See also UBC Curriculum Guidelines: Approval process for category 1 proposals

Curriculum changes include major changes (category 1) and minor changes (category 2):

Category 1 Changes                                         

A category 1 proposal has one or more of the following characteristics:

• creation of a new program (e.g.) or discontinuation of an existing program (e.g.);
• creation of a new course (e.g.);
• substantive change to a course or program to the extent that the nature of the course or program is significantly changed (e.g.);
• change to an existing course or program that affects faculties outside of the proposing faculty (such as a change to a service course);
• budgetary implications beyond the available resources of the proposing faculty; or changes to funding or space requirement for the course or programs;
• changes to library resource requirements for the course or program;
• category 1 in the opinion of the Senate Curriculum Committee.

In summary, Category 1 changes are any that require signoffs, consultations with other academic units (including the Library), or supporting documentation of approval for changes in budgetary or space requirements.                                         

Category 2 Changes                                         

See also UBC Curriculum Guidelines: Submission of category 2 curriculum changes

A category 2 proposal is anything else including “housekeeping” changes to courses and programs, and includes but is not limited to:

• changes in course titles to clarify subject or reflect updates in the field;
• changes to course description to clarify or reflect updates in the field;
• changes to credit value (NB: extreme changes in credit value may be classified as Category 1 because of the assumed broad change in course content);
• changes to pre/co-requisites or vectors;
• changes to Subject heading or course numbers provided that new numbers still reflect scope and depth of course; or
• deletion (or retiring) courses.