Using CourseLeaf

What is CourseLeaf?

CourseLeaf is a suite of products that we use to manage the faculty and administrative governance processes and publish the APU academic catalog online. At its core, CourseLeaf is a workflow management system. It’s a transparent system, which means that any employee at APU can use CourseLeaf and see what’s going on at any time. There are two main tools within CourseLeaf that we use: CAT and CIM.

Catalog (CAT)

We use the editing environment https://nextcatalog.apu.edu to edit our catalog. This environment is private and can be accessed only by APU employees. Each catalog page has its own assigned editors and its own workflow (steps of approval). Contact OCS (ocs@apu.edu) and copy your department chair to request editing access.

Catalog editing occurs all year long. The deadlines for completing catalog edits vary slightly from year to year but are communicated through the Provost’s Newsletter, the Deans’ and Chairs’ Newsletter, and in emails directly to those with editing and approving access. The catalog is usually published in early to mid-July.

Be sure to check out our Catalog Resources page for more info.

Curriculum Inventory Management (CIM)

CIM encompasses courses and programs:

• Course Admin is the website with the forms for editing and creating courses. Every course at APU has a unique form, including courses that have been inactivated within the past five years.
• Program Admin is the website with the forms for editing and creating programs. Every program at APU has a unique form, including programs that have been inactivated since CourseLeaf was implemented at APU in 2014.
• Policy Admin is the website with the forms for editing and creating academic policies. Policies in this area of CourseLeaf are meant to pertain to (a) all students, (b) students in a particular career, or (c) students within a particular School of College. Department specific policies can also be submitted here if deemed appropriate in consultation with OCS.
• Academic Cabinet Change is the website with the form for submitting request to the Academic Cabinet/Council of Academic Deans. Requests for programmatic name changes, location updates, program sunsets, new or changed departments, subject code updates, or study away go through this site.
• Gallery Admin is the website for submitting photos. These photos appear on the top of a designated Catalog page.

The information from these curricular forms appears in the catalog. Editing or creating a course or program happens through faculty governance during the school year. See our document on timing to get an idea of how far in advance you should submit your requests.

Syllabi (SYL)

SYL is a new piece of the CourseLeaf product suite designed to help faculty create standardized syllabi across the University. It autopopulates fields that are tied to faculty governance, such as course descriptions and course learning outcomes, and helps departments, programs or schools/colleges create syllabi that meet University and professional guidelines. This product is currently in development with CourseLeaf and is being piloted by different areas of the University. If you are interested in using SYL, please email ocs@apu.edu.

Frequently Asked Questions

• How do I use CourseLeaf?
• I’m on a committee or council. What do I need to know?
• What kinds of changes require faculty governance?
• What is an Academic Cabinet Change Form and how do I know if I need it?
• What forms do I need?
• I’m creating a new course. What do I need to know?

Note: OCS highly recommends scheduling training sessions when an employee is new or if you or your office needs a refresher. Our calendars are always up to date; simply check them and request a meeting and we’ll come to you! Sessions usually take 30-60 minutes.