I know how you all love acronyms, so I thought I'd talk about one of the latest ones... CMIS is the 'Curriculum Management Information System' - an IT system which has now been implemented across the university (piloted by Engineering & Design). It manages unit descriptions, programme descriptions and programme specifications and enables academic staff to request a change to any of these. It replaces the previous word doc QA3&4 forms which could be tricky to manage as you were not always confident you had the latest version- CMIS provides a "single source of truth" and transparency of process.
CMIS dashboard
Here are some of my top tips to help get you started from a users point of view. There are of course full instructions but sometimes a friendly nudge in the right direction can help.
Where do I start?
The Common Requests Guide which features on the dashboard is really helpful to new users or those who use the system infrequently. It provides a brief instruction on the steps you need to take to achieve your outcome.
When can I make changes?
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Some changes have to be made at a specific point in the year so that the correct committees have time for the full approval process which is dependant on the level of change. In the help section of CMIS click on the icon pictured left for these timings. |
Is it a minor, intermediate or major change?
| Different types of changes are considered at different 'levels' of change, which is linked to how much overall effect it will have to the programme or to students taking the programme. By clicking the image on the right, you can view a clear description of what constitutes each level. I've found this really useful to refer back to. |  |
Making sure your request has been seen!
Once you've finished making changes, don't forget to submit them to the committee! The secretary and chair won't realise you want to make your changes until you've done that. 
