1. Office of the Dean
  2. Faculty and Staff Resources
  3. Committee on Curricula & Courses
  4. Navigating the CAR Form

Navigating the CAR Form

Getting Started 

Beginning a CAR: To submit a course action request (CAR) for an undergraduate or graduate course (to add, revise, or delete a course), see the Course Action Request Form and log in with your university credentials. To begin a new CAR (Course Action Request), select “Course Action Request Form.” To track a previously submitted CAR, or the draft of a CAR in progress, select “Track your proposals.”

Creating a CAR: While creating a new CAR, you will be prompted to enter information through a series of tabs. As you enter your course information, you may move back and forth between the tabs, and the information will be retained automatically.

Saving a CAR: Before you complete your work however, whether you are finished or expect to return later, select “Save Changes” at the bottom of the page to save your progress. At this point, the system will save your work, but will push you out of the CAR form you were viewing. To return to your CAR, if necessary, you will need to navigate back to it via the “Track your proposals” menu.

E-Mailing a CAR: The CAR system allows you to e-mail the CAR form (for example, if you want to gather feedback from colleagues before submitting it). To do this, enter any number of email address to the box at the bottom of the Comments/Approval page of the CAR form (Email CAR Request Details). 

 

Navigating the CAR Form: Helpful Advice 

This section will guide you through each section (i.e., tab) of the CAR form.

“Course Info” Tab

  • Is this a UNIV or INDT course? In the SFA, courses are generally “Neither.”
  • Course Subject Area In the SFA, ART, ARTH, DMD, DRAM, MUSI are most common.
  • Other Subject Areas
  • Course Number
  • Your Department C&C Committee can advise on an appropriate number, if you are proposing a new course.

Registrar Course Numbers

“Course Features” Tab

“Course Restrictions” Tab

  • Is Consent Required? You can select “No consent required” and still restrict the course to certain groups (i.e., “majors”, or “juniors and above”). Selecting “No consent required” will limit the amount of permission numbers that have to be distributed. 

“Grading” Tab

  • Is this course repeatable for credit? Is it repeatable only with a change in topic? If the proposed course is to be repeatable in any way, select “yes” for “Is it repeatable only with a change of topic?” Specify your rules of repeatability in the proposed catalog copy within the “Course Details” tab. (e.g. “course may be repeated”, or “course may be repeated with a change of topic”, or “course may be repeated up to 6 credits”).

“Special Instructional Features” Tab

  • Do you anticipate this course will be offered at all campuses? For most of our classes the answer is “no” and a common explanation is that the SFA major in question (e.g., Music, Art) is located on the Storrs campus only.

“Course Details” Tab

To gather the most accurate existing Catalog Copy of an existing course or degree program, the Registrar’s Office recommends referring to the Undergraduate Catalog Proof Files or Graduate Catalog Proof Files. Scroll down to locate our Majors, Minors, Academic Programs or Courses.

According to Senate guidelines, Catalog Copy should include

  • course number and skill code designation;
  • course title;
  • reference to prior course(s) and/or cross listing with other courses;
  • semester and years (if alternate-year course) in which the course is offered;
  • credits earned upon satisfactory completion;
  •  instructional pattern (i.e., method of delivery, such as lecture, discussion, lab);
  • restrictions for registration in the course
  •  prerequisites, suggested preparation, recommended preparation or consent;
  • credit restrictions;
  • enrollment restrictions (i.e., state specifically who may or may not enroll)
  • instructor(s) of the course;
  • course description;
  • content area

 

Formatting Examples (for use under “Course Details” Tab)

These are examples of Catalog copy for SFA courses:

Bare Formatting (Example) 

      1. Introduction to Course Action Requests. 

Three credits. Prerequisite: UCONN 1234. 3 studio hours per week. Open to juniors and above; open to others by instructor consent. 

Introduction to the methods and philosophies of writing course action requests. 

Catalog Copy (Examples)

      1. Introduction to World Puppetry

Three credits. 

Introduction to the global culture of puppetry, from Punch and Judy and Javanese shadow theater to robots, sports mascots, and Burning Man. Puppet performances in terms of their combination of visual art, performance, text, and music; social, political, and religious contexts of puppet performances. CA 1. CA 4-INT.

      1. Script Analysis

Three credits. Three class hours per week. Prerequisite: Open only with instructor consent. Introducing the basic script-analysis skills necessary for theatre practitioners; exploring texts from a production, rather than a literary, viewpoint. Through reading, discussion, exercises, and group projects students examine the ways that playwrights convey information.

      1. The Holocaust in Print, Theater, and Film

(Also offered as HEJS 2203 and HRTS 2203.) Three credits.

Representations of the Holocaust, including first-hand accounts and documentaries; artistic choices in genre, structure, imagery, point of view, and the limits of representation. CA 1. CA 4-INT.

      1. Dramaturgy Seminar

One to three credits. Prerequisite: Instructor consent required. Recommended preparation: DRAM 2141 and 3142. May be repeated for a maximum of 15 credits.

Practical work in dramaturgy. Students enrolled in the course have been assigned as dramaturgy for Connecticut Repertory Theatre productions or are undertaking alternative dramaturgical assignments such as performance curation or audience outreach projects.

Reason for the course action (under “Course Details” Tab)

The “info” button is helpful here. 1000-2000 level courses and Gen Ed courses will be reviewed by the Faculty Senate. Your rationale needs to be aimed at a non-specialist audience.

    • Specify effect on other departments (under “Course Details” Tab)
      Most SFA courses are truly unique to us and there is no overlap or impact on other departments, however some courses may have overlap (e.g., courses on business, communication, digital art). If you think overlap might be a relevant issue, please speak directly to both the chair of your C&C Committee and the Department Head before submitting the proposal to ensure that necessary dialogues are initiated.
    • Please provide a brief description of course goals and learning objectives ( under “Course Details” Tab)
      Provide a short, comprehensive statement (e.g., two or three main goals).
    • Describe course assessments (under “Course Details” Tab)
      Detail the type and frequency of assignments, as well as how the methods of assessment are aligned with the learning goals.

 

“Comments/Approvals” Tab 

  • This portion of the CAR requires a comment, even with your initial submission. Please say something like, “Submitting CAR for review.” 
  • When you select “submit”, the CAR will be automatically routed first to the Departmental C&C Committee Representative on the SFA Committee, who share the CAR with additional Department C&C Committee Members. 
  •  If you would like the CAR to go to anyone else at this time, enter their e-mail at the bottom of the page (“E-mail CAR request details”). 
  • Once you’ve submitted the CAR you will not be able to edit/update unless the CAR is routed back to you by the Department SFA C&C Committee Representatives. Contact them, if you need to edit the CAR before committee review.