[SAMPLE TEMPLATE 2017-03]
Curriculum Management Plan
[Department of XXXX]
Rev. [date] per University Policies 6-001 and 6-500
A. Internal Curricular Decision Making Process
{Instructions: describe the important steps and participants in the processes the department follows for
creating or modifying any “Credentialed Academic Program” (defined in Policies 6-001 & 6-500 as a Degree,
Major, Minor, Certificate or Emphasis), and also the process for creating or significantly modifying individual
credit-bearing courses. Include a brief description of the organizational structure of the unit, and just sufficient
detail of involved committees/ faculty bodies, to demonstrate compliance with requirement that “The unit shall
have an internal consultation and decision-making process which places primary responsibility for curricula
management decisions with a body comprised mainly of voting-qualified members of the faculty of the unit,
and also provides for oversight by another body comprised mainly of voting-qualified faculty members.
Consultation with student representatives is encouraged. For example, in a typical structure of an academic
department within a multi-department academic college, the process will include formal approval by the
voting-qualified faculty of the department (possibly assisted by a designated departmental curricula
committee), and consultation or formal approval by a body representative of the college faculty (either the full
college council, or a curricula committee of the council).” Policy 6-001-III-A-2, & Policy 6-500. }
Example:
i)
The department of XXX is an academic department situated within the college of
XXXX. Administratively the department is headed by a Department Chairperson, who
reports to the Dean of the college, and in turn to the Senior Vice President for
Academic Affairs.
ii)
A proposal to create a new Credentialed-Academic-Program (Degree, Major, Minor,
Certificate or Emphasis), or to modify any existing such Credentialed Program, and a
proposal to create or modify a credit-bearing course, will include a required Learning
Outcome Assessment Plan for the Credentialed Program or course. Such a proposal
is first considered at the department level by the Department Curriculum
Committee, then the Voting-Qualified Faculty of the Department.
The Curriculum Committee voting members include five faculty members, the
majority of whom are Tenure-line, and the others are Clinical or Lecturer faculty
members who have held full-time (at least .75FTE) positions for at least three years.
There is [one] voting student representative. All voting members are appointed by
the Department Chairperson. The assistant department chairperson serves as a nonvoting ex officio member. The Committee seeks and incorporates input from the
department Student Advisory Committee (SAC).
The Voting-Qualified Faculty of the Department, for curriculum decision purposes,
includes all Tenure-line faculty members, and [a set number/percentage, or all]
Clinical or Lecturer faculty members who have held full-time positions for at least
three-years. (Presently the numbers are ### Tenure-line, ### Clinical, and ##
Lecturer).
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iii)
iv)
v)
Once approved at the department level, a proposal for a new/modified Credentialed
Academic Program, or a new/modified course, is reviewed [and formally approved]
at the college level by the the College of XXX Curriculum Committee, and then by the
voting members of the College Council.
The College-level Committee membership is [_____] and College Council
membership is [_____] {Either describe membership here, or may instead simply refer to and
attach the relevant portion of the current college council Charter} .
After college-level review, a proposal for a new/modified Credentialed Academic
Program is presented to the appropriate University-level bodies--- Undergraduate or
Graduate Council, and Academic Senate (as coordinated by the Office of Curriculum
Administration, see Policy 6-500). A proposal for a new/ modified course is
presented to the Office of Curriculum Administration for coordination and inclusion
in the University Catalog, in accord with policies of the University Curriculum Policy
Review Board.
For both any new/modified individual course, and any new/modified Credentialed
Academic Program (Degree, Major, Minor, Certificate or Emphasis), an approvable
proposal must describe identified learning outcomes, and a plan for assessment of
those outcomes, with details of the appropriate assessment methodologies.
B. Schedule and Procedures for Conducting Periodic Curriculum Reviews
Every seven years, ordinarily in conjunction with the University’s seven-year cycle review of the
department as an academic unit (as coordinated by the Graduate Council), the department will
conduct a thorough review of its curriculum and submit a report of that review. It will conduct
the thorough review in accord with Policy 6-001 and the current guidelines developed for such
reviews by the Office of Learning Outcome Assessment and the Graduate Council (as described
in University of Utah Graduate Council Program Reviews: Descriptions and Procedures, aka “the
Red Book”) [; and any guidelines of appropriate accrediting bodies].
Twice within the seven-year cycle, ordinarily on years three and five, the department will
conduct an interim periodic learning outcomes assessment. This process will begin with the
assessment plan and culminate in an interim summary learning outcome assessment report,
submitted in accord with Policy 6-001, and current guidelines developed by the Office of
Learning Outcome Assessment.
The Department Chairperson is responsible for ensuring that the third and fifth-year interim
summary reports, and subsequently the seventh-year thorough report, are completed and
submitted.
The Department Curriculum Committee is responsible for organizing and conducting the
learning outcomes assessment as the primary basis for the reports.
The Department Voting Faculty will review the interim summary reports and make
recommendations for changes to the curriculum based on elements of the reports. These
process steps of outcomes formulation, assessment, review, and recommendation are reflected
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in periodic reports, and then are documented and used as the basis for the thorough yearseven report.
C. “Credentialed Academic Programs” Currently Offered by This Academic Unit.
{Instructions: list by official name each Credentialed Academic Program (defined as Degree, Major, Minor,
Certificate or Emphasis) this academic unit has been approved to offer and is therefore currently listed in the
University Catalog. Use the precise official name as it is listed in the University Catalog. It will be assumed that
the “program of study” for each listed credentialed program is exactly as currently described in the University
Catalog, and so there is no need to describe that here. And there is no need to list individual courses here. }
Example:
The Department currently offers two bachelor of arts degree majors. It offers a Major in
“XX”, for which it offers three Undergraduate Emphases (“XXX”, “XXX”, and “XXX”). It offers
a Major in “ZZ”, for which it offers two Undergraduate Emphases (“ZZZ”, and “ZZZ”). It also
offers a Master of Arts Degree in “YYY”. And it offers a Graduate Certificate in “XXX”. The
details of each, including the “official program of study” for each, are as currently described
in the University Catalog, as maintained by the Office of Curriculum Administration.
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