TABLE OF CONTENTS

Procedure of the University Curriculum Committee
Flow Chart for Curricular Changes
Policy for Minors
Policy for Workshops
Policy Statement for Selected Topics/Experimental Courses
Policy for Undergraduate Practical Application Courses
Policy for Graduate Practical Application Courses
Procedure of the Liberal Studies Monitoring Committee

Curricular Request Forms
Cover/Signature Sheet
Request for New Course
Request for Changes to an Existing Course
Request for Revision of Program, Major, Minor, Degree or Certification
Request for Deletion of: Course, Program, Degree, Liberal Studies Designation
Request for New Program
Request for New Minor
Request for New Degree
Request for Designation of a Sequence or Group of Courses by Advisement or Interdisciplinary Program Outside Existing Departments
Request for: Approval of an Academic Credit Workshop
Request to Award Documents and/or Certificates of Academic Achievement
Request for Offering Existing Courses Through Distributed Education

APPENDIX (i) Course Outline vs. Course Syllabus
APPENDIX i(a) & i(b) Course Outline and Course Syllabus
APPENDIX (ii) Procedure for Requesting a New Degree Major, Minor, Concentration, Certificate

RULES OF PROCEDURE OF THE UNIVERSITY CURRICULUM COMMITTEE

ARTICLE I

The university curriculum approval body shall be known as the University Curriculum Committee

ARTICLE II – PURPOSE

The Committee shall provide a mechanism for the systematic review, evaluation, and change of the curriculum at the University level, in compliance with the collective bargaining agreement between the University/Commonwealth and the Faculty/APSCUF.

ARTICLE III – FUNCTIONS

The University Curriculum Committee shall act upon curriculum matters involving:

1. changes in title, numbering, course content, and prerequisites for a course.
2. the designation of a sequence or group of courses as a minor or a program within the existing department (s) (whether by advisement or requirement).
3. the addition or deletion of a course in the offerings of a department.
4. the adoption of any policy regarding the acceptability or requirement of courses outside of a department for the completion of a program within a department.
5. changes in requirements for a minor, a major, a degree, or a certification.
6. development of new programs and/or degrees.
7. curricular issues of a general nature.
8. Any course taught through distance education, even if it is an existing course. (Distance Education courses will go from the Department Curriculum Committee and Department Chair directly to the UCC. This process must be completed in 30 days.

ARTICLE IV – MEMBERSHIP

The Committee shall be composed of fifteen (15) members, nine of whom will be faculty elected for two-year terms through a bargaining unit election:

Two (2) members from each of the four (4) academic colleges who will attend his/her College Curriculum Committee meetings as a voting member at large (but shall not serve as Chairperson of said College Committee);

Two (2) members of the faculty at-large;

One (1) member from CLAS – Academic Services, Library, Administrative Faculty.

One (1) Graduate Council designee;

The President of APSCUF or designee;
The Chair of the Liberal Studies Program Committee or designee (ex-officio/non-voting);

The Vice President for Academic Affairs or designee (ex-officio/non-voting);

Two (2) undergraduate students;

One (1) graduate student.

ARTICLE V – ELECTION AND TERMS OF OFFICE

FACULTY

The total faculty complement will be eleven (11). The two at-large faculty members will be elected in even-numbered years. The remaining nine (9) members will be elected as follows: Five (5) in even numbered years and four (4) in odd numbered years.

STUDENTS

Two undergraduate students selected by the Student Government Association and one graduate student appointed by the Graduate Council will serve a one (1) year term as long as they maintain satisfactory academic standing.

ARTICLE VI – OFFICERS ELECTIONS

The officers shall be a Chairperson, Secretary and Parliamentarian. The Chairperson must be an elected faculty member of the UCC with at least one-year of experience on the committee. The Chairperson will be elected by majority vote of the UCC at its first meeting following the bargaining unit elections. If an experienced person willing to serve cannot be found, the Chairperson shall be the at-large member receiving the highest number of votes at the bargaining unit election; the Secretary and Parliamentarian shall be elected by the UCC annually.

ARTICLE VII – DUTIES OF OFFICERS

The Chairperson shall:

1. call and announce meetings;
2. prepare the agenda;
3. conduct meetings;
4. distribute agenda, minutes of meetings and relevant curricular materials;
5. forward curricular change proposals and recommendations to the President;
6. prepare and distribute a semester summary of UCC actions;
7. forward official records of all curriculum proposal, including the copy of the original signed proposal, and the response from the President, minutes of UCC meetings, and semester summaries to the APSCUF office.

The Secretary shall:

1. record minutes of all regular and special meetings;

2. duplicate required numbers of copies of minutes of all regular and special meetings.

The Parliamentarian shall:

1. oversee the conduct of meetings in accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised.

ARTICLE VIII – MEETINGS AND ATTENDANCE

The committee shall meet twice monthly throughout the academic year at a time convenient to its members. Special meetings may be called by the Chairperson as deemed necessary.

All meetings are open.

Announcement of regular and special meetings shall be made in the Green Sheet and/or other publications.

A quorum shall consist of one half the voting membership as indicated in Article IV plus one member.

Regular failure to attend meetings shall result in the seat being declared vacant; missing two consecutive meetings without due cause shall be grounds for replacement. When necessary, normal bargaining unit election processes will be followed to secure replacement.

ARTICLE IX – VOTING

All members shall have a voice and a vote.
Members may send a designate with voting privileges with the following stipulations:

1. the replacement is for a maximum of one semester

2. the replacement must be endorsed by the School/College CC or the APSCUF Executive Committee for At-Large members

3. the appropriate body should notify the UCC of its action

Approval of proposals shall require a majority vote of members present; the Secretary will call the roll for all proposals concerning Liberal Studies approval.

ARTICLE X – CURRICULAR CHANGES

Both undergraduate and graduate curricular changes originate in departments. Courses and/or programs originating outside the departments should be sent to the affected departments before they are submitted to the UCC. If necessary, the UCC will refer the changes to other curricular bodies.

The following University-Wide Outcomes for Student Learning and Development were created by the university community as guidelines for programs and courses. To the degree possible, requests for new courses and new programs, as well as for changes in course content and programs, should reflect consideration of these outcomes, especially in their stated ability-based goals for students.

SRU's University-Wide Outcomes for Student Learning and Development

1. Communication

Communicate effectively in speech and in writing, using appropriate information sources, presentation formats, and technologies.

2. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

Locate, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information and ideas from multiple perspectives--mathematical, scientific, and humanistic. Apply this information literacy to contemporary challenges.

3. Values and Ethics

Demonstrate an understanding of how the values of personal integrity, cooperative action, and respect for diversity influence one's own behavior and the individual and group behavior of others.

4. Social Awareness and Civic Responsibility

Use knowledge of evolving human institutions and of diverse cultural and historical perspectives to interact effectively in a variety of social and political contexts.

5. Global Interdependence

Act with an understanding of the cultural, socio-economic, and biological interdependence of planetary life.

6. Personal Development

Demonstrate intellectual curiosity, as well as a commitment to wellness, and to emotional and spiritual growth.

7. Aesthetic Perception and Ability

Appreciate artistic expression and demonstrate an understanding of the creative process, finding vital and original ways to express feelings and insights in one's work.

8. Professional Proficiency

Apply knowledge and skills to meet professional competencies within a specific discipline.

WORKSHOP APPROVAL:
Workshops proposed for credit shall be considered by the UCC.All workshops to be considered for advertisement in the Summer School Bulletin must reach the UCC via the approval process in time to be placed on the agenda by the second meeting of the spring semester. Please note that the approval process requires signatures from the department chairperson, the department curriculum committee, the College curriculum committee AND THE APPROPRIATE DEAN before it is sent to the UCC (Graduate workshops must be reviewed by the Graduate Council before submission to the UCC).

STEP 1
Chairpersons of Department Curriculum Committee are required to forward proposed changes originating in and which have been approved by a majority vote of the regular full-time faculty in their departments (as demonstrated in departmental meeting minutes), a justification of the proposal, and the Chairperson’s recommendation to the appropriate Dean (s) (including the Graduate Council Chairperson for courses at the 500 level and above) or his/her designee and to the Chairperson of the School/College Curriculum Committee within Seven (7) working days of departmental action. The Dean or his/her designee will retain a copy of the proposal and forward his/her independent recommendation to the Chairperson of the University Curriculum Committee if it seems necessary or advisable to do so. If the curricular change may have impact on teacher certification or education programs, then the department must ask the certification officer or his or her designee to review the proposal.

STEP 2
Four (4) College Curriculum Committees (Business, Information, and Social Sciences, Education, Health, Environment, and Sciences, and Humanities, Fine and Performing Arts) representative of each Department in each College shall be elected and chaired by a member elected by said Committee. The UCC representative from each school/college shall also serve as an at–large member of the appropriate school/college committee but shall not serve as chair. Each School/College Committee will elect a chair who will forward all curricular actions, recommendations, and minutes to the appropriate Dean and a Secretary who will be responsible for record keeping.

STEP 3
Each College Curriculum Committee will receive and review proposed curricular changes originating in departments of their respective Schools.

STEP 4
All items involving the graduate curriculum must be reviewed by the Graduate Council before consideration by the UCC. DO NOT SEND GRADUATE CURRICULAR REQUESTS TO THE UCC BEFORE OBTAINING GRADUATE COUNCIL APPROVAL.

STEP 5
The College Curriculum Committee Chairperson or, in the case of graduate courses, the Graduate Council Chairperson shall send the original, signed, proposed curricular changes to[the Chair of the University Curriculum Committee and an electronic copy of all documentation. If the UCC chair so designates, then documents should be sent to] the Secretary of APSCUF (who will then forward the original copies to the Chairperson of the University Curriculum Committee) and a copy of the same to the appropriate Dean within fifteen (15) working days of receipt of the proposal. If the College Curriculum Committee returns a proposal to the department from which it came for reworking, an additional five (5) working days will be permitted for submission to the University Curriculum Committee.

1.One original copy] of each proposal must contain the signatures and recommendations of the Department Chairperson, the Chairperson of the Department Curriculum Committee, the Chairperson of the School/College Curriculum Committee, the Chairperson of the Liberal Studies Committee if the course is seeking LS approval, the Graduate Council Chairperson if the course is at the graduate level, the Graduate Council Chairperson if the course is at the graduate level, and the Teacher Certification Officer, if applicable.

[An electronic copy of each curricular proposal must be sent to the UCC Chair or, at his or her discretion, to the Secretary of APSCUF who will then forward the file to the UCC Chair.

a.Submit each curricular request (including any appendices) as a single Microsoft Word document.

b.Please do not submit documents in PDF or other file formats.

c.The electronic copy does not need to have signatures.

d.The electronic copy must be identical to the original signed paper copy, except for signatures. If minor changes are made to the paper copy, they must also be made to the electronic copy.]

2. One copy of the School/College Curriculum Committee minutes should be attached to the original, signed proposal.

3. Curricular proposals are to be submitted on appropriate forms. Forms in the back of this document can be copied as need by a department, or the department can make a computer copy of the form and then fill in the appropriate information. All request forms must be completed as specified. Incomplete forms [or proposals submitted on inappropriate forms] will be returned to the sponsoring department and action tabled until proper completion.

4. New course requests must include a detailed course outline, not a detailed course syllabus (see Appendix (ia.ib) for clarification about the difference between a course outline and course syllabus.

5. All curricular proposals submitted by the College Curriculum Committee shall be accompanied by a cover memo containing a listing of items for UCC consideration.

6. All curriculum matters shall be placed on the UCC agenda with the exception of courses with a 90 designation. If only a single experimental course (190, 290, 390, or 590) will be offered by a department in any given semester, it shall be forwarded to the UCC for information only. Additional experimental courses from that department for the same semester must proceed through the normal new course approval process.

7. Items shall not be placed on the UCC agenda unless received at least seven (7) working days prior to the scheduled meeting. Upon receipt of the appropriate materials and five (5) working days prior to deliberation of the UCC, the Chairperson of the UCC shall distribute copies of the agenda, minutes of the previous meeting, and curricular materials pertinent to the agenda to the members of the UCC, the Chairperson of College Curriculum Committees, the Vice President for Academic Affairs, Deans and Associate Deans, and Academic Records. When new course, new programs or major program revisions are requested, the sponsoring department must have a representative present at the respective UCC meeting to answer any possible questions.

8. Revisions in the structure of the Liberal Studies Program shall be submitted to the faculty for approval in a referendum.

STEP 6
The Chairperson of the University Curriculum Committee must forward the proposed curricular materials along with the Committee’s recommendation, with dissenting opinion included, to the President, or his/her designee within twenty (20) working days of receipt of the UCC.

STEP 7
The President of the University (or designee) must inform APSCUF and all appropriate parties of final action within ten (10) working days of receipt of the recommendation of the UCC.

Final approval of curricular changes shall be the action of the President of the University or his/her designee, and such action shall take effect upon notification in written form to APSCUF. There will be simultaneous notification of such action to the Academic Records Office, the Editor of the University Catalog, and appropriate Deans.

·Upon receipt of the notice of administrative action, the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs shall forward a copy of the action to the Chairperson of the College Curriculum Committee and to the Chairperson of the Department originating the proposal. Administrative action shall be recorded in the minutes of the UCC.

·Changes may not be entered in the University Catalog, advertised by the School/College or entered on academic schedules prior to final action.

ARTICLE XI – AMENDMENTS

The Rules of Procedure may be amended by a majority vote of APSCUF.

Nothing in these procedures is intended to preclude the active participation of school administration in the curricular process of their respective schools.

CURRICULUM APPROVAL PROCESS FOR NON-LIBERAL STUDIES ITEMS

SEE INFORMATION AND/OR FLOW CHART

CURRICULUM APPROVAL PROCESS FOR LIBERAL STUDIES ITEMS

SEE FLOW CHART FOR NON-LIBERAL STUDIES ITEMS---FOLLOW THE SAME STEPS BUT ALSO OBTAIN THE APPROVAL OF THE LIBERAL STUDIES PROGRAM COMMITTEE BEFORE BRINGING THE MATERIALS TO THE UNIVERSITY CURRICULUM COMMITTEE--see LSPC Procedures on page --- for more specific information.

POLICY FOR MINORS

DEFINITION

A minor is a set of courses which meets specified guidelines and is designed to allow a sub-major concentration in an academic discipline or in a specific area within a discipline. Unlike an “area of concentration,” the minor is recorded on the student’s final official permanent academic record.

Ordinarily, a minor is a subset of some major. But, 1) a minor may concentrate on an area which involves two or more academic disciplines, each of which is related to the minor, (for example, no major in journalism exists at Slippery Rock University, but the departments of English and Communication have designed a minor in journalism which includes required and elective courses from each of the related disciplines,) or 2) a minor may be a concentration of related courses for which no major exists. (For example, Women’s Studies.) In these cases, a specific department or group of departments from which most of the required courses are selected shall elect to be the fostering department (s). All guidelines shall then apply via the foster department (s).

1. Authorization to grant a minor shall be obtained through the regular curriculum change procedures. (see "Procedures for requesting a new degree, major, minor, concentration, certificate" Appendix ii).

2.Ordinarily, no course shall be counted in a minor unless such course counts toward the major in that area.  If two or more departments concertedly offer a minor, then “major in that area” shall be interpreted as the union of the major courses from involved departments.  Non-major courses in a minor will be considered on an individual basis.

3. The minimum hours for a minor shall be no less than fifty percent of the minimum number of hours required for a particular major, excluding courses required for professional certification, and the minimum QPA shall be 2.00. However, for those majors requiring more than 48 hours, the minimum hours for a minor shall be no less than 24. If two or more departments concertedly offer a minor, then the above guidelines shall be applied to the minimum number of hours offered by the departments involved.

4. Prerequisites for courses included in the minor, but taught by departments other than the minor department (s), shall not be part of the hours counted under the 50% minimum rule.

5. A student cannot major and minor in the same discipline/academic area, but may minor in a specialization offered by his/her major department. (example: sociology major/criminology minor)

6.A minor shall be no less than 15 credit hours.  The minimum hours for a minor shall be no less than fifty percent of the minimum number of hours required for a particular major, excluding courses required for professional certification.  A minimum of nine credit hours in the minor must be upper division credit work (courses numbered 300 or above).  A minor requires four (4) additional credits that are outside the major.  Students must complete at least six (6) credit hours in their minor from SRU.

(This item pertains to any student selecting an approved minor, but particularly to a student selecting a minor either in his/her major department or in a department offering courses counting toward his/her major.)

7. The verification for meeting the requirements for a minor shall be the same as for a major (Academic Record’s evaluation plus departmental check and approval and once verified, the minor shall appear on the student’s permanent academic record.)

8. The official recording of a minor with the Academic Records Office may be made at the:

a. completion of all requirements for the minor, or

b. time of application for graduation with completion of requirements for the minor anticipated before graduation

c. (any) time prior to the completion of the minor in which case the department representative must confirm completion at the time of graduation or the notation will be removed NOTE: Until the official recording of a minor in the Academic Records Office, the departmental records will suffice.

POLICY FOR WORKSHOPS

NOTE: All workshops to be considered for advertisement in the Summer School Bulletin must reach the UCC via the approval process in time to be placed on the agenda of the second meeting of the spring semester. The approval process requires signatures from the department chairperson, the department curriculum committee, the School/College curriculum committee and the appropriate Dean BEFORE it is sent to the UCC.

DEFINITION

A workshop is a program which is usually of short duration, narrow in scope, often non-traditional in content and format, and on a timely topic.

A workshop may be offered for any number of credit hours.  At least fifteen hours of instruction must be offered for each semester hour of academic credit.  (Note that one instructional hour = 50 minutes).  It should be noted that this is a minimum standard.  In some circumstances, for example in the case of workshops which are essentially activity or skill oriented, more than fifteen hours of instruction may be required to justify one semester hour of credit.  Time should be provided for study, research, writing, etc. when these activities are stated to be part of the workshop.

To be approved for an academic credit, a workshop proposal should:

1. Have part seven of the application filled out in detail, offering a description of the academic nature of the workshop, its objectives/competencies, the evaluation procedures to be used, the course activities and student requirements, an outline of the content, and a bibliography of sources available for the student.

2. Offer opportunities for students to demonstrate achievement in one or more of the following: test taking, performance activities, writing one or more papers in the area being studied, and giving oral presentations. For graduate credit, students must demonstrate the ability to do either primary or secondary research.

3. Meet for no longer than 6 hours per day, except when some institution or facility is used that has regular hours which must be adhered to.

4. Demonstrate that it proposes to do something that cannot be accomplished within the regular curriculum of the University.

In addition to the usual curricular criteria, there are some special considerations which should be part of the evaluation of proposal for workshops:

5. Are the objectives of the workshop and the activities designed to meet those objectives realistic and appropriate when viewed in light of the proposed format and time of instruction?

6. Is the amount of academic credit requested justified by the proposed instructional time?

NUMBERING

All workshops should be designated by the use of one of six numbers, 195, 295, 395, 495, 595, 695.

The 195, 295 designation should be used for workshops which are of general interest and which require no specific background. Workshops designed to accommodate high school students should use the 195 number.

The 395, 495 designation should be used for undergraduate level workshops. Such offerings may require some previous background.

The 595 designation should be used for graduate level workshops, open also to junior, senior, and post-baccalaureate students for undergraduate credit. A single standard of performance and evaluation will be applied to all students.

The 695 Designation should be used for workshops only available for graduate students receiving graduate credit.

GRADING

All undergraduate workshops (195, 295, 395, and 495) are graded on a pass-no credit basis. Exceptions to this policy can be approved by the Dean of the sponsoring college. All graduate workshops (595, 695) are graded on a traditional A, B, C, D, F scale.

POLICY FOR SELECTED TOPICS AND EXPERIMENTAL COURSES

SELECTED TOPICS

1. That the numbers “198, 298, 398, 498, 598, 698” be used across the campus to designate each department’s “Selected Topics” course (s).

2. A Selected Topics course is a normal, departmental offering which is directly related to the discipline, but because of its specialized nature, may not be able to be offered on a yearly basis by the department.

3. Every department has a 198, 298, 398, 498, 598, 698 Selected Topics designation. To classify a course under the Selected Topics designation, a new course request for each topic must be submitted through the normal curricular process. Once approved, that topic may be offered whenever the department wishes.

4. Selected Topics courses should not exceed 20% of the regular department offerings.

5. Addition to or deletion from the list of Selected Topics course in each department must proceed through the regular curricular approval mechanisms.

“EXPERIMENTAL” COURSES

1. The numbers 190, 290, 390, and 590, 690 are reserved for Experimental courses exclusively.

2. To receive the designation, “Experimental,” a course must be:

a.) a unique and specifically focused course within the general purview of a department which intends to offer it on a “one time only “ basis and not as a permanent part of the department’s curriculum…OR

b.) “Experimental” in the sense that a department wants, in fact, to experiment with a course to see if it will “make it,” if corrections need to be made in mid-flight, and if the eventual product is worthy of incorporating into the regular departmental curriculum with or without Liberal Studies status.

3. If a single experimental course of either definition is not intended to carry Liberal Studies credit, notice of its scheduling need come to the UCC for information and the course may be advertised.

4. If a department believes that an experimental course it is proposing does meet Liberal Studies criteria, the department should follow normal curricular mechanisms for approval and not publish its offering until such a time as official approval is received.

5. Since an experimental course is conceived as a “trial-balloon” with or without Liberal Studies prospects, departments should consider the time span between experimenting with the course initially and getting it established as a normal offering.

Though easy to implement initially, departments should be aware that the normal curricular approval process will not begin until after an evaluation of the completed experimental course has been undertaken by the department offering it. Given both the Curricular Approval and University Publication processes, it is certain that three semesters will be required after completion of the experimental course to get it regularly established, if everything runs smoothly.

(Approved 4/5/82)

6. International Experimental Courses

The following statement has been approved by APSCUF (4/25/95) for International courses only:

An international “experimental” course may carry as many as five designations, 190/290/390/590/690, and may function as an enrichment course under the Cultural Diversity—Global Perspective block of the Liberal Studies program for any student who takes the course, regardless of major. Proposals requesting multiple designations must proceed through the normal curricular approval process, and the instructor must provide in writing his/her rationale for the numbering system. Also, assignments and expectations must be outlined in writing. There should be different expectations for students in each of the three levels, i.e., 190, 390, or 590. Undergraduates would receive credit for either 190 or 390. Graduates would receive credit for 590. In rare cases, and with appropriate admissions and approvals, talented high school students may also be enrolled in such courses.

POLICY FOR UNDERGRADUATE PRACTICAL APPLICATION COURSES

NOTE: This policy does not apply to the introductory 1-3 credit hour courses.

I. Introduction

The following policy serves as the basis for the development and implementation of all 3-12 credit hour undergraduate courses involving practical application, with the exception of student teaching. Included are practicum, internship, professional integration, cooperative education, field experience, and other similar labels used to describe programs that meet this policy. This policy requires minimum standards that may be increased by participating departments or schools.

II. Goals

A. To expand students’ knowledge and to enhance their learning of the theories of academic disciplines and programs of study through appropriate career-related experiences.

B. To provide an opportunity to assist students in the acquisition and application of skills related to a discipline or program of study.

C. To provide the knowledge or experience necessary for obtaining certification or licensing.

III. Administrative Organization

A. Applications

1. Each department or school will determine appropriate application procedures for practical application courses and will determine a method of dissemination and implementation of those procedures.

2. Application for participation should be made by an announced date during the semester prior to registration for the course, including summer.

3. Recommendations, resumes, vitae, transcripts, advisor approvals, and all other necessary data will be submitted to the coordinator of the practical application course.

B. Eligibility and Selection

1. A minimum overall quality point average of at least 2.0 and at least 2.0 in the major (and programs where applicable) are required for approval for placement. Higher standards and/or other academic requirements may be specified by the agency, department, or program. The same requirements apply for the semester before the internship.

2. Each department or program should establish a minimum number of credit hours for the course. Courses will be available from 3-12 credit hours, as requested through the curricular process.

3. Department representatives will select students in a manner consistent with this policy and with the course guidelines which have been approved through the normal curricular process. Any student whose application for an internship is not approved by his/her department should be informed of the reasons for which the application was denied.

4. All assignments will be agreed to in writing by the agency and the department representative prior to the actual placement of the student.

IV. Academic Procedures

A. Requirements

1. Attendance at scheduled seminars or instructor-approved alternatives as may be required.

2. Student maintenance and submission of a daily journal or equivalent, i.e., lesson plans, which must be reviewed periodically by the department representative during the course of the experience.

3. Final project (s), if required, submitted in accordance with the course syllabus.

4. Agency supervisors’ evaluations will be a requirement for the completion of the course and may be a factor in the determination of the final grade.

B. Responsibility of the Instructor

Prior to the course:

1. Provide an initial orientation for each student which includes providing the student with a course syllabus or handbook that clearly delineates goals, objectives, and requirements of the course to insure that all related assignments and activities are conducted in a professional manner.

2. Assist in the preparation of a contract and/or handbook which will provide the necessary descriptions of the responsibilities of the student, the agency, and the University.

3. Provide the student and agency a written agreement and/or handbook of the requirements, assignments, and expectations of the practical application of the course.

4. Familiarize the agency and the students with the necessary guidelines and mutual expectations.

During the course:

1. Maintain contact with the agency supervisor to monitor the student’s progress:

a. After the initial adjustment period.

b. During the mid-term period.

c. During the exit period.

2. Maintain contact with the student to monitor his/her progress and to ensure the viability of the learning experience.

a. After the initial adjustment period.

b. During the mid-term period.

c. Prior to or during the evaluative or exit period.

3. Arrange with the student and the agency supervisor for on-site visits, where visitations are practical.

4. Make judgments regarding the advisability of the continuation of the experience.

Following the course:

1. Provide a debriefing opportunity which allows the student to critique the experience.

2. Submit the necessary grade/evaluation reports.

3. Provide an opportunity for the student to evaluate the experience and the course instructor.

4. Evaluate the daily journal or equivalent, i.e., lesson plans, final project (s), agency supervisor’s evaluation, and other materials submitted in light of the goals in the syllabus.

5. Evaluate the agency’s potential for continued placement of students.

C. Responsibilities of Agency Supervisors

1. To orient the student to the agency and to establish a schedule of work and/or learning experiences.

2. To present the students to the agency members as a prospective professional who is still in the learning experience.

3. To be willing to adjust assignments to allow for a wider range of application opportunities during the course.

4. To meet with the student to discuss progress, schedule, and areas of individual concern.

5. To notify the student’s course instructor of any problems that are related to the work experience.

6. To submit to the course instructor an evaluation of the progress of the student. This may require the utilization of a form provided by the University.

D. Student Responsibilities

As a minimum, all students will be responsible for the following:

1. Completing application materials during the semester prior to beginning the assignment.

2. Contacting the placement agency before the course begins (interview or telephone or letter or some combination of these).

3. Becoming familiar with the departmental course guidelines (the syllabus).

4. Adhering to appropriate registration procedures for the course and section.

5. Maintaining a professional demeanor during the course.

6. Maintaining contact with the course instructor as prescribed by departmental guidelines.

7. Meeting the academic requirements prescribed by the department and the course instructor.

E. Credit Hour Determination

1. Practical application courses may be offered for 1-12 credit hours.

2. No student may use more than a total of 15 hours of practical application credit toward the 128 hours required for the baccalaureate degree.

3. Practical application courses should be treated like any other course offering. Compensation and faculty assignment should be made in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement.

4. When the enrollment in a particular practical application course reaches the point that further enrollment would create an obligation on the university to make an overload payment to the Instructor, all further enrollment must be approved by the department and/or the appropriate Dean. The intention is not to close the course but to assure the optimum utilization of faculty resources.

5. As a minimum standard, 40 clock hours in the course assignment per semester are required per credit hour. The departments or programs may set higher standards.

6. Students should enroll for the number of practical application course credits which is commensurate with the number of agency clock hours for which the student has contracted. For example, if the student has contracted with the agency to work 480 hours or more, he/she should register for 12 course credits. Likewise, if the student has contracted to work 240 hours, he/she should register for 6 course credits.

F. Course Number

1. Course number 450 will be used across the University for practical application courses.

V. Financial Consideration
A. Payment of Intern

NO financial assistance for the payment of students is provided by the University. Agencies may provide remuneration to the intern, but this is not required.

B. Student Liability and Insurance

Students should be advised that while on assignments they are not covered by any professional liability insurance provided by the University. However, all students must present evidence that they possess the appropriate liability insurance.

VI. Policy Expectation

A. Programs in existence prior to passage may continue.
B. Any request to be excluded from specific minimum standards of this policy must proceed through the regular curricular approval process.

POLICY FOR GRADUATE PRACTICAL APPLICATION COURSES

I. Introduction

The following policy serves as the basis for the development and implementation of all 3-9 credit hour graduate courses involving practical applications. This policy requires minimum standards that may be increased by participating departments or schools.

II. Goals

A. To expand students’ knowledge and to enhance their learning of the theories of academic disciplines and programs of study through appropriate career-related experiences.

B. To provide an opportunity to assist students in the acquisition and application of skills related to a discipline or program of study.

C. To provided the knowledge or experience necessary for obtaining certification or licensing.

III. Administrative Organization

A. Applications

1. Each department or school will determine appropriate application procedures for practical application courses and will determine a method of dissemination and implementation of those procedures.

2. Applications will be in written form.

3. Application for participation should be made by an announced date during the semester prior to registration for the course, including summer.

4. Recommendations, resumes, vitae, transcripts, advisor approvals, and all other necessary data will be submitted to the coordinator of the practical application course.

5. Registration in the course does not guarantee placement.

B. Eligibility and Selection

1. A minimum overall quality point average of at least 3.0 is required for approval for placement. Higher standards and/or other academic requirements may be specified by the agency, department, or program. The same requirements apply for the semester before the practical application courses.

2. A student must be admitted to the graduate school at the time he/she begins the course.

3. Each department or program should establish a minimum number of credit hours for the course. Courses will be available from 3-9 credit hours, as requested through the curricular process.

4. Department representatives will select students in a manner consistent with this policy and with the course guidelines which have been approved through the normal curricular process. Any student whose application for an internship is not approved by his/her department should be informed of the reasons for which the application was denied.

5. All assignments will be agreed to in writing by the agency and the department representative prior to the actual placement of the student.

IV. Academic Procedures

A. Requirements

1. Attendance at scheduled seminars or instructor-approved alternatives as may be required.

2. Student maintenance and submission of a daily log or journal, which must be reviewed periodically by the department representative during the course of the experience.

3. Final project (s), if required, submitted in accordance with the course syllabus.

4. Final evaluation will be completed by the student, agency supervisor and faculty supervisor. Grade determination is the responsibility of the faculty supervisor.

V. Responsibility of the Instructor

A. Prior to the course:

1. Provide an initial orientation for each student which includes providing the student with a course syllabus or handbook that clearly delineates goals, objectives, and requirements of the course to insure that all related assignments and activities are conducted in a professional manner.

2. Assist in the preparation of a contract and/or handbook that will provide the necessary descriptions of the responsibilities of the student, the agency, and the University.

3. Provide the student and agency a written agreement and/or handbook of the requirements, assignments, and expectations of the practical application of the course.

4. Familiarize the agency and the students with the necessary guidelines and mutual expectations.

5. Act as liaison among the agency, the student, and the University.

B. During the course:

1. Maintain contact with the agency supervisor to monitor the student’s progress:

a. After the initial adjustment period.

b. During the mid-term period.

c. During the exit period.

2. Maintain contact with the student to monitor his/her progress and to ensure the viability of the learning experience.

a. After the initial adjustment period.

b. During the mid-term period.

c. Prior to or during the evaluative or exit period.

3. Arrange with the student and the agency supervisor for on-site campus visits, where visitations are practical. A minimum of one visit is to be made to the practical application courses site by the academic supervisor, unless placement is beyond 300 miles, round trip.

4. Make judgments regarding the advisability of the continuation of the experience.

C. Following the course:

1. Provide a debriefing opportunity that allows the student to critique the experience.

2. Submit the necessary grade/evaluation reports.

3. Provide an opportunity for the student to evaluate the experience and the course instructor.

4. Evaluate the daily log or journal, final project (s), agency supervisor’s evaluation, and other materials submitted in light of the goals in the syllabus.

5. Evaluate the agency’s potential for continued placement of students.

VI. Responsibilities of Agency Supervisors

A. To orient the student to the agency and to establish a schedule of work and/or learning experiences.

B. To present the students to the agency members as a prospective professional who is still in the learning experience.

C. To be willing to adjust assignments to allow for a wider range of application opportunities during the course.

D. To meet with the student to discuss progress, schedule, and areas of individual concern.

E. To notify the student’s course instructor of any problems which are related to the work experience.

F. To submit to the course instructor an evaluation of the progress of the student. This may require the utilization of a form provided by the University.

VII. Student Responsibilities-As a minimum, all students will be responsible for the following:

A. Completing application materials during the semester prior to beginning the assignment.

B. Contacting the placement agency before the course begins (interview or telephone or letter or some combination of these).

C. Becoming familiar with the departmental course guidelines.

D. Adhering to appropriate registration procedures for the course and section.

E. Maintaining a professional demeanor during the course.

F. Maintaining contact with the course instructor as prescribed by departmental guidelines.

G. Meeting the academic requirements prescribed by the department and the course instructor.

H. Submit a written paper, portfolio or project of the practical application courses experience.

I. A daily log or journal of experience will be maintained by all students taking practical application courses.

VIII. Credit Hour Determination

A. Practical application courses may be offered for 3-9 credit hours; Those completed for three hours of credit are to be no less than five weeks.

B. No student may use more than a total of 9 hours of practical application credit toward the hours required for the graduate degree.

C. Practical application courses should be treated like any other course offering. Compensation and faculty assignment should be made in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement.

D. When the enrollment in a particular practical application course reaches the point that further enrollment would create an obligation on the university to make an overload payment to the Instructor, all further enrollment must be approved by the department and/or the appropriate Dean. The intention is not to close the course, but to assure the optimum utilization of faculty resources.

E. As a minimum standard, 40 clock hours in the course assignment per semester are required per credit hour. The departments or programs may set higher standards.

F. Students should enroll for the number of internship credits which is commensurate with the number of agency clock hours for which the student has contracted. For example, if the student has contracted with the agency to work 360 hours or more, he/she should register for 9 course credits. Likewise, if the student has contracted to work 240 hours, he/she should register for 6 course credits.

IX. Financial Consideration

A. Payment of Student

1. NO financial assistance for the payment of students is provided by the University. Agencies may provide remuneration to the intern, but this is not required.

X. Student Liability and Insurance

A. Students should be advised that while on assignments they are not covered by any professional liability insurance provided by the University. However, all students must present evidence that they possess the appropriate liability insurance.

XI. Policy Expectation

A. Programs in existence prior to passage may continue.

B. Any request to be excluded from specific minimum standards of this policy must proceed through the regular curricular approval process.

LIBERAL STUDIES PROGRAM COMMITTEE PROCEDURES

I. The original and 32 copies of the request form for either a new course or an existing course requesting liberal studies approval will be forwarded to the Liberal Studies Program Committee (hereafter LSPC) by the appropriate School Curriculum Committee with a recommendation for approval or non-approval.  Incomplete or inaccurate requests or those submitted without the designated number of copies will be returned to the School Committee.  (NOTE:  22 of the 32 copies will be forwarded to the University Curriculum Committee.)

AFTER the Liberal Studies Program Committee acts on the request (s).  DO NOT SEND 32 COPIES TO THE LSPC AND 22 COPIES TO THE UCC.  DO NOT SEND ANY COPIES TO THE UCC BEFORE LSPC ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN.)

II. The LSPC will schedule regular bi-weekly meetings to consider requests.  A schedule of the meetings will be published and sent to all department chairpersons, school curriculum committee chairpersons, and the chairperson of the UCC within two weeks of the beginning of the academic year.  Proposals must be received from the school curriculum committee chairs five working days prior to the LSPC meeting.  Additionally, the LSPC will engage in other tasks decided upon by the committee and the Director, including but not limited to –assessment and curriculum development.  A complete review of the entire program will be done every five years.  Following review the LSPC may request and/or recommend deletion of courses that no longer adequately meet the goals, outcomes, and requirements of the Liberal Studies program.

III. An agenda of each meeting will be sent to committee members, the chairperson of each department that has submitted a request, and to the chairpersons of the school curriculum committees and the chairperson of the UCC.

IV. Upon receipt of the agenda, department chairpersons or representatives may call the LSPC Director and ask to appear before the committee.  The committee will hear all presentations that have been scheduled.  It is recommended that departments send a representative to the committee meeting when items from the department are on the agenda

V. The LSPC will discuss the requests and vote in public session to recommend approval or non-approval to the UCC.  A majority of the committee members shall constitute a quorum necessary for committee actions.

VI. The LSPC will forward request forms and a summary of actions to the UCC within fifteen days of when action is taken.

A. The LSPC will distribute minutes of its meetings to all Department chairpersons and to the UCC.

B. Requests for renumbering and retitling of Liberal Studies courses, shall go to the LSPC as information only. Requests for experimental courses and course deletions will also be information only.

*Please note: Information-only items as well as all other LS curricular requests must be reviewed by the LSPC before they are forwarded to the UCC.  

More generally, the LSC will follow procedures in a manner similar to that of the UCC.   

LIBERAL STUDIES MONITORING COMMITTEE
BASIC CRITERIA FOR RECOMMENDATION OF COURSES

GOAL COURSES

Basic criteria for a course to be recommended for approval as a Liberal Studies goal course are:

1. Conformity with the overall goals and outcomes of the Liberal Studies program. Goal courses are intended to be few in number in order to provide a core of common experience for undergraduate students.  Courses that duplicate already existing courses stand less chance of being recommended for approval as goal courses.

2. Conformity with the stated goals and outcomes of a specific area of the Liberal Studies program. Goal courses not demonstrably compatible with specific Liberal Studies areas will not be included in the Liberal Studies Program.

3. Explicit relevance to one or more of the University Outcomes should be demonstrated.

4. Academic Accessibility: Goal courses in all areas of Liberal Studies except Challenges of the Modern Age are entry-level courses. Courses listed under Challenges of the Modern Age area are directed at students near the completion of their undergraduate course work. Prerequisites are not permissible for goal courses (with the exceptions of courses listed under Challenges of the Modern Age and Math courses). 

5. Availability: Goal courses, except for courses listed under Challenges of the Modern Age, should be taught at least one a semester and should have multiple sections in order to achieve the goal of serving a large number of students while limiting the number of approved goal courses.