Administrative number: 3-4B
Responsible office: Academic Affairs
Responsible officer: Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Curricular Changes, Types of Proposals

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Purpose:

This procedure describes the types of forms to be submitted by Winona State University (WSU) faculty members and reviewed by the faculty curriculum committees in the approval process for proposed curricular changes.

Procedure:

Types Of Curricular Proposals

Each proposal form in the online curriculum management system (CMS) implements the processes described in Procedure 3-4A. The approval roles and steps are automatically created based upon the proposal type, the originating department, course/program codes, and/or other imported information.

Each category below specifies the curriculum committee that evaluates the proposals, indicates if a department representative is required to attend the meeting, and provides other informational notes.

A. Notifications

Notifications are reviewed by faculty curriculum committees only to ensure that the proposal qualifies as a notification using the stated criteria. Notifications do not require review by the FA Senate or the Chief Academic Officer before being implemented in the Registrar’s office. A notification accepted by a major curriculum committee is an approved proposal.

The following types of proposal forms in the CMS are reviewed by A2C2:

  • Undergraduate Course – Deletion or Banking/Unbanking

  • Undergraduate Course – One-Time Offering

  • Undergraduate Course – Revision

  • Undergraduate Program – Deletion or Banking/Unbanking

  • Undergraduate Program – Revision

The following types of proposal forms in the CMS are reviewed by Graduate Council:

  • Graduate Course – Deletion or Banking/Unbanking

  • Graduate Course – One-Time Offering

  • Graduate Course – Revision

  • Graduate Program – Deletion or Banking/Unbanking

  • Graduate Program – Revision

The proposal is considered to be a course notification only if the curricular changes are limited to any combination of the following:

  • Change in catalog description

  • Change in course number within the same level (e.g. 310 to 350)

  • Change in course number to a lower level, (e.g. 310 to 210)

  • Change in course title

  • Change in prerequisites

  • Change in course outline

  • Change in delivery method

  • Change in grading options

  • Permanent deletion, banking, or unbanking

A one-time course offering may be submitted as a course notification, but it will not be eligible for inclusion in the General Education Program.

The proposal is considered to be a program notification only if the curricular changes are limited to any combination of the following:

  • Change in catalog description

  • Change in electives offered by the department

  • Change in no more than two required courses within the existing program

  • Change in program requirements including minimum GPA, minimum course grades, and/or minimum number of courses that must be taken in residence

  • Permanent deletion, banking, or unbanking

Note: The changes proposed in a notification cannot significantly alter the purpose and/or content of a program or course and must have no adverse impact on other WSU departments or programs. If proposed changes increase or decrease total credits, affect other departments, or affect the General Education Program, a revised course/program proposal must be submitted instead of a notification.

No department representative is required to attend the A2C2 or Graduate Council meeting for these proposals. Notifications approved by A2C2 or Graduate Council do not require additional review.

B. Undergraduate Course and Program Proposals

The following types of proposal in the CMS are reviewed by CPPS:

  • Undergraduate Course – New

  • Undergraduate Course – Revised

  • Undergraduate Program – New

  • Undergraduate Program – Revised

A representative is required to attend the CPPS meeting for all of these proposals.

C. Graduate Course and Program Proposals

The following types of proposal forms in the CMS are reviewed by Graduate Council:

  • Graduate Course – New

  • Graduate Course – Revised

  • Graduate Program – New

  • Graduate Program – Revised

A representative is required to attend the Graduate Council meeting for all of these proposals.

D. General Education Program Course Proposals

The following types of notification forms in the CMS are reviewed by GEPS:

  • GEP Course – Nonrenewal Notification

  • GEP Course – Retroactive Notification

It is not necessary to have a representative at GEPS meetings for notifications.

The following types of course proposal forms in the CMS are also reviewed by GEPS:

  • GEP Course – New

  • GEP Course – Renewal

A representative is required to attend the GEPS meeting only for new course proposals. A representative must attend GEPS meetings for renewal proposals only when the GEPS chair makes a specific request.

Note: Before a GEP new course proposal will be considered by GEPS, it must currently exist in the catalog or have been approved by CPPS.

E. Engaged Course Designation Proposals

The following proposal forms in the CMS are reviewed by ECDC:

  • Engaged Course – New

  • Engaged Course – Renewal

These forms include proposals for both “civic engagement” and “service learning” designations to be added to undergraduate and graduate courses/sections in the academic catalog and a student’s cocurricular transcript. A representative must attend ECDC meetings for these proposals only when the ECDC chair makes a specific request.

Related definitions:

[3-4] A2C2:

See Academic Affairs and Curriculum Committee.

[3-4] Academic Affairs and Curriculum Committee (A2C2):

A standing committee of the FA Senate; it consists of faculty representing each academic department. A2C2 has three standing subcommittees—the Course & Program Proposal Subcommittee (CPPS), the Engaged Course Designation Committee (ECDC), and the General Education Program Subcommittee (GEPS).

[3-4] Approved Proposal:

A proposal for curricular change that has received all necessary approvals from faculty, administrators, and curriculum committees before being implemented in the Registrar’s office.

[3-4] Co-curricular Transcript:

The record activities in which a student has participated beyond taking courses for academic credit. See also academic transcript.

[3-4] Curricular Change:

An addition to, revision of, or deletion from the university’s catalog affecting programs, courses, and sections of courses reflected in a student’s academic and/or co-curricular transcripts.

[3-4] Curriculum Committees:

A2C2, Graduate Council, and their relevant standing subcommittees.

[3-4] Curriculum Management System (CMS):

A software and database package reflecting the approval processes defined in this policy and its accompanying procedures.

[3-4] FA Senate:

The governing body of the Faculty Association.

[3-4] Faculty and Faculty Members:

WSU employees represented by the Inter Faculty Organization (IFO) and its local chapter, the WSU Faculty Association.

[3-4] Faculty Association (FA):

The local WSU chapter of the Inter Faculty Organization (IFO).

[3-4] Graduate Council:

A standing committee of FA Senate consisting of faculty representing each academic department with a graduate program.

[3-4] Notification:

A proposal for curricular change that does not significantly alter the purpose and/or content of a program or course and has no impact on other WSU departments or programs.

[3-4] Program:

A course of study leading to a degree, major, minor, or certificate. For the purposes of this policy and its accompanying procedures, any set of courses associated with a unique major code— including a pre-admission or a pre-professional sequence—is considered a distinct program.

[3-4] Proposal:

A form initiating some type of curricular change submitted by a faculty member using the CMS.

Authorizing Policy:

History:

Adoption date: 05/27/2019
Implementation date: 07/01/2019