Document Tricks for Easy Syllabus Revision/Changes?

Wondering if any document wizards around here can help me streamline my biannual syllabus update process.

I teach a couple of different college photography courses. Every semester the class dates change quite predictably. And content shared by different classes (local film lab hours, camera store phone #s, equipment model numbers, etc.) needs the same update across two documents. In ten years of teaching I have always done it manually. Write. Cut. Paste. Save-as...

For just as many years I've assumed that there MUST be a better way. I've just never gotten around to finding it. So with every new semester, with every change I go back to Write. Cut. Paste. Save-as...

Two questions:
1. Is there some way of using Word, Excel, Pages, whatever to import the new dates (for every Monday in the fall let's say) into a table or spreadsheet column? (I use Word 2004 for Mac currently but am ready for a change.)
2. Is there a way to link certain pages, paragraphs or bullet-point items across two unique documents? So if I change a school policy or tripod model in one class's syllabus it automatically revises the other?

Seems like this is the kind of stuff computers were invented to save us from, but I've not yet realized that dream. Look forward to your suggestions...