Catalog survey offers new direction
In October, an e-mail survey about the UCDHSC downtown course catalog was sent to 118 associate deans, advisors and catalog contacts. Of those, 82 completed the survey in full (5 partial responses) for a 69 percent response rate. Results from the survey will help shape catalog strategy for the next few years. (View a summary.)
Catalog as contract
Key among the findings was the fact that 72 percent of respondents consider the catalog an official contract of the university. And 77 percent of respondents say they publish the same academic information in a separate document for students. According to UCDHSC’s legal counsel, the catalog may be considered the legal contract for a school, college or division if no other document with academic or policy information is also published. If a separate document is published and its contents conflict with information published in the catalog, the school, college or department must indicate in writing which document is the primary source.
Proposed changes for 2007-2008
Here are the conclusions and changes the Office of Marketing Communications will take in creating the next and future catalogs.
§ Restructure and edit the section “Our University, Our Campus” based on usage data from the survey. Add an overall UCDHSC profile to the section about our university. (View a proposed table of contents.)
§ Provide information for undergraduate and graduate students in separate sections. Include interdisciplinary graduate certificate programs in the Graduate School section (e.g. graduate certificate in emergency management, policy and planning).
§ Move International Education into its own section with cross-references in the undergraduate and graduate admissions sections.
§ Add a new Health Sciences section that includes significant information from CLAS on pre-health options downtown and refers to other interdisciplinary programs (such as the MBA in health administration) and HSC programs.
§ Add a school/college profile to each individual section. Create a more consistent and readable structure of information architecture for all schools/colleges.
§ Expand and move CU Online into its own section, just before the list of courses.
§ Place a small computer icon at the end of the descriptor of any course that has been taught in an online or hybrid format in the last two years to demonstrate the flexibility of UCDHSC’s offerings.
§ Delete the faculty section in the back, and include a brief faculty listing under individual departments and programs. Profiles will promise additional faculty information online.
Future action items
Future plans include the following:
§ Investigate the feasibility of providing a searchable, interactive catalog online (rather than placing static, unsearchable pdf sections online as is the current practice).
§ Survey student users to ascertain further appropriate changes to the catalog in print and online.
§ Evaluate future combinations of print and online catalogs to keep information updated, enhance usability and conserve investment.
§ Retain an attractively designed version of the print catalog; there is a need for the product, although the quantity (6,000) may be reduced.