Policy for Re-using Course Numbers
Policy Number: Not assigned a number.
Effective Date: N.D.
Policy Title: Policy for Re-using Course Numbers
Contact: Office of Academic Programs
Policy Statement: The University requires that units not re-use course numbers for a period of six years.
Reason for Policy: If a new course request is submitted with a course number that has been recently used for a different course, this causes confusion for students, staff, and faculty. With regards to the Degree Audit Report System and the Course Request System, this new policy facilitates the automation process with minimal manual adjustment required in these campus systems.
Restrictions on reusing course numbers is a practice followed by many universities in an effort to avoid the confusion that results in assigning the same course number in a short period of time. The six-year limit was decided for UIC because it coincides with the average time spent by undergraduate students in completing the baccalaureate degree.
Procedures Heading link
The six-year timeframe begins with the first term the course number is no longer listed in the catalog.
This policy may affect units that have limited unused numbers available. This problem may be solved by creating additional rubrics for different areas of study (e.g., ELit for literature courses in the Department of English).
A course that has been dropped and is being reinstated with essentially the same content and format would not fall under this policy. In such cases as these, the same course number could be reused.