Curricular change

Changes in university curricula may be initiated by the department, the Faculty Senate, the deans, or directors, and they require official approval. Curricular changes may not be listed in the catalogue until approved.

Faculty involvement in proposed changes in the undergraduate curricula is accomplished through the following committee structure:

• Curriculum committees within the College of Arts and Sciences, the Cameron School of Business Administration, the Donald R. Watson School of Education, and the School of Nursing review all proposed curricular changes within their respective college and schools and make recommendations to the respective deans.
• The University Curriculum Committee, a committee of the Faculty Senate, reviews all curricular matters concerning the establishment, dissolution, division, or consolidation of academic departments or other degree-granting entities; the establishment or dissolution of academic degrees, including majors, minors, and certificate programs; the revision of academic degrees when these revisions directly affect any academic unit outside of the revising department’s school or college; policies for maximum and minimum hours required for majors, minors, and certificates; total number of hours required for graduation; basic studies requirements; university-wide competency requirements; course prefixes; any curricular conflicts between schools and/or colleges; and other general curricular policies which have total university impact. The committee shall submit all such proposals, along with the committee’s recommendations, to the Senate for consideration.

Recommendations of college and school curriculum committees are first submitted to the appropriate dean for approval. Approved recommendations regarding individual courses and all other curricular matters not subject to review by the University Curriculum Committee are submitted directly to the chief academic officer for official approval.

Recommendations of college and school curriculum committees involving matters subject to review by the University Curriculum Committee are submitted to that committee upon approval by the dean. However, the college or school may submit proposals to the University Curriculum Committee prior to the completion of its review process if simultaneous consideration is necessary to meet a deadline, such as for the publication of the following year's catalogue. Recommendations of the University Curriculum Committee are first submitted to the Faculty Senate and, if approved, are submitted to the chief academic officer for official approval.

Forms for proposing new courses or for changing or deleting existing courses are available from the department chairperson, the chairperson of the appropriate college or school curriculum committee, and online. Forms for proposing changes in existing basic studies courses, for proposing additions (or deletions) of existing courses to (from) basic studies, and for proposing the designation of an existing course as meeting the oral or computer-competency requirements are available from the department chairperson or from the chairperson of the University Curriculum Committee.

Proposals may be submitted at any time, but faculty should keep the following in mind:

• The normal deadline for submissions to Academic Affairs for the catalogue is November 1 each year. Proposals submitted in the spring of the year have a high assurance of making the November catalogue deadline, if approved. Courses submitted in the fall close to the deadline are unlikely to pass through the review and approval process in time to meet the November 1 deadline for the following year's catalogue.
• Proposals are reviewed by the college and school curriculum committees before going to the appropriate dean for approval.
• Proposals regarding majors, minors, and certificate programs additionally involve review by the University Curriculum Committee and approval by the Faculty Senate.
• Proposals for changes in courses that are already approved for basic studies require approval by the college and school curriculum committees and their deans before they can be considered by the University Curriculum Committee and the Senate.
• Proposals to designate existing courses as basic studies courses are accepted by the University Curriculum Committee only in odd-even academic years (e.g., 2001-02, 2003-04).
• Proposals to plan new undergraduate degree programs must be reviewed by the appropriate college or school curriculum committee, the University Curriculum Committee, the Faculty Senate, and the chief academic officer before notice of intent to plan can be submitted to the Office of the President.

The Graduate Council initiates, reviews, and makes recommendations concerning graduate education and reviews and makes recommendations on all curriculum requests at the graduate level. Changes in the graduate curricula that originate in the departments require approval by the Graduate Council. The Graduate Council also reviews and makes recommendations on all proposals for new degree programs or program tracks at the graduate level.

See also trial courses.