Change Log

What is a Change Log?

A change log is a tool used to document updates, adjustments, or modifications to projects, policies, or processes. While its roots are in software development—where it tracks updates to code or applications—it can be easily adapted to higher education to improve organization, accountability, and communication.

At its core, a change log answers three key questions:

  1. What change was made?
  2. Why was the change made?
  3. When did the change occur, and who approved it?

For example, imagine you’re leading a team tasked with revising a university policy on faculty workload. A change log could document every update made to the policy draft, why the change was made (e.g., aligning with accreditation standards), and who approved it (e.g., the Faculty Senate). This level of transparency ensures everyone involved stays informed and reduces confusion.

Another example might be updating a general education curriculum. A change log could track which courses were added or removed, the rationale for these decisions, and feedback received during implementation.

What are the benefits of a Change Log?

While a change log may seem like an extra step, its benefits can be far-reaching, especially if you have transitions of leadership or many complex projects that you are involved with. Here are some of the benefits of keeping a change log for your projects and initiatives:

  • Improved Communication: A consistently documented change log ensures that all stakeholders are aware of what changes were made and why, reducing redundant questions or assumptions.
  • Enhanced Accountability: The change log provides a clear record of decisions, making it easier to trace the reasoning behind updates.
  • Institutional Memory: A change log can create a historical record of changes that can inform future updates, which can be particularly useful for leadership transitions.

Where might you see a Change Log in higher education?

A change log can be a valuable tool in many academic and administrative contexts, such as:

  • Policy updates, including tracking revisions to faculty handbooks, grading policies, or institutional governance documents.
  • Curriculum changes, including documenting updates to course offerings, degree requirements, or accreditation standards.
  • Initiative adjustments, including recording changes made to initiatives such as strategic planning goals, recruitment efforts, or campus-wide events.

For example, when revising an academic integrity policy, a change log could capture input from stakeholders, major changes made during review cycles, and the final approvals, ensuring a detailed record for future reference.

A step-by-step guide to using a Change Log

  1. Identify the scope of the change log by first deciding what types of changes need to be tracked. You might start with projects or processes where changes have a significant impact, like policy revisions or strategic initiatives.
  2. Choose a format or a platform that fits the project or initiative workflow. Depending on how many people are involved, this might be a shared spreadsheet, a project management tool (like Asana or Trello), or even a simple document that is stored in a location that can be easily accessed by the relevant people.
  3. Establish what you want to track on the change log and make sure that others are familiar with the protocol to keep everything consistent. You might include fields such as: date of the change, description of the change, reason for the change, stakeholders or approvers, and supporting documentation (if applicable).
  4. Document changes regularly by incorporating updating the change log into you or your team’s standard workflow. To ensure that you are keeping on top of the documentation, you’ll probably want to assign a specific person or role to maintain the change log.
  5. Share and review the change log so that you can ensure alignment and transparency. If a project or initiative closes, you can also archive the change log so that people in the future can refer back if they need to be reminded of a rationale for a change.
  6. Finally, leverage insights by using the log as a resource for future projects or audits. Change logs are meant to help streamline similar processes, so making the log easy to find, access, and review will be important.

Reflective questions

  • How do you currently keep track of updates to policies or initiatives in your work?
  • What challenges have you faced when managing or communicating changes?
  • Where in your workflows could a change log help improve transparency and efficiency?
  • What’s one ongoing project where you could start using a change log today?
  • How might a change log help build institutional memory within your team or department?

Keep exploring the A to Z guide