- Attachments – To attach an electronic file to the proposal, click the Attach button. A syllabus is normally required, and sometimes memos or additional materials are requested. There is no limit to the number of files that can be attached. Supported file types include Word documents, PDFs, and Excel spreadsheets. Enter a name or description of the attachment, especially if the file name is not easily identifiable. If you are modifying a course, older versions of a previously approved version do not need to be re-submitted. CMS maintains an individual record of each approved proposal and respective attachments.
- Justification – You must enter a justification for the request before it can be submitted. This field is especially important when requesting changes to an existing course. Try to anticipate COCI’s questions when filling out this section. Why is the unit value increasing? Why is the discussion section being removed? Why is the course being withdrawn? The more information provided, the less delay in moving the course toward approval. For requests that can be approved by Senate Staff, the justification must be very clear in order for the proposal to not be referred to COCI for review. If the justification is longer than 1000 characters, attach a memo instead.
- Visibility (Pruning/Unpruning) – In this section, indicate whether the course should appear (published) in the Berkeley Academic Guide. Departments will want most of their courses to appear in the Catalog. But if a department knows that a course will not be taught for some time, it should be removed (pruned or unpublished). In order for a pruned course to appear in the Catalog again, it can be un-pruned. To un-prune a course, begin by searching for the course via the search box at the top of the CMS screen. Then select the course and begin a modification proposal. In the "Finishing Up" section be sure to checkmark the box labeled "Publish Course in General Catalog". Click "Save and Continue" and ensure that you verify the change. This change can be made by department course contacts without Senate Staff or COCI review.