On Monday, March 31, the Undergraduate Bulletin webpage was revamped into an Undergraduate Catalog, which centralizes program requirements, course descriptions and Stony Brook University policies and regulations for students.
The new site has a new interface where students can view general information about the University, such as financial aid, tuition costs and the academic calendar. An advanced search tool is also included where students can search for information about different programs and courses.
In an email to the University community, the Office of the Registrar explained the transition and its benefits.
“With enhanced navigation, advanced search capabilities and a modern design, the new catalogs offer an improved experience for students, faculty, and staff alike,” the Office of the Registrar wrote.
Deputy Registrar Michael Mooney further elaborated on the development of the new catalog.
“Our [Undergraduate] Bulletin was beginning to show its age. It was not mobile friendly, had multiple compliance issues and did not integrate with other systems on campus,” Mooney said. “The new catalog was a team effort from all corners of the University, starting in spring 2024. We sent out a request for proposals to several vendors, and after careful review, we chose Modern Campus Catalog as our platform.”
This software is also in use at several other SUNY institutions, according to Mooney.
He went on to explain that, during the transition, the team updated content, ensured the accuracy of course and program details and eliminated inactive courses and outdated program fees.
The change was implemented right before courses were unveiled for the fall 2025 semester and the summer 2025 term on Tuesday, April 1, inhibiting some students from effectively preparing their schedules before their registration date.
Daniel McKenna, a sophomore majoring in history, expressed his frustration with the new changes.
“I just thought it was really ugly and out of date, it’s like going from shopping at Stop & Shop to shopping at Dollar Tree,” McKenna said. “It makes [registration] more complicated and difficult [though] I think they did it on purpose to mess with us because Stony Brook sometimes just wants to give us issues. They should just completely go back to the old one.”
Mooney explained the timing of the update and reaffirmed the Office of the Registrar’s commitment to addressing student feedback.
“The University traditionally publishes the catalog, formerly known as the bulletin, at least a week before advanced registration begins,” Mooney said. “This timing ensures that any changes to degree programs, courses or other important details for the upcoming semester are shared with the campus community in time for registration.”
Erion Bllaca, a freshman majoring in political science, shared his support for the transition.
“My initial impression of the new academic catalog was very positive. It felt like a much-needed upgrade; modern, clean and far more user-friendly than the previous version,” Bllaca said. “The previous version felt outdated, both in design and functionality. In contrast, the new catalog is well-organized and visually appealing, which makes navigating it a much more pleasant experience.”
Despite Bllaca’s positive feelings, he still experienced minor issues with the new update.
“There was a small learning curve at first simply because the layout is different, but once I got used to it, it’s been smooth sailing,” Bllaca said.
Christopher Pacia, a graduate student in the Department of History, explained his issues with the new catalog.
“It’s confusing to navigate, I’d gotten used to the old one throughout my years,” Pacia explained. “The main page wasn’t as organized as the old one, [the search tool] generated a lot of random stuff, since when I typed in ‘history,’ anything that included the word ‘history’ popped up so I had to scroll all the way down to when it finally lists the major and then I was able to find the history major.”
Pacia also made suggestions the University could take to improve the webpage.
“I feel like [the University] could have rolled it out earlier to give people more time to get familiar with it … [At least now] they should put the majors first instead of all the individual classes that include one tag.”
Mooney delineated the University’s plan to further update the catalog with more advanced features to address some of the feedback.
“The Office of the Registrar is actively collecting feedback from students, faculty and advisors to identify any issues and make improvements,” Mooney said. “We see the initial launch as just Phase I of a larger plan. In Phase II, we’ll focus on improving how sample course sequences are presented and how policies and procedures are organized. Phase III will see us exploring other enhancements, like adding a syllabus tool so students can look up courses and view syllabi, and integrating Degree Works and Schedule Builder for a more seamless academic planning experience.”
