From TOP to CIP: Supporting Colleges Through Implementation
As California Community Colleges transition from the Taxonomy of Programs (TOP) to the nationally recognized Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP), the shift marks an important step toward stronger alignment with federal reporting standards, improved transfer clarity with California State University (CSU) and University of California (UC) partners, and a more consistent instructional coding structure across the system.
As implementation continues, the CCC Technology Center is focused on providing practical flexibility within statewide systems to support colleges in completing this work.
A key recent update within the Chancellor’s Office Curriculum Inventory (COCI) allows colleges to add CIP codes directly into a newly available field without triggering additional curriculum updates or requiring completion of Common Course Numbering (CCN) data elements. Introduced with the COCI 4.4.2 release, this functionality creates an important opportunity for colleges to make progress on CIP coding without introducing additional process strain.
By separating CIP entry from other system requirements, colleges can prioritize required coding work now while planning for broader curriculum updates on a timeline that aligns with local capacity.
COCI has also been enhanced to make CIP fields searchable and reportable, enabling colleges to more easily track progress and identify outstanding work across their course inventory.
At the same time, the TOP-to-CIP crosswalk continues to evolve. Colleges are encouraged to reach out to the Chancellor’s Office if they encounter issues as they work through course-level decisions, supporting ongoing refinement to better align with the needs of the field.
To further support colleges, the Technology Center and Chancellor’s Office are offering regular drop-in support sessions twice weekly. These informal, 30-minute sessions provide an opportunity to ask questions, hear how peers are approaching the work, and share challenges and solutions in real time. Details and access are available through the COCI dashboard (Note: login is required).
This work remains complex, but meaningful progress is happening across the system. Through continued collaboration, shared learning, and ongoing system improvements, California Community Colleges are building a stronger, more aligned foundation that will support students, institutions, and partners in the years ahead.
As colleges transition from TOP to CIP, new COCI enhancements introduce greater flexibility to advance this work with less process burden. Learn how these updates are supporting systemwide progress and alignment.