AA/PPS 02.01.40 - Curriculum Committees

POLICY STATEMENT

Texas State University is committed to promoting proper processes for developing academic courses, academic programs, academic administrative units, and academic certificates.

1. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

   1. The University Curriculum Committee (UCC), college curriculum committees (CCC), and all departmental/school curriculum committees are committed to maintaining a well-designed, effective process for developing:

      1. academic courses, as outlined in AA/PPS No. 02.01.01, Academic Credit Courses: Additions, Changes, and Deletions;

      2. academic programs, as outlined in AA/PPS No. 02.01.10, Academic Programs: Additions, Changes, and Deletions;

      3. academic administrative units, as outlined in AA/PPS No. 01.02.01, Academic Administrative Units; and

      4. academic certificates, as outlined in AA/PPS No. 02.01.11, Academic Certificates.

      These committees serve as the faculty review portion of curricular development at Texas State University. This Academic Affairs policy and procedure statement (AA/PPS) summarizes the membership of these committees and the procedures involved in curricular proposals.

   2. The UCC is charged by the Faculty Senate to “receive and evaluate all curricular requests, including program and course changes, and also new degree program and course proposals” (see Roster of Councils, Committees, and Teams). This charge includes the review of:

      1. all academic program proposals including certificates, majors, and minors;

      2. all academic administrative unit proposals such as departments, schools or colleges that include curricular changes;

      3. proposals for added and deleted courses; and

      4. proposed changes to courses affecting more than one college.

      As directed by the Faculty Senate, the UCC will focus on issues such as the state’s plan for higher education in Texas and the alignment of each new degree program with the university’s strategic plan goals and initiatives, quality, job market need, budget, effects on programs in other colleges, and accuracy and duplication of existing course content.

   3. Using guidelines provided by the UCC and the college faculty, the appropriate CCC will review all academic program proposals and course proposals. The CCC will evaluate proposals for adding, changing, and deleting courses by considering the proposal’s completeness, format, and clarity; accuracy of any prerequisites, co-requisites or restrictions; measurable learning outcomes; justifications; and effects on other courses within the originating college.

      Program proposals will be evaluated on the basis of alignment with college strategic plans and the university’s strategic plan goals and initiatives, quality, job market need, budget, effect on programs in other departments or schools within the college, justifications, curriculum, marketable skills, accuracy, and duplication of existing course content. Because the members of the CCC represent every department and school within the college, the CCC members should be fully informed of all college curriculum proposals and that the CCC proposal review is vital to the curriculum process.

2. MEMBERSHIP

   1. The UCC is formed in June by the Faculty Senate, with two tenured or non-tenure line (full-time), faculty members appointed from the colleges of Applied Arts, Business Administration, Education, Fine Arts and Communication, Health Professions, Liberal Arts, and Science and Engineering; a librarian or curator from the University Libraries; one undergraduate student appointed by the Student Government; and one graduate student appointed by the Graduate House as voting members. The chair and vice chair of the UCC are appointed by the Faculty Senate. Additionally, the associate vice president for Institutional Effectiveness, the university registrar, the Collection Development librarian, and the assistant vice president for Curriculum and Academic Programs serve as ex-officio, non-voting members. UCC faculty members must hold full-time teaching positions and will serve three-year renewable terms. Faculty on the UCC serve concurrently on their CCC, and act as consultants between the two committees.

   2. Each CCC is elected from tenured or non-tenure line (full-time), faculty members from the departments and schools every fall semester and must include the two college representatives serving on the UCC (see Section 02.01). Additionally, department and school representatives are elected annually by the faculty in each department or school to serve on the CCC, typically at their first fall meeting and by no later than September 15 each year. The elected CCC members and the two college representatives serving on the UCC are voting members of the CCC. In a few cases, representatives from the department or school may be appointed to the CCC as deemed necessary by the chair and dean, and these appointments are not voting members of the CCC. Academic centers or institutes that develop curricula and are housed within departments or schools will be represented by faculty in that department or school. The chair of each CCC is elected annually by the voting members of the CCC.

   3. Each departmental/school curriculum committee is elected from tenured or non-tenure line (full-time), faculty members within the departments/schools every fall semester. The elected departmental/school curriculum committee members are voting members on the departmental/school curriculum committee for the respective academic unit. The chair of each departmental/school curriculum committee is elected annually by the voting members of the departmental/school curriculum committee.

3. PROCEDURES FOR REVIEWING, EVALUATING, APPROVING, CHANGING, OR DENYING ADDITIONS OR DELETIONS OF PROPOSALS

   1. The UCC meets as needed to review, evaluate, approve, change, or deny all curricular proposals for adding and deleting courses and for changes to courses affecting more than one college. Ordinarily, deliberations focus on issues such as the need for the new course; the accuracy of prerequisites, restrictions, and co-requisites for courses outside the originating college; possible duplication of existing course content; and learning outcomes. The UCC also reviews all new and deleted academic program proposals for majors and minors, change proposals that include name changes for majors and minors, and academic administrative proposals that include curricular changes. Proposals that do not follow required formats are returned to the originating college. The UCC regularly reviews and proposes modifications to the formats and evaluative procedures of relevant policies and procedures based on recommendations from its members, members of a CCC, or others representing pertinent academic or administrative units. Routing and approval details are provided in the AA/PPSs listed in Section 01.01.

   2. Each CCC meets as needed to review, evaluate, approve, change, or deny proposals for added, changed, or deleted courses by considering issues such as a proposal’s completeness, format, clarity, accuracy, learning outcomes, and effect on courses within the originating college. Each CCC also reviews all academic program proposals. Each CCC will submit final actions to the college deans for processing, as specified in the relevant AA/PPSs listed in Section 01.01. In general, the CCC functions as a point of contact for faculty in the departments, schools, and programs and provides guidance and advice on curricular issues to all faculty within the college.

   3. Each departmental and school curriculum committee meets as needed to review, evaluate, approve, change, or deny proposals for added, changed, or deleted courses by considering issues such as a proposal’s completeness, format, clarity, accuracy, learning outcomes, and effect on courses within the originating academic unit. Each departmental/school curriculum committee also reviews all academic program proposals. In general, the departmental and school curriculum committee functions as a point of contact for faculty in the department/school and provides guidance and advice on curricular issues to the faculty within the department/school.

4. REVIEWERS OF THIS PPS

   1. Reviewers of this PPS include the following:

   Position	Date
   Assistant Vice President for Curriculum and Academic Programs	June 1 ONY
   Chair, University Curriculum Committee	June 1 ONY
   Chair, Faculty Senate	June 1 ONY

5. CERTIFICATION STATEMENT

   This PPS has been approved by the following individuals in their official capacities and represents Texas State Academic Affairs policy and procedure from the date of this document until superseded.

   Assistant Vice President for Curriculum and Academic Programs; senior reviewer of this PPS

   Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs

   Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs