Course Challenge

The following is the University Course Challenge schedule. Please note that there are several key dates which should be taken account of when submitting new or revised courses and that the course challenge period is two weeks. View the Year at a Glance Memo for more information about key dates and deadlines.  UCC deadline and proposal questions can be directed to Seanine Warrington in Registrarial Services.

• Year at a Glance Memo
• UCC Proposal Guidelines
• UCC Proposal Example

2024-2025 Course Challenge Postings

Note: a special off cycle July 2024 posting was made and can be found on the archived Course Challenge page.

• University Course Challenge Archives

How to Challenge a proposed course or program change

• When a new University Course Challenge has been posted, an email is sent to all Deans, Associate Deans, Assistant Deans, Department Heads, and academic advisors to alert them to the Challenge post.  Anyone wishing to challenge a proposal will have approximately two weeks to do so. 
• A Challenge to a proposed course or program change may emanate from any person (faculty, student, University officer), Department, College and/or committee.
• In the case of minor program changes, lack of consultation with other affected units will be sufficient basis for initiation of a Challenge to the proposal. 
• Written or email notice of a Challenge accompanied by reasons for the Challenge will be addressed to the Governance Office with a copy to the College sponsoring the proposed change (email seanine.warrington@usask.ca AND danielle.rudulier@usask.ca) 
• The Governance Office, in consultation with the Provost, shall ascertain whether the challenge can be resolved between the parties concerned.
• If a challenge is not resolved, the Governance Office shall have the challenge placed before the Academic Programs Committee for resolution at its next scheduled meeting and shall notify the Dean of the College proposing the change and the person, unit, or committee proposing the challenge. 
• The Academic Programs Committee shall decide whether a challenge is frivolous; an appeal from such a decision shall be entertained by the University Council.

The University Course Challenge was adopted by the University of Saskatchewan in 1997 as a collegial procedure for rapid approval of many curricular changes. The procedure is managed by the Governance Office. Some colleges now also use their own challenge procedure for dealing with curricular changes at the college level. These procedures should not be confused with the University Course Challenge, which is used for final approval of the following curricular changes:

Additions or deletions

• Addition of a new course or deletion of a course (unless deleted by the Moribund Course Archive policy).
• Addition or deletion of a lesser depth of study (such as a Minor, Cross College Minor or Concentration) in a field of study still taught as a major.
• Addition or deletion of a Work Experience or Internship option.

Program changes

• Changes to the list of elective courses in a program if these changes affect the program or courses offered by another college
• Change in name for a Minor or Concentration
• Straightforward program changes.  These would include:
  - Substitution of a different course for an existing course in a program
  - Changes to a majority of courses in a program (structure, content, scheduling)
  - addition of deletion of a requirement in a program
  - Changes to the Concentrations in a program
  - Minor changes to the total number of credit units require in a program if this changes does not affect overall tuition or program length.

Course changes 

• Prerequisite or corequisite changes including adding or removing permission or restrictions on a prerequisite if the changes affect another college. 
• Determining equivalent courses and mutually exclusive courses in cases where courses are from different colleges.
• Reduction or increase of the number of credit units for a course. Note that changing the credit unit value of a course also requires that a new course number be assigned.
• Interdisciplinary use of a subject code in a course label
• Any other changes to an approved course if the changes affect the program or courses offered by another college.

• Course Challenge and Moribund Courses policy and procedures
• University Nomenclature