Course Types

Credit Course

A course for which students earn academic credit expressed in semester units. Credit courses may be degree-applicable or nondegree-applicable and may support degrees, certificates, transfer, career preparation, or other educational goals.

Noncredit Course

A course for which students do not earn semester units. Noncredit courses are offered within categories authorized by California law, such as ESL, basic skills, short-term vocational education, workforce preparation, health and safety, and other approved areas. Noncredit courses may also be organized into approved certificates. Noncredit courses can also be copies, ‘parallel,’ or ‘mirror’ their parent credit courses.  Parallel courses are those credit/noncredit courses with substantially aligned curriculum while remaining separate course records with different credit statuses. In CIM, use Propose New from Existing → New Credit/Noncredit Parallel when creating the new parallel course.

Career Technical Education (CTE) Course

For an individual CTE course proposal, faculty do not need to upload Labor Market Information (LMI) or CTE Advisory Committee minutes. These documents support the development, modification, and review of the CTE program as a whole, rather than each individual course within the program.

Faculty should still complete the applicable CTE fields in CIM and ensure that the course appropriately supports the goals and workforce outcomes of the associated CTE program. LMI and advisory documentation should be maintained and submitted with the applicable CTE program proposal or review, rather than duplicated across individual course proposals.

Honors Course

An enriched version of an approved LBCC course that provides greater depth, complexity, critical inquiry, analysis, research, or student independence. Honors courses should provide a more rigorous educational experience—not simply more work.

Cooperative Work Experience Education Course

A credit course that integrates academic learning with structured employment or work-based experience related to the student’s educational or occupational goals.

Transferable Course

A credit course accepted for transfer credit by the CSU, UC, or both, as applicable. Transferability does not automatically mean the course satisfies GE, major preparation, or C-ID requirements. Faculty developing transfer curriculum should consult the LBCC Articulation Officer.

Articulated Course

A course with a formal agreement identifying how it applies at another institution, such as satisfying a specific course requirement or major preparation requirement. Articulation is separate from basic transferability and may vary by institution, major, and academic year. Faculty seeking articulation should consult the LBCC Articulation Officer and research existing agreements in ASSIST.

Upper-Division Course

Advanced undergraduate coursework that builds upon lower-division preparation and requires greater depth, specialization, and academic or professional sophistication. At LBCC, upper-division courses are developed in connection with an approved or proposed baccalaureate degree program.

Proposal Types in CIM

Proposal Types

Before beginning a course proposal in CIM, identify the type of curriculum action you are completing. The proposal type determines which fields appear, what supporting information may be required, and how the proposal is routed through workflow.

New Course Proposal

Use New Course when creating a course that does not currently exist at LBCC. Begin a new course proposal in CIM and complete all applicable sections of the Course Outline of Record. Depending on the characteristics of the course, CIM may display additional sections for areas such as CTE, requisites, distance education, transfer and articulation, General Education, or other specialized requirements.

Propose New from Existing

Use Propose New from Existing when creating a new course based substantially on an existing LBCC course. CIM copies information from the existing course into a new proposal, reducing duplicate data entry. At LBCC, this option is used for:

• New Honors Course — creates an Honors version from an existing non-Honors parent course.
• New Credit/Noncredit Parallel — creates a related credit or noncredit course based on an existing course.

Search for the existing course and select Propose New from Existing, then choose the appropriate proposal type. The copied course is only a starting point. Review the proposal carefully and complete the fields required for the new course. Propose New from Existing creates a new curriculum record; it does not modify the original course.

Modify Course

After finding a course and selecting Edit when taking action on an existing approved course. CIM will ask you to identify the type of edit being completed. Use the drop down to choose Modify Course when making substantive or intentional changes to an existing Course Outline of Record. Changes might involve the course title or description, units or hours, requisites, objectives, SLOs, content, assignments, methods of instruction or evaluation, transfer or GE goals, or other approved curriculum elements. Review the entire COR when making a modification. A change in one section may require corresponding changes elsewhere in the course.

Course Routine Review

Choose Course Routine Review proposal type when the course is undergoing its scheduled periodic review.

Routine Review is intended to confirm that the existing COR remains current, accurate, and aligned with disciplinary and curriculum standards. A Routine Review may result in no changes or permissible routine updates. If the review identifies changes that extend beyond the scope of Routine Review, discontinue the Routine Review and initiate a Modify Course proposal instead.

Inactivate Course

Use Inactivate Course when an existing approved course should no longer be offered. Course inactivation requires consideration of the course’s broader curricular impact. Faculty should review whether the course is used in degrees or certificates, prerequisites or corequisites, GE or transfer pathways, or curriculum owned by another department and determine how identified impacts will be addressed. The proposal should clearly explain why the course is being inactivated and, when applicable, how students will retain an appropriate pathway to complete their educational goals.

Foundational Documentation & Collaboration

Departmental Collaboration

Discuss the proposed course or modification with your Department Head and department faculty. Confirm that the department supports the curriculum action and that the proposal aligns with the discipline’s courses, programs, and educational goals. Include applicable department meeting minutes or other documentation of consultation in the Supporting Documentation section of CIM.

Course development is a collaborative process. Before submitting a new or modified course, work with your department faculty, Department Head, and School Dean to confirm the educational need, curricular design, and feasibility of the proposal.

Other Departments & Disciplines

Depending on the course, additional consultation may be necessary. Begin these conversations early so that requirements can be incorporated into the Course Outline of Record before the proposal enters curriculum workflow. Consult other departments when the proposal may affect curriculum outside your discipline.

Consultation may be necessary when creating or changing prerequisites or corequisites, cross-listed or related courses, program requirements, course substitutions, or curriculum with overlapping content. Document the consultation in CIM when applicable.

Transfer & Articulation

If the course is intended for CSU or UC transfer, C-ID alignment, major preparation, or other articulation, consult with the LBCC Articulation Officer early in the development process. The Articulation Officer can help identify transfer and articulation opportunities, comparable university courses, and applicable C-ID requirements.

Complete the Transferability & Articulation section of CIM with the course’s proposed transfer and C-ID goals. Address articulation while developing the COR rather than waiting until the course has completed curriculum approval.

General Education Placement

If proposing the course for LBCC-GE, Cal-GETC, or both, review the applicable GE requirements as you develop the COR. In CIM, complete Placement in General Education Areas and identify the GE plan, proposed area, and rationale. The COR should contain evidence in its content, objectives, SLOs, assignments, and other applicable elements supporting the requested placement. Selecting a GE area is a request for consideration, not approval of the course for that area.

Requisites & Limitations

If adding or modifying a prerequisite, corequisite, recommended preparation, instructor consent, or other enrollment limitation, complete the applicable Requisites & Limitations section in CIM. Provide the required rationale and supporting evidence. When the requisite is a course owned by another department, consult that department and document the consultation. CIM captures the information previously collected through the separate Requisite Validation Form.

Distance Education

If the course may be offered through Distance Education, complete the Modality/Distance Education section in CIM. Consider how the course’s objectives and outcomes will be achieved in the proposed modality, including Regular and Substantive Interaction (RSI), accessibility, instruction, assignments, and evaluation. CIM captures the curricular information previously documented through the separate Distance Learning Addendum.

Honors

When developing a new Honors course, begin with the approved non-Honors parent course and use Propose New from Existing → New Honors Course in CIM.

Work with the appropriate Honors stakeholders as the course is developed. The Honors curriculum should demonstrate meaningful enrichment through greater depth, complexity, analysis, synthesis, inquiry, research, discussion, or student independence—not simply additional work.

Student Learning Outcomes

When creating or modifying Course Student Learning Outcomes (CSLOs), ensure that the outcomes align with the course objectives, content, assignments, and methods of evaluation. Coordinate with the appropriate SLO faculty or ASLO resources when assistance or additional review is needed. Changes to CSLOs may trigger additional ASLO review through CIM workflow.

School Dean & Feasibility

Discuss proposals with the School Dean, particularly when a new or modified course may affect staffing, scheduling, facilities, equipment, technology, instructional costs, or other resources. The Dean’s role in curriculum review includes consideration of whether the College can reasonably support and offer the proposed curriculum.

Creating a New Course

New credit courses must satisfy applicable curriculum standards and be approved through the College’s established curriculum process. The Course Outline of Record serves as the official academic document defining the course.

Begin with Appropriate Departmental Collaboration

Before opening a proposal, discuss the new course with your Department Head and discipline faculty. Establish the educational purpose of the course, how it fits within the department’s existing curriculum, and whether there is sufficient departmental support to proceed.

Complete Foundational Consultation

Some courses require additional consultation before the COR is fully developed. Identify these needs early so that feedback can be incorporated into the proposal rather than addressed after submission.

Start the New Course Proposal in CIM

Access CourseLeaf CIM and select the option to create a New Course.

The proposal becomes the working record for the new course. You can save your work and return to it before submission, so the proposal does not need to be completed in one session.

If you are creating an Honors course or credit/noncredit parallel course based on an existing LBCC course, do not begin with a blank New Course proposal. Search for the existing course and use Propose New from Existing instead.

Complete the Course Outline of Record & Proposal Fields

Work through each applicable section of the proposal to build the official Course Outline of Record (COR) and also answer the fields throughout the proposal.

Use the companion Course Proposal Walkthrough for detailed field-by-field guidance.

Upload Supporting Documentation

Upload applicable department minutes, consultation records, requisite evidence, or other supporting materials. Supporting documents provide evidence for the proposal but do not replace information that belongs in the COR.

Review and Submit

Review the complete proposal for accuracy, completeness, and alignment. Confirm that required consultation has occurred, applicable sections are complete, and supporting documentation has been uploaded.

When ready, select ‘Submit.’

CIM will automatically generate the appropriate workflow based on the course proposal. Reviewers may approve the proposal to continue or roll it back with comments when revisions or clarification are needed.

Consult the Course Proposal Walkthrough to access the workflows for specific proposal types.

A rollback is not a denial. It returns the proposal for revision so that identified issues can be addressed before the course continues through the approval process.

Modify an Existing Course

Review the Existing Course

Search for the existing course in CIM and select Edit. Inside the edit window, use the dropdown menu to select the Modify Course proposal type.

Evaluate the complete Course Outline of Record (COR), rather than reviewing only the field you intend to change. Determine whether the modification affects units or hours, requisites, objectives, SLOs, content, assignments, transfer or GE status, programs, or other departments.

Discuss the Modification

Discuss the proposed changes with your Department Head and department faculty. Consult affected departments when their courses or curriculum are involved.

Coordinate with the Articulation Officer, School Dean, or other stakeholders when the proposed changes affect their areas.

Update the CIM Proposal

Make the proposed changes directly in CIM and provide a clear responses to each appropriate field. Use the companion Course Proposal Walkthrough for detailed field-by-field guidance.

Review related sections of the COR to ensure that the course remains internally aligned after the changes are made.

Complete Conditional Requirements

Complete any additional requirements triggered by the modification.

For example, transfer or C-ID changes may require consultation with the Articulation Officer; GE changes may require AD&GE review; SLO changes may require ASLO review; and changes to requisites, Distance Education, or CTE curriculum may require additional information or documentation.

Submit to Workflow

Review the complete modified COR and supporting documentation before submission.

When ready, select Submit. CIM will generate the appropriate workflow based on the proposed changes.

Consult the Course Proposal Walkthrough to access the workflows for specific proposal types.

Inactivating a Course

Review the Existing Course

Search for the existing course in CIM and select Inactivate.

Review how the course is currently used before proposing inactivation. Determine whether it is included in degrees or certificates, prerequisites or corequisites, GE or transfer pathways, cross-listed or parallel courses, or other curriculum.

Discuss the Inactivation

Discuss the proposed inactivation with your Department Head and department faculty. Consult affected departments when the course supports or appears in their curriculum. Consider how currently enrolled or continuing students may be affected.

Complete the CIM Proposal

Enter the Proposed End Term and provide a clear rationale explaining why the course should be inactivated. Complete the Curricular Impact Analysis to identify affected programs, courses, departments, and other curriculum relationships.

Address Curricular Impacts

Determine what changes are needed because of the inactivation. This may include removing or replacing the course in programs, revising requisites, identifying course substitutions, or coordinating changes with other departments. Document applicable consultation and upload supporting materials in CIM.

Submit to Workflow

Review the inactivation proposal and supporting documentation before submission.

When ready, select Submit. CIM will generate the appropriate workflow for review and approval.

Inactivating a course does not automatically resolve its relationships with other curriculum. Identify and address those impacts as part of the inactivation process.

What Happens After Your Submit in CIM?

Once you select Submit, CIM generates the appropriate approval workflow based on the proposal type and the information entered in the proposal.

The Proposal Enters Workflow

The proposal moves through the applicable review steps. Depending on the proposal, reviewers may include the Department Head, School Dean, Curriculum Database Specialist, curriculum subcommittees, Curriculum Committee Chair, Curriculum Committee, Academic Services, and other applicable reviewers.

Some steps are approvals, while others are used for technical review, live editing, or notification.

Technical Reviewers Evaluate the Proposal

Subcommittee and Committee technical reviewers examine the proposal for curricular quality, accuracy, completeness, alignment, regulatory requirements, and institutional impact, as applicable to their role. CIM records the proposal’s progress so faculty can see where it is in the workflow.

A Proposal May Be Rolled Back

If a reviewer identifies an issue that needs to be addressed, the proposal may be rolled back to an earlier workflow step with comments explaining the requested revisions.

A rollback is not a denial. Make the requested revisions, respond to the concern, and resubmit the proposal so it can continue through workflow.

Additional Review Occurs When Applicable

Certain proposal characteristics trigger additional review. For example, changes involving General Education, SLOs, articulation, Distance Education, or other specialized curriculum areas may be routed to the appropriate reviewers. Faculty do not need to manually determine these workflow steps; CIM routes the proposal based on the information provided.

Final Processing

After completing the applicable curriculum approvals, Academic Services and other administrative staff complete the required processing, including applicable Board, Chancellor’s Office, coding, effective-date, and curriculum-record updates.

Submission begins the review process—it does not mean the curriculum is immediately approved or available for scheduling. Monitor the proposal in CIM and respond promptly if revisions or additional information are requested.

Official approval notices from the Chancellor’s Office, which allow the college to formally offer the course, will be distributed by the Office of Academic Services.