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CoreSpark: Quick Guide

Make curriculum management easier for everyone.

CoreSpark replaces manual forms and messy email threads with a clear, easy-to-use system built for higher ed teams.

Faculty, staff, and administrators can work together in one place to submit, review, and approve curriculum changes. No more bottlenecks!

With CoreSpark, you can track proposals, manage program updates, and stay on top of accreditation requirements—without the usual confusion. It’s curriculum management that finally makes sense.

Table of Contents

  • Overview

Overview

CoreSpark is designed to streamline your curriculum development process. It structures your workflows into clear, organized steps so you can stay on track. With CoreSpark, you can easily collect all the right data and information needed for your proposals.

Once you've gathered everything, your team can review and approve the proposals with confidence. CoreSpark provides visibility and transparency throughout the entire process, ensuring everyone is aligned and on the same page.

Whether you're creating new programs or updating existing ones, CoreSpark gives you the tools and structure to get it done efficiently. With its intuitive dashboard and workflow management features, you can keep your curriculum development projects moving forward smoothly.

Centralized Proposal Hub

Track all curriculum changes—from new course submissions to full program updates—in one organized dashboard.

Automate Approvals

Replace PDFs and emails with step-by-step workflows for submitting, reviewing, and approving proposals.

Role-Based Collaboration

Faculty, department chairs, registrars, and committees each have a clear role in the process, with smart notifications and status updates.

Reporting & Accreditation Support

Easily export data and track approval history to support audits and accreditation requirements.

Smart Forms

Built-in validations prevent duplicate entries and enforce required fields, ensuring every submission is complete, accurate, and approval-ready.

Tailored Forms

Each form is preloaded with your institution's official data, like departments, credentials, and academic levels—so you're always selecting from the right list.

Built-in Validations

Every form is purpose-built with real-time validations and required fields, so data stays clean and workflows stay on track.

Review Comments

Ask questions and get feedback from your approvers. No more guesswork, formatting errors, or broken workflows. Smart Forms help you submit proposals faster—with fewer mistakes—so your curriculum process moves forward smoothly.

Proposal Dashboard

The Proposal Dashboard offers a centralized view of all your curriculum proposals, organized by their current status in the workflow process. The Proposal Dashboard also contains a full list of all proposals, proposed programs, and proposed courses.

All Proposals

Provides a searchable, comprehensive table of all proposals in the system, with details such as proposal name, proposal type, status, last modified date, and creator. You can click on any proposal that has been Approved, Rejected, or put On Hold to open up a printable page with all proposal details, included associated courses and programs. You can also search proposals using three dropdowns: Proposal Status, Proposal Actions, and Date Range, as well as search proposals by typing into the Search All Proposals field. Use one or up to all four at once for a perfect search!

All Programs

Provides a searchable, comprehensive table of all proposed programs in the system with details such as program name, CIP code, associated proposal, creator, and creation date. You can search for proposed programs by typing into the Search All Programs field.

All Courses

Provides a searchable, comprehensive table of all proposed courses in the system with details such as course code, title, associated proposal, creator, and creation date. You can search for proposed courses by typing into the Search All Courses field.


Getting Started: 1-2-3

CoreSpark makes getting started simple with a three-step process: log in with your CoreSpark credentials, familiarize yourself with the dashboard interface, and begin creating proposals.

1

Log In

  • Use your institution email and password, or single sign-on (SSO) if enabled.
  • New users will receive a welcome email with login instructions.


2

Navigate to HOME

Familiarize yourself with the Nav Menu, which provides quick access to the Home* page, Dashboard, Courses, Programs, and other features based on your role permissions.

*Note: Make sure your role is Originating Faculty in order to access the Submitter view, otherwise you will see the Reviewer view.

3

Create Your First Proposal

Click "+New Proposal" from Home to begin building your proposal.

Creating Drafts

Start now, finish when you're ready.
Still planning things out? Enter the basics, save your draft, and pick up right where you left off.

  • Choose a proposal type and fill in key details like proposal name, department, outcomes, and supporting documents.
  • The summary of changes section will auto-fill later on based on the courses and/or programs that get added to this proposal
  • Click Create Proposal to save as a draft.
  • Edit drafts anytime, or revise returned proposals with comments.

AI Chat

Want to harness the power of AI while building your proposals?
We have a customized AI Assistant with your institution's policies and catalog in its knowledge base. No more hunting through catalogs and websites. Now you can get your answers all in one place!

Open the AI Chat

  • Access the AI Chat function from any page
  • Click on the AI Assistant located in the Nav Menu to open the AI Chat Popup




Get Answers in Seconds

  • Need to know when your proposal is due? Want to know details about programs and courses? AI Assistant can find out for you. Need inspiration? The AI Assistant can help you draft catalog descriptions, learning outcomes, rationales, and more!
  • Type out your question in the Message box and send it using the Send icon
  • A typing indicator will show up while you're waiting for your response
  • Got what you needed? Close the AI Chat by clicking outside the popup at any point. Your conversation is saved and will be waiting to continue the chat when you reopen it
  • If you want to start a new conversation, click on the New Chat icon again for a blank slate


Program Builder

Big ideas start with smart, simple steps.
Create a program that is both thoughtfully designed and built for compliance.

1. Find the Create Form

  • Navigate to the Programs page in the Nav Menu, then click the Create a New Program tab to begin
  • Start by selecting the proposal you want to add this course to from the Proposal dropdown

2. Fill In Program Details

  • We've got a built-in check to make sure you're using a brand new program name
  • Tired of looking up CIP codes? Choose a CIP code title that works for your program and we'll find the matching CIP code for you so that your program is compliance ready
  • Our File Uploader lets you attach your program in a PDF—or any other supporting documentation


3. Save Your Program

  • When you're ready, save your work by clicking the Save Proposed Program button
  • On the right side of the page, you'll find a program tracker so you have a visual representation of all the programs you've built for this proposal

*Skipped a section? Built your courses and need to make some adjustments? You can come back later and edit from the Edit a Proposed Program tab


Course Builder

Ready to build your first course?
Create something students will remember, starting with the essentials.

1. Find the Create Form

  • Navigate to the Courses page from the Nav Menu, then click the Create a New Course tab to begin
  • Start by selecting the proposal you want to add this course to from the Proposal dropdown

2. Fill In Course Details

  • Choose a department, and we’ll auto-fill the department chair using your institution’s records
  • We’ll check your course code and title to make sure they aren’t already in use at your institution
  • Already built your course in a PDF? Want to attach a syllabus or other supporting documents? Use the File Uploader to attach a file in seconds



3. Save Your Course

  • You have two save options: Save + Keep will save your course but leave the fields filled out in case you want to create a similar course. Save + Clear will save your course and clear the form for a fresh view
  • We have a course tracker on the right side of the page so you can keep track of all the courses you've built for this proposal

*Missed something? You can make edits to your course anytime before the proposal's submission

Program Requirements Builder

Done building your courses and ready to define your program requirements?
Add and remove courses with ease using our Program Requirements Builder.

1. Get Ready

  • Finalize your courses in the Course Builder
  • Navigate to the Program Requirements Builder page using the Nav Menu
  • Select the program you want to work on using the Program Name dropdown


2. Add Your Courses

Choose from existing and proposed courses to add to your program requirements list. You can find them one of two ways: Search by Department or Academic Level. You can use either one or both options as you add your courses. *Please ensure that the unused dropdown is empty while making your selection

Department

Choose from a list of all existing and proposed courses belonging to the selected department

Academic Level

Choose from a list of all existing and proposed courses belonging to the selected academic level (Undergraduate, Graduate, Professional Development, etc.)


  • Select the course you want to add from the Course dropdown. We'll auto-fill the course's title and credit minimum for you
  • Proposed Courses (created or changed) will have the creator's name next to the course code in the Course dropdown. They will also have an icon next to the course title in the list to indicate the associated course action
  • Select the Requirement Area from the Requirement Area dropdown to define the course's role in this program (Core/Nucleus, Tool, Supporting, etc.)
  • Add the course to the program requirements list by clicking the Add to List icon




3. Finalize your Program Requirements

  • Need to remove a course? Click the Trash Can icon to remove it from your program requirements list
  • No need to save your progress! Your list gets saved any time you add or remove a course
  • The program's credits that you saved in the Program Builder will remain unchanged. If our credit calculator shows a different number* than the currently saved program total, you will have the option to click the Update Program Credits button: this will overwrite the current program credit total with the calculated credit total on this page. You do not have to click this button if the original program credit total is more accurate.

*Because some courses are variable credit courses, our Program Requirements credits calculator will automatically use the Credit Minimum in the calculations for credit totals.


Degree Plan Builder

Give your students a roadmap to graduation!
Define your students' courses by year and term, up to five years.

1. Get Ready

  • We recommend building your Program Requirements first, since you'll want to make sure you include all required courses for this program in your degree plan
  • Navigate to the Degree Plan page from the Nav Menu
  • Select the program you want to work on from the Program Name dropdown



2. Add Your Courses

Choose from existing and proposed courses to add to your degree plan. You can find them one of two ways: Search by Department or Course Type . You can use either one or both options as you add your courses. *Please ensure that the unused dropdown is empty while making your selection

Department

Choose from a list of all existing and proposed courses belonging to the selected department

Course Type

Choose from a list of all existing and proposed courses belonging to the selected course type (Undergraduate, Graduate, GE, electives).

  • Select the course you want to add from the Course dropdown. We'll auto-fill the course's title and credit minimum for you
  • Proposed Courses (created or changed) will have the creator's name next to the course code in the Course dropdown. They will have an icon next to the course title in the list to indicate the associated course action
  • Select the year and term from the Year/Term dropdown to define when this course should be taken (ie. Year One: Fall)
  • Add the course to the degree plan by clicking the Add to List icon





3. Finalize your Degree Plan

  • Need to remove a course? Click the Trash Can icon to remove it from your degree plan
  • Need to finish this later? No need to save your progress! Your degree plan gets saved any time you add or remove a course

*Because some courses are variable credit courses, our Degree Plan credits calculator will automatically use the Credit Minimum in the calculations for credit totals.

Finish Your Proposal

Ready to take the final step for this proposal? You've put in the work. Now let's make it official!
We'll help you finalize your proposal for a smooth approval process.

1. Carefully Review Your Proposal

  • Navigate back to the Home page and find the proposal you want to submit. Click on the Edit icon to open the Proposal Builder
  • There are now 4 tabs in your proposal: Proposal Info, Program, Course, and Approval Process. Check every section to ensure all the information is accurate


  • Check the Proposal Info section: since you've built your programs and/or courses, you may want to update your rationale. If you make any changes to this section, be sure to click Save Proposal Info.


  • Click the Program tab to view all Programs tied to this proposal. Click on the Write icon to open up the program to view more details. This opens up three more tabs: Program Details, Program Requirements, and Degree Plan.
  • The Program Details tab has all the program information you filled out in the Program Builder page. The Program Requirements tab has all the required courses you defined in the Program Requirements Builder. The Degree Plan tab contains the course lineup you defined for graduation in the Degree Plan Builder
  • If you need to make edits, go back to the Program Builder and make your changes in the Edit tab


  • The Course tab has every course tied to this proposal. Click on the Write icon to open up the course to view course details
  • If you need to make edits, go back to the Course Builder and make your changes in the Edit tab


  • The Approval Process tab contains an Affected Departments field that our smart form auto-fills based on your programs/courses and their affected departments. However, please check for yourself and ensure that all departments that would be affected by the changes in your proposal are listed
  • Make sure that Affected Departments are saved by clicking the Update Approval Process button





2. Add Proposal Participants

Proposal Participants are the submitter, contributors, reviewers, and approvers for the proposal. Add them to the proposal to ensure all users who need to sign off on your proposal have access to it. You will assign the Workflow Steps, which indicate when a user reviews your proposal. Add multiple users in one step if your proposal should be reviewed concurrently by these users.

  • Add yourself (the submitter) to the proposal participants list. Because the proposal starts with you, the workflow step should be 0
  • Select the user from the Proposal Participant dropdown, their role in this proposal from the Role Name dropdown, the department from the Department dropdown when applicable (ie. department chairs), and type the workflow step number from the Workflow Step field
  • Click the Add User icon to add them to the list
  • Next, add the rest of the participants and their workflow steps according to your institution's policies. Remember to add the department chairs for every affected department
  • Remove users from the proposal participants list using the Remove User icon


3. Add Comments

Want to get an opinion? Need a question answered? Ask questions and get feedback from proposal participants in the comments. Every section in the proposal has its own comment thread: Proposal Info, Program, Program Requirements, Degree Plan, Course, and Approval Process. If your proposal gets sent back, find out why by checking every section for comments.

  • Navigate to the section most relevant to your question or comment, and scroll to the bottom to find the Comment Thread
  • Type out your question in the Comment box and post it by clicking the Send icon
  • Your name, current role*, and timestamp are recorded with the comment for full clarity and transparency

*Double check that your current role (located in the Nav Menu) matches the your role for this proposal


4. Submit Your Proposal

  • Once you're ready to submit, navigate to the Approval Process tab and scroll to the bottom to find the Signature box
  • Type in your signature to sign off on your proposal submission
  • Click the Submit for Review button

From here on out, your proposal's status will be "Pending Review" until its status changes as it goes through the approval process. Your proposal will not be editable unless revisions are required and it gets sent back. You'll be automatically notified every time the status changes or the proposal moves to the next workflow step.