Applies to:	Original Policy Date:	Date of Last Review:	Approved by:
Faculty, staff and students	May 2022	May 2022	Dr. Marco Carvalho, Executive Vice President and Provost

Policy Owner: Office of the Registrar

Policy Purpose

An institution is obligated to provide to its students, constituents, and the public information about itself that is complete, accurate, timely, accessible, clear, and sufficient. The University Catalog describes Florida Tech consistent with its mission statement and sets forth the obligations and responsibilities of both students and the institution. As it contains essential information regarding curricula, educational plans, offerings, requirements, and academic policies, it is critical that it accurately represent the programs and services of the institution. This policy outlines processes, timeline, and authority for publishing, maintaining, and archiving the annual University Catalog. 

Policy Scope

This policy applies to the content of the University Catalog and establishes the process for regular review, update, approval, publishing, maintenance, and archiving of the catalog.

Policy Statement

The University Catalog is the authoritative source for information about Florida Tech’s academic programs and policies. To ensure that this information is complete, accurate, clear, and sufficient and is accessible to students, constituents, and the public for the academic year at hand and in the future, catalog content is required to be reviewed, updated, approved, published, maintained, and archived in accordance with policy procedures and guidelines.

Procedures/Guidelines

The catalog for the upcoming academic year is published prior to the Spring commencement of the preceding academic year. The deadline to submit requests for additions or changes to the catalog is set annually by the Registrar. The catalog is approved by the Office of the Provost prior to publication.

The creation, elimination, or other modification of programs, courses, or degree requirements, or any other curricular changes approved through the established processes of the university curriculum committees prior to February will be included in the catalog for the upcoming academic year, provided any requirements under the Substantive Change Policy have been met. 

New courses may be offered once they have been published in the catalog. Course restrictions and prerequisites are enforced as published in the catalog. 

Additions or modification to other information in the catalog are subject to the approval of the Provost and may be requested at any time during the year. If submitted and approved prior to the Registrar’s deadline for publication, these will be incorporated to the catalog for the upcoming academic year.

Changes to the catalog are not permitted after the publication date, with the following exceptions:

• Correction of an obvious typographical error or error in graphics
• With approval of the Provost:
• Correction of an error, confirmed by documented approvals
• Change to department structure or faculty
• In exceptional circumstances and at the direct request of the Provost:
• Change to courses, degrees, or policy requirements
• Addition of a new program
• At the request of the Provost, changes required by law, regulation, or accreditation requirements

Faculty wishing to offer a new course between catalog cycles are encouraged to teach the subject matter under a Special Topics placeholder course until the new course is published in the next catalog. 

Interim program adjustments may be handled by moving an affected student’s catalog year to the newer curriculum in the upcoming catalog per the Catalog Year Policy or by submitting course substitutions on the student’s behalf under the current catalog. 

Each academic year’s catalog is archived when the next year’s catalog is published. The catalog archive is available via the University Catalog home page. Requests for catalogs that predate those available in the online archive may be sent to catalog@fit.edu. Additionally, hard copies of all university catalogs are included in the university archive in the library.

Compliance Reference

SACSCOC Standards 9.7, 10.1-10.5.

Responsibilities

The Registrar is responsible for publishing, maintaining, and archiving the catalog; coordinating regular review and update of the catalog; setting the annual deadline for catalog changes and updates, seeking the Provost’s approval as required, and ensuring that approved additions or other modifications are made. 

The Provost is responsible for approving catalog content in accordance with university processes and SACSCOC standards. 

Department Heads are responsible to ensure information in the catalog about their department and its programs is correct, current, and reviewed by the department at least annually, and to submit requests for any corrections or edits to the Registrar prior to the publication deadline. 

The Office of Creative Services is responsible for cover art and for photographs, maps, and videos included in the catalog and for obtaining the approval of the Provost or President for these elements.

Enforcement

Failure to abide by this policy may result in delay of publishing or incorporation of requested changes to the academic catalog, thereby delaying the implementation of those changes. 

Employees who make alterations to the catalog outside of this process may be subject to disciplinary action.