Curriculum Procedure Manual

Curriculum

Procedure Manual

Prepared by the University Curriculum Committee

For internal use only

Table of Contents

DEFINITIONS OF TERMS ...... i

Introduction ...... 1 Why Does SOU Have a Curriculum Committee? ...... 1 What the Curriculum Committee Does ...... 1 The Curriculum Flow ...... 1 Course Development ...... 1 Academic Program Proposal Review ...... 2 Library Resources ...... 2

Curriculum Standards, Criteria, and Their Rationale ...... 3 Lower-Division and Upper-Division Courses ...... 3 Course Articulation ...... 3 Frequency of Course Offerings ...... 4 Prerequisites ...... 4 Cross-listed Courses ...... 4 University Studies and General Education ...... 4 Pilot Courses and Open-Numbered Courses ...... 4 Honors College ...... 4 Graduate Courses ...... 4 Online and Hybrid Courses ...... 5 Curricular Change Resources ...... 5

Specific Procedures ...... 5 Catalog Changes ...... 5 New Course ...... 5 Modified Course ...... 5 Renumbered Course ...... 5 Deleted or Suspended Course ...... 6 New Major, Certificate, or Degree Concentration ...... 6 New Degree/Certificate Programs ...... 6 New Concentration for Existing Degree ...... 6 New Minor ...... 6 Changes to Major or Minor Programs ...... 6 Changes to Certificate Programs ...... 6 Miscellaneous Catalog Copy Revisions ...... 6

DEFINITIONS OF TERMS

Concurrent Prerequisite: a prerequisite course that must be taken prior to or concurrently with the course requiring it. If a student has not previously met the prerequisite, they would need to take it during the same term as the course requiring it. For a course that must be taken simultaneously see co-requisite.

Co-requisite: a course that must be taken simultaneously with the course described. For a preparatory course that may be taken in the same term as a course requires it, see concurrent prerequisite.

Course Prerequisite: a course required to be successfully completed prior to enrolling in a subsequent course. (See p. 4)

Course Restriction: enrollment restrictions to certain groups, such as juniors or seniors, or students in a specific major or minor.

Cross-listed course: a course taught under more than one prefix, such as Studies in Shakespeare, taught as ENG 436, TA 436, and SHS 436. Students choose which prefix in which to enroll. (See p. 4)

Hard-numbered course: also known as a Permanent-numbered course. A course with a specific, dedicated course number. These courses are listed in the catalog with a specific description. (See p.4)

Lower division course: courses numbered at 100-level or 200-level, and usually intended for freshmen or sophomores. These courses are often survey or introductory courses. (See p. 3)

Open-numbered course: also known as Soft-numbered course. Course content for open-numbered courses varies from term to term, and often is specifically tailored to an individual student. (See p. 4) Open-numbered courses include:

199 (Special Studies) 299 (Special Studies) 399 (Special Studies) 401 (Research) 403 (Thesis) 405 (Reading and Conference) 407 (Seminar) 409 (Practicum)

Pilot course: an experimental course, usually taught with an open-number (such as 399), until the department establishes a permanent course number. Pilot courses can be taught up to three times under the open number before being proposed as a permanent course. (See p. 4)

Re-numbered course: a re-numbered course is the same course that previously existed under a different prefix or course number and the new re-numbered course is considered an equivalent to the previous. (See p. 5)

Upper division course: courses numbered at 300-level or 400-level, and usually intended for juniors or seniors. These courses are usually more advanced and focused than lower-division courses. (See p. 3)

400/500 course: a course taught at both the 400-level (for undergraduates) and 500-level (for graduate students). Those who enroll for graduate credit will be expected to complete higher level assignments. (See Graduate Courses, p. 4)

Introduction

Why Does SOU Have a Curriculum Committee?

The SOU faculty conceives, shapes, evaluates, authorizes and assesses all the curriculum that is offered at SOU. To manage undergraduate curriculum development and oversight, the Faculty Senate annually appoints a University Curriculum Committee composed of six faculty members and one student representative; members normally serve a three-year term. Ex officio members include the Associate Provost, a representative from Enrollment Services, and a representative from Academic Support Programs. Final authority for curriculum management resides with the Faculty Senate, which acts on advice of the Curriculum Committee, the Provost, and the President. The pathway for curricular approval is the Academic Program Chair, Division Director, Curriculum Committee (or Graduate Council), and Faculty Senate. New degree programs or certificates also require approval by the SOU Board of Trustees, statewide Provosts Council, and Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC).

The Curriculum Committee reviews all undergraduate-level curriculum; the Graduate Council reviews all graduate-level curriculum. Courses seeking approval for general education are also reviewed by University Studies Committee.

What the Curriculum Committee Does

The Curriculum Committee is the steward of SOU’s undergraduate curriculum management process. The Curriculum Committee meets most weeks during the regular academic year. At these meetings, the committee:  Establishes and maintains guidelines and templates for curriculum-related submissions;  Develops timelines for curricular submissions;  Collaborates with the Office of Academic Affairs to solicit proposals for new courses and academic programs, proposals for changes in curriculum/academic programs, and any other proposed changes to SOU catalog copy;  Reviews these proposals, as well as any other related matters affecting the management of curriculum. As part of its review process, the Curriculum Committee reads all proposals and conducts dialog with proposers to suggest changes, as needed, in order to maintain clarity, consistency with SOU practices, and academic quality;  Votes on the final version of curriculum proposals and forwards its recommendations to the Faculty Senate for approval and adoption.

The Curriculum Flow

Course Development Course development may originate with an individual faculty member, a program or division curriculum committee, or with an ad hoc faculty task force. Proposers should discuss any course proposal concept with their Program Chair and Division Director before preparing the course proposal. The proposal will require the Program Chair and Division Director’s approval before being submitted to the Curriculum Committee.

To propose a new course, complete the New Course Proposal form available on the Provost’s website at http://www.sou.edu/provost/curriculum.html and include an abbreviated course syllabus that clearly defines the course expectations and requirements.

 Submit the proposal to the Program Chair in both hard copy and electronically for approval.

 When the Chair has approved, the Chair sends the proposal to the Division Director for review and approval.  After the Director approves the proposal, the Director forwards the proposal, in hard copy, to the Provost’s Office, where it will be forwarded to the Curriculum Committee, Graduate Council, or University Studies Committee, as appropriate. The relevant committee will review the proposal for clarity, consistency with SOU practices, and the academic quality of the proposal. The committee may invite the proposer to a meeting to discuss the proposed course and answer any questions, and the committee may have recommendations for strengthening the proposal. The final proposal will be voted on by the relevant committee and, if approved, forwarded to the Faculty Senate for review.  At the Faculty Senate level, senators may have questions about new courses that a committee representative or course proposer may need to answer.

Academic Program Proposal Review

New academic program proposals include new degrees/majors, new certificates, and new minors.

New degrees/majors and certificate programs require approval by the SOU Board of Trustees, the statewide Provosts Council, and the Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC). Complete the Proposal for a New Academic Program (or Proposal for a New Certificate Program), along with the four-page Budget Outline, available at http://www.sou.edu/provost/curriculum.html, and the SOU New Program Proposal form available on the same site. The proposal goes through the same campus approval procedure as other curricular proposals (approving committee and Faculty Senate). It then goes through further review by the SOU Board of Trustees (through the Academic and Student Affairs Sub-Committee), the statewide Provosts Council, and the HECC. This will add four months to six months to the approval process. New graduate programs also require an external review during or after the preliminary Senate review, which can add an additional two to four months to the approval timeline.

For existing programs to be offered at a new location, complete the Proposal for Delivery of an Existing Program to New Location form, available on the Provost’s website at http: //www.sou.edu/provost/curriculum.html.

For academic programs that will require statewide approval, we recommend you consult with the Provost’s Office prior to completing your proposal documents. It is important to prepare proposals as early in the curricular change cycle as possible in order to complete the approval process by the time you want to offer the program.

New minors do not require Provosts Council and HECC approval, but go through the same campus approval process. Complete the SOU New Program Proposal form, available on the Provost’s website at http://www.sou.edu/provost/curriculum.html. After the proposal is approved by the Program Chair and Division Director, submit the proposal to the Provost’s Office for distribution to the Curriculum Committee and, eventually, Faculty Senate.

Library Resources

All proposals for new programs are required to include an assessment of library resources that support the new program. For programs that require Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) approval, this assessment is part of the HECC-required approval process and must be appended to the proposal that goes to HECC.

Contact the subject librarian for your program as soon as possible to arrange for this assessment to ensure that the librarian has time to complete the evaluation. The list of subject librarians by program is available at http://hanlib.sou.edu/about/library_liaisons.html.

For questions, contact Dale Vidmar ([email protected], 552-6842).

Curriculum Standards, Criteria, and Their Rationale

Lower-Division and Upper-Division Courses At SOU, as at most universities, the curriculum is separated into upper and lower divisions. The lower division, numbered in the 100s and 200s, offers introductory material and general education content intended for freshmen and sophomores. Upper-division courses, numbered in the 300s and 400s, consist mostly of advanced and focused courses in particular fields of study. Southern Oregon University also offers upper- division Integration courses as part of the University Studies general education curriculum. These Integration courses are offered by departmental faculty in three of the ten "strands" of the general education program. To access the form for proposing a course for University Studies, go to http://www.sou.edu/universitystudies. More information about University Studies is listed below, under the “University Studies and General Education” heading.

The content of an upper-division course will differ from that of a lower-division course in a number of ways. For a 100- or 200-level course intended for general education purposes, the course must accommodate students from a variety of majors and therefore cannot require prior preparation in the field. This is also true of most upper-division courses intended for Integration Strands H, I, and J of the general education program. But for upper-division courses offered as part of a program of major or minor study, the following two characteristics should be manifest:

 The course must be directly aligned to the declared academic outcomes of a major or minor program, —and—  The course must emphasize more sophisticated levels of critical thinking and analysis than those found in lower-division courses.

The first of these requirements—the alignment to the major or minor program—is fairly straightforward and easy to demonstrate. The Curriculum Committee will generally defer to the judgment of program faculty regarding this alignment, as long as it is clearly demonstrated.

The second requirement—the emphasis on critical thinking and analysis—is more subjective. There are a number of rubrics and matrices that attempt to highlight the logical components of critical thinking. One of the best-known and longest-lived of these is Bloom's Taxonomy. SOU's Center for Instructional Support is a good resource for materials along these lines. The Curriculum Committee will be looking for evidence in course proposals and sample syllabi that show how sophisticated critique and analysis will be incorporated into upper- division offerings.

In addition to the two requirements indicated above, 300-and 400-level courses offered at SOU should satisfy these criteria:

 Have actual or implied prerequisites  Require at least junior standing (by credits or by progress in the major) for prospective students  Demonstrate higher functions within the discipline by requiring o A significant written assignment or project, or o A presentation or performance (oral, visual, or other appropriate presentation), or o Some other culminating activity or examination that relies on an escalating sequence of tasks.

If in doubt, contact either the Associate Provost or the Chairperson of the Curriculum Committee for additional advice on how to align your proposals with these standards.

Course Articulation SOU has course articulation agreements with numerous universities and community colleges, particularly for courses at the lower division level. Changing a subject code, course number, course title, or substantially revising course content or program requirements can have far-reaching implications. See Course Articulation information at http://sou.edu/admissions/transfers/tr-ap-ceaa.html for more information. 3

Frequency of Course Offerings Except in unusual circumstances, most courses are taught at least once every 2-3 years. If a department cannot offer a course during this time frame, the department should consider suspending the course and removing it from the catalog.

Prerequisites Course prerequisites are designed to ensure that students registered for a course have the required minimum background for study of the course content. This background may be obtained through courses equivalent to the listed prerequisites or through other educational experiences. In such cases, students should consult the instructor. Instructors have the authority to admit into their courses students with backgrounds equivalent to the listed prerequisites.

Cross-listed Courses Cooperating departments may list courses under more than one prefix. The course number is usually the same, but occasionally one department will use a different number for the cross-listed course. The course title and description are identical. For each course to be cross-listed, a completed cross-listing proposal form must be submitted and each Program Chair and Division Director for each prefix must approve the cross-listing of the course.

University Studies and General Education University Studies, SOU’s student-learning, outcomes-focused, general education program, is designed to provide undergraduates with effective critical thinking, communication, and research skills. These requirements develop in students an awareness of the connections and relationships among the social, artistic, cultural, and scientific traditions of human endeavor. The desired outcome of the University Studies program is a person who is capable of resolving complex issues with intelligence, compassion, and understanding. The University Studies program includes both lower-division and upper-division requirements. The lower-division requirements include the University Seminar, Quantitative Reasoning, and Explorations courses. The upper-division requirements include three Integration courses. See http://sou.edu/universitystudies for information.

Pilot Courses and Open-Numbered Courses Programs can experiment with course content by offering pilot courses, usually with an open-number, before submitting a New Course Proposal form. Open-numbered courses include 199, 299, 399 (Special Studies courses intended for pilot courses or other temporary offerings), 401 (Research), 403 (Thesis), 405 (Reading and Conference), and 407 (Seminar) numbers. Courses taught with these numbers do not usually have specific, permanent course content but change from term to term. Courses can be taught up to three times with an open number. After that, the course should be proposed with a permanent, hard number through a New Course Proposal form.

Honors College Qualified students may be accepted into the Honors College. In addition, discipline-specific honors curriculum is offered in several majors. For more information on the SOU Honors College, see http://honorscollege.sou.edu.

Graduate Courses The Graduate Council oversees the approval process for graduate-level curricular changes. Graduate-level courses are numbered at the 500-level. At SOU, many 400-level courses have an optional 500-level component; the Graduate Council approves the 500-level portion of these courses.

For a course that combines graduate and undergraduate students (400- and 500-level), the course expectations for each level must be clearly explained in the syllabus. While the traditional model for such courses has been to require an additional assignment for graduate students, instructors are moving away from extra work as a means of drawing a distinction between graduate and undergraduate achievement. Instead, they are focusing on evaluating the level of sophistication that graduate students demonstrate in their understanding of course 4

content and their ability to apply skills learned through the course. The proposed course work must demonstrate that the graduate students will extend their knowledge beyond what was presented in class by drawing inferences, cross-referencing knowledge, engaging deeper conceptual knowledge, sharing novel insights, and using analytical skills to make new connections with what they are learning.

To propose a 500-level component for a 400-level course, complete the “Departmental Request to Offer Split- Level (400/500) Coursework” form and submit it to the Graduate Council. See http://www.sou.edu/graduatestudies for more information.

Online and Hybrid Courses The Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning offers individualized instructional design support and a variety of resources to assist faculty with developing online courses and online supplements for on-campus courses. The experienced staff can assist with course planning and development, multimedia production, using the course management system (Moodle), incorporating best practices, engaging students through innovative uses of technology, and conducting online course readiness reviews.

The Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning is located in Hannon Library, Room 321. You may also call or contact them online for assistance. Contact Clay Austin, Director, at 541-552-8290 or [email protected]; Bill Bateman, Instructional Designer, at 541-552-6257 or [email protected]; or Hart Wilson, Instructional Designer, at 541-552-8283 or [email protected].

Faculty Resources are available on the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning website at: https://inside.sou.edu/catl/resources.html.

Curricular Change Resources The Academic Affairs website contains instructions and forms for preparing curricular changes at: http://www.sou.edu/provost/curriculum.html

Specific Procedures

Catalog Changes The SOU academic catalog is updated annually. All catalog changes must be approved by either the Curriculum Committee (for undergraduate curriculum) or the Graduate Council (for graduate curriculum). Other curriculum review committees, such as the University Studies Committee, may also need to approve specific curricular changes. The Division Directors forward approved proposals to the Provost’s Office for further distribution to the appropriate curricular committees. Instructions for preparing catalog changes are on the Provost’s website at http://www.sou.edu/provost/curriculum.html.

New Course Complete the New Course Proposal form, available at http://www.sou.edu/provost/curriculum.html.

Modified Course Changes to existing courses (title, credits, prerequisites, description) are usually considered minor changes. In some cases, the Curriculum Committee will ask for further information to explain changes in credits, or if the course is substantially changed, the committee may ask that the course be submitted as a New Course, with a New Course Proposal form. (See Course Articulation information at http://sou.edu/admissions/transfers/tr-ap- ceaa.html)

Renumbered Course Courses being proposed for re-numbering within the same numerical range should be done thoughtfully and may be considered new courses, if there have been significant changes to course content. If deemed a new course, a new course proposal will be required and the equivalency will not be built in the system. Re- 5

numbering is considered an equivalency and the equivalency will be upheld for all students. Individual exceptions for manual include/exclude in academic history will not be permitted.

Deleted or Suspended Course Deleted courses are not expected to be offered again. If there is a reasonable expectation that the course will be offered again within a few years, departments can request that a course be “suspended;” it will be removed from the catalog, and can be placed back in when the department is able to offer it again. Generally, five years is the limitation on bringing back a course from suspension.

New Major, Certificate, or Degree Concentration New majors are in two categories: new degrees/certificates, and new concentrations for existing majors.

New Degree/Certificate Programs Proposals for new degrees or certificates require approval by the Curriculum Committee (for undergraduate programs) or Graduate Council (for graduate programs), Faculty Senate, and then by the SOU Board of Trustees, the statewide Provosts Council, and the Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC). For new majors, complete the Proposal for a New Academic Program form (or, for new certificates, the Proposal for a New Certificate Program form) plus the budget outline, available on the Provost’s website at http://www.sou.edu/provost/curriculum.html. In addition, complete the SOU New Program Proposal form available at the same site. Note that the approval process for new degree/certificate programs usually takes several months. Graduate programs require an external review, which can add 2-4 additional months to the approval time.

New Concentration for Existing Degree Proposals for new concentrations for existing degrees do not require statewide approval; they are approved at the local campus level. Complete the SOU New Program Proposal form at http://www.sou.edu/provost/curriculum.html and submit it to the Curriculum Committee. Following Curriculum Committee approval, the proposal will be forwarded to Faculty Senate.

New Minor Proposals for new minors do not require statewide approval. Complete the SOU New Program Proposal form at http://www.sou.edu/provost/curriculum.html and submit it to the Curriculum Committee at the time annual catalog changes are solicited. Following Curriculum Committee approval, the proposal will be forwarded to Faculty Senate.

Changes to Major or Minor Programs Submit changes to existing majors or minors when annual catalog changes are solicited. It is helpful to provide some explanation on the reasons for the changes. Complete instructions are available on the Provost’s website at http://www.sou.edu/provost/curriculum.html. (see also Course Articulation information at http://sou.edu/admissions/transfers/tr-ap-ceaa.html)

Changes to Certificate Programs Changes to certificates have the same procedures as changes to majors or minors (see above).

Miscellaneous Catalog Copy Revisions All catalog copy is routed through the Provost’s Office, including all academic changes and any administrative information listed in the catalog. Submit these changes during the annual catalog change solicitation.