Illinois Creates Modern, Accessible Catalog and Curriculum Workflows with CourseLeaf

From Printed Catalogs to a Modern and Accessible Curriculum Management System

As one of the nation’s premier land-grant institutions, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign serves more than 60,000 students from over 100 countries. With a global reputation for excellence in research, teaching, and public service, Illinois operates at a scale that requires precision, efficiency, and clarity in its academic systems.

But like many large universities, Illinois once relied on manual processes for academic catalog and curriculum management and publication.

“The process was not automated, and we needed the data stored in a digital manner that was not just a Word document and spreadsheets,” said Brianna Vargas-Gonzalez, Coordinator for Catalog & Course Management, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Before adopting CourseLeaf, the university’s academic catalog existed primarily as a printed publication, supported by paper-based workflows. Course and program approvals moved slowly through decentralized channels, with limited visibility into status, ownership, or accuracy.

For registrar teams, this meant time-consuming coordination and increased risk of inconsistencies. For students, it meant navigating a static catalog that was difficult to search and even harder to use.

Illinois needed more than a digital catalog. It needed a scalable, connected system that could support the complex needs of a large institution.

Building a Foundation with Academic Catalog and Curriculum Management Software

Illinois began exploring solutions as early as 2010, looking for a way to modernize both catalog management and curriculum workflows. By 2014, the university selected CourseLeaf to support its transformation.

The decision centered on the need for robust workflow automation, distributed governance, and seamless SIS integration with Banner.

“We were really interested in accessing the workflow features, including the ability to assign access to users across campus and the functionality to accommodate multiple levels of review,” said Vargas-Gonzalez.

With CourseLeaf, Illinois implemented both academic catalog software and curriculum management software in a unified ecosystem. This allowed the university to connect course and program proposals directly to catalog publication, creating a more cohesive and controlled process from start to finish.

Replacing Manual Processes with Transparent, Workflow-Driven Operations

One of the most immediate impacts of CourseLeaf was the shift from manual, paper-based processes to fully automated workflows.

Previously, tracking the status of a course or program proposal required back-and-forth communication across departments. Now, proposals move through clearly defined approval paths, with visibility at every stage.

“Having an electronic workflow has been helpful in moving items along and for transparency so users are able to know where in the process their proposals are at,” said Brianna Vargas-Gonzalez

This transparency has fundamentally changed how work gets done across campus. Registrar teams can monitor progress in real time, while departments have a clearer understanding of their role in the process.

Faculty and staff are also more engaged, with the ability to edit and review catalog content and see exactly how updates will appear before publication. This has improved both accuracy and accountability across the institution.

Creating a Better Experience for Students

While workflow transformation was critical for staff, improving the student experience was just as important.

Moving to a dynamic, online academic catalog has made it significantly easier for students to find and understand program requirements.

“Students can now easily access archived catalogs that may still contain their specific program of study. From the same site, they can access the latest programs that were not available when they first began studying at Illinois,” said Vargas-Gonzalez.

Instead of navigating lengthy printed documents or static files, students can now search for courses and programs, compare options, and quickly locate the information they need.

This accessibility is especially valuable for students following older degree requirements, as well as those exploring new academic opportunities.

Advancing Accessibility at Scale

As Illinois modernized its catalog, accessibility became a central priority. The university recognized that a truly effective academic catalog must serve all users, including those who rely on assistive technologies.

CourseLeaf played a key role in helping Illinois address longstanding accessibility challenges, particularly with complex academic structures like sample sequence tables.

“CourseLeaf has been a great partner in helping us get our 10+ year old catalog into better shape for web accessibility,” said Vargas-Gonzalez.

Together, the teams have worked to redesign these elements so they are fully compatible with screen readers and easier to interpret across devices. Standardized layouts and structured headings have further improved usability, while built-in checks help identify and correct accessibility issues before publication.

These improvements support both compliance efforts and a broader commitment to ensuring all students can access academic information.

Supporting Growth Through Smarter Systems

With CourseLeaf in place, Illinois has created a more agile and scalable approach to managing its academic offerings.

By connecting curriculum management software with academic catalog software, the university ensures that changes are accurately reflected across systems. SIS integration with Banner further strengthens this alignment, reducing duplication and improving data integrity.

The result is a more responsive academic environment, one where new programs and courses can be introduced efficiently without sacrificing oversight.

This means less manual work for registrar teams, greater clarity for departments, and a more intuitive, dependable catalog experience for students.

A Long-Term Partnership for Continuous Improvement

More than a decade into its partnership with CourseLeaf, Illinois continues to refine and enhance its catalog and curriculum workflows.

What began as a move away from printed catalogs has evolved into a connected, campus-wide academic operations system that supports the full lifecycle of course and program management.

The collaboration is ongoing, particularly in addressing complex academic structures and improving accessibility for all users.

“We are proud of the work we are doing together to address and fix the more complex accessibility barriers that occur in the academic space,” said Brianna Vargas-Gonzalez.

As Illinois looks ahead, its focus remains on delivering clear, accessible, and accurate academic information while continuing to strengthen the systems that support students, faculty, and staff.