Lumen is a suite of tools used to propose, review, and approve academic changes at UW–Madison. It supports faculty shared governance from starting a proposal, review and approval, through implementation. It ensures data consistency across systems like the Student Information System and assessment tools.
What is Guide?
Guide is UW–Madison’s official academic catalog, listing all approved courses and programs for undergraduate, graduate, professional, and nondegree students. It’s published annually in June, with mid-cycle updates for spring and summer course data. While it looks like a website, Guide content is fixed for the academic year, based on approved proposals.
Questions? Contact: guideeditor@office365.wisc.edu.
What are the Lumen Forms?
The forms collect required information for governance review and for data transfer into other university data systems. These forms (or proposals) are the only way to create, make changes to, or discontinue content that displays in Guide, Course Search and Enroll, and any other institutional enterprise system. They also facilitate institutional policy compliance.
Questions? Contact: lumen@provost.wisc.edu.
For more details, see:
Note: Lumen Badges is managed by the Division of Continuing Studies. Contact Sarah Korpi with questions.
This is an accordion element with a series of buttons that open and close related content panels.
Who can access or approve proposals in Lumen?
Accessing Lumen
Any UW-Madison (non-student) employee can access Lumen. Employees of academic divisions in certain job groups are given access automatically. See the Lumen/Guide Access KB for details.
Approving in Lumen
Deans, department chairs and academic program directors automatically have approval access based on their appointment as entered in Workday.
Others who approve on behalf of the dean, department chair or academic program director make a request to be added to an approver role using this form.
All proposals follow a dynamic workflow that requires approval from the chair, director, or their designee and adjusts as needed for additional governance review.
When do I use Lumen?
Submitting Lumen forms is the only way to:
- create new or discontinue courses;
- change any existing course catalog information (i.e. durable content, such as description, title, catalog requisites, components, learning outcomes, etc.);
- create new or discontinue programs;
- change any existing program requirement;
- create departmental credit-by-exam, third-party transfer credit, credit by portfolio review;
- propose new, change, or discontinue academic structure changes (subjects, departments, school/college requirements);
- create or discontinue Badges.
Data populated into the forms directly feeds what shows in Guide and the Student Information System. The Lumen forms are available all year.
Why use Lumen?
Lumen promotes transparency. Anyone with access can view proposals, approval steps, and comments, ensuring consistent and informed decision-making. Each proposal travels through one review process, keeping all stakeholders aligned.
Who manages Lumen?
Lumen is jointly managed by Data, Academic Planning & Institutional Research (DAPIR) and the Office of the Registrar (RO), with support from university leadership focused on academics and the student experience. They collaborate with campus partners through Guide Coordinators and Lumenaries.