catalog as soon as possible after approval.
- The need for review and approval by UNCC, Academic Senate, and the Chancellor's Office and/or WSCUC requires lengthy lead time for technical review and timely submissions of proposals to guarantee formal approval in time for inclusion in the next catalog.
- Confidence in our catalog, and on- and off-campus student advising and planning, is greatly improved by having the catalog as accurate and stable as possible over the entire one-year catalog life cycle.
While changes may occur between catalogs (and such changes may be approved for compelling reasons, e.g., an accreditation requirement), it is the policy of the University to make every effort to assure the catalog's accuracy throughout the one year it is in service.
The following is the timeline for curriculum planning, course and curriculum revisions, and production of The 2027-2028 University Catalog.
NOTE: "Program" is the umbrella term for the following: degree (e.g., BA, MS,), option, credential, minor, certificate.
Fall 2025 | Confirm plans for any NEW programs with Curriculum Services. Review proposed changes to existing undergraduate programs with Curriculum Services to determine if the proposal should be a significant or minor change. Graduate program changes should be reviewed with the Office of Graduate Studies. Schedule a curriculum workshop with Curriculum Services if your department needs assistance with procedures, paperwork requirements, and general questions. |
October 1, 2025-June 1, 2026 | Cal State Apply accepting applications for fall 2026. |
November 30, 2025 | Deadline to submit a projection proposal for new degree programs to Curriculum Services for the winter cycle. NOTE: projections for new degree programs (e.g., BS, MA) must be sent to the Chancellor's Office in time for placement on our Campus Academic Plan so we cannot take late submissions. Once the projection has been submitted, the full degree proposal can be completed and the workflow can be started so that it will be ready for UNCC/Academic Senate as soon as possible after Board of Trustees approval. |
December 19, 2025 | For the spring 2026 Academic Senate cycle, this is the deadline for any proposal requiring UNCC/Academic Senate review (and in some cases CO and/or WSCUC review and approval). Proposals submitted after December 19, 2025 and before May 31, 2026 will be scheduled for the fall Academic Senate cycle. Please note: It is recommended that proposals requiring Chancellor's Office approval go through the spring UNCC/Academic Senate cycle in order to allow sufficient time for all approvals. |
April 9, 2026 | For the spring Academic Senate cycle, this is the last day a proposal requiring UNCC/Academic Senate review will be given an agenda date. Proposals not received in time for this agenda date will go to UNCC/Academic Senate in the fall. |
April 20, 2026 | Continuing student registration begins for fall 2026. |
April 24, 2026 | Intent Distribution List deadline for the spring semester. All responses to advertised material must be made by May 8, 2026. |
May 31, 2026 | For the fall Academic Senate cycle, this is the deadline for any proposal requiring UNCC/Academic Senate review (and in some cases CO and/or WSCUC review and approval). Proposals submitted after May 31 cannot be guaranteed implementation in the 2027-2028 catalog. Please note: It is recommended that proposals requiring Chancellor's Office approval go through the spring UNCC/Academic Senate cycle in order to allow sufficient time for all approvals. Every effort will be made to obtain approval for proposals submitted for the fall Academic Senate cycle, but publication in the 2027-2028 catalog cannot be guaranteed. |
May 31, 2026 | TARGET deadline for all course and program change proposals. Proposals received by Curriculum Services after May 31 cannot be guaranteed implementation in the 2027-2028 catalog. |
May 31, 2026 | Deadline to submit a formal projection proposal for new degree programs to Curriculum Services for the summer cycle. NOTE: projections for new degree programs (e.g., BS, MA) must be sent to the Chancellor's Office in time for placement on our Campus Academic Plan so we cannot take late submissions. Once the projection has been submitted, the full degree proposal can be completed and the workflow can be started so that it will be ready for UNCC/Academic Senate as soon as possible after Board of Trustees approval. |
August 1-September 30, 2026 | Cal State Apply accepting applications for spring 2027. |
September 1-November 30, 2026 | Catalog editing cycle. Departments and programs are responsible for editing their catalog pages. Curriculum Services will email links and instructions in early September. Contact the University photographer for any new photos to be included in the next catalog. |
October TBD 2026 | Continuing student registration begins for spring 2027. |
November 12, 2026 | For the fall Academic Senate cycle, this is the last day a proposal requiring UNCC/Academic Senate review will be given an agenda date. Proposals not received in time for this agenda date will not be approved for the 2027-2028 catalog. |
November 30, 2026 | Intent Distribution List deadline for the spring semester. All responses to advertised material must be made by December 11, 2026. |
| December 31, 2026 | FINAL deadline for all course changes and minor program change proposals. Every effort will be made process proposals submitted by this date, but publication in the 2027-2028 catalog cannot be guaranteed. |
January-February 2027 | All catalog copy is finalized and readied for publication. |
March 2027 | The 2027-2028 University Catalog is published and the next Academic Planning and Catalog Production cycle begins. |
Procedures
Proposals for new degrees, options, minors, and certificates; programs being discontinued; significant program revisions; name changes; reorganizations/moves must be submitted according to procedures outlined in the Academic Department Manual. Proposals must be submitted to Curriculum Services no later than May 31.
To be effective in the 2027-2028 Catalog, proposals can either move through the spring 2026 or fall 2026 Academic Senate cycle. For the spring Academic Senate cycle, proposals must be submitted to Curriculum Services no later than December 19, 2025. Any of the proposal types mentioned above that are submitted after December 19, 2025 and before May 31, 2026 will go through the fall Academic Senate cycle. There is a chance that proposals submitted late in the cycle will not be approved during the fall cycle. Proposals requiring UNCC/Academic Senate review submitted after May 31, 2026 may not take effect with the 2027-2028 Catalog.
Minor changes to existing programs require submission of an online program change form(opens in new window) which reflects clearly all additions, deletions, and changes to the program and narrative text. (See the Minor Changes section in the Academic Department Manual for more information.) Follow catalog format exactly in your revisions. Consult with Nicol Gray in Curriculum Services (x4923) for help with any of the online curriculum forms.
This document is the property of Academic Affairs and maintained by Curriculum Services.