The University of Iowa General Catalog for 2020-2021 is now open for editing. The Registrar sends emails to those on the workflow path to alert users to 2020-2021 chapters that need editing and approval.

If you are planning substantial changes to any of your programs of study, please let me know immediately.

Honors in the Major
This year, we additionally ask that you carefully review your section on Honors in the Major.  Make sure that the major GPA required for Honors in the Major and all other requirements are updated and aligned with the information on your website.

Keep in mind that the College sets the required GPAs for Honors in the Major except for the major GPA which, according to CLAS policy, must be a minimum of 3.33. Departments and program may raise this minimum GPA for the major but not the other GPAs, such as the UI GPA, which are set by CLAS.

Information on CLAS Honors in the Major may be found at this page: https://clas.uiowa.edu/faculty/honors-major/honors-in-major.

All Catalog sections must include the following statement, which was added for you during a past editing process; please do not remove the statement from your catalog chapter:

University of Iowa Honors Program
In addition to honors in the major, students have opportunities for honors study and activities through membership in the University of Iowa Honors Program. Visit Honors at Iowa to learn about the University's honors program.

Membership in the UI Honors Program is not required to earn honors in the XXX major.

Questions about CLAS policy and Honors in the Major may be addressed to kathryn-hall@uiowa.edu.

Enhancing Information on Career Advancement
Please pay special attention to the Career Advancement tab and information in your Catalog chapter.  Make sure students understand the wealth of opportunities that your major provides.

• If your department offers a course related to careers in the major, please include this information.
• If you frequently have panel discussions or other activities with alumni, for example, describe these events.
• Student clubs and internship opportunities should also be mentioned.

The Catalog is read by those inside and outside of the University and this information will help to educate parents, high school counselors, staff in Admissions, and others.

Additional General Catalog Information from the Registrar
Due Date: Catalog updates must be completed by all reviewers on your workflow path by Friday, February 7, 2020. 

You will likely have more than one Catalog page to review.  Your departmental/program page as well as each major, minor, and certificate program are on separate Catalog pages.

Editing Style: Your copy will be edited to conform to the General Catalog style which is based on The Chicago Manual of Style (17^th ed.), University of Iowa style, and the Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. Please do not edit your chapter to conform to a different style-sheet; for example, do not add capitalization to majors, minors, or certificates and do not capitalize g.p.a.

Workflow Path: The Catalog users in your departmental/program workflow were updated in October.  If you need to make additional changes to those individuals on the workflow path, please contact Teresa Watson at teresa-watson@uiowa.edu.

Courses: Most of the course information in the Catalog is extracted from the course approval forms submitted through the MAUI Course Library.  If you submit course revisions or deletions, make the effective session on the forms no later than Fall 2020 if you want them to be reflected in the 2020-21 Catalog.  If you add new courses, you can make the effective session on the forms no later than Spring 2021 to be included in the Catalog. This is especially important to keep in mind if you are also updating courses required for a major, minor, or certificate.

Sample Plan of Study: Sample plans are updated in MAUI by an advisor or coordinator associated with your department/program and are not edited in the Catalog.  This process occurs after a department/program has submitted their Catalog pages to the Registrar’s Office to be the sample plan aligns with the Catalog.  You can contact the sample plan team by email at REG-Sample-Plans@uiowa.edu.

Training: If you are interested in an individual training session on how to update the Catalog at your office location, contact Teresa Watson (teresa-watson@uiowa.edu) to arrange a time.

Questions: If you have questions about course information, deadlines, or how to use the CMS, contact Jan Brunstein (335-0222 or jan-brunstein@uiowa.edu) or Teresa Watson (teresa-watson@uiowa.edu) in the Office of the Registrar. 

Thank you for your assistance to ensure that the General Catalog is a valuable resource to all users!