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Birx, Don

University Days 2018: Finding Your Why [video]

President\u27s Monthly Report to Campus April 2018

English

President\u27s Monthly Report to Campus November 2018

Last year, a number of programs converted from 3-credit programs to primarily 4-credit programs. The complexities of organizing the proposals, creating blanket-agreements, and so on, were difficult to for programs (and the committee) to navigate. The Curriculum Committee has used that experience to create what we hope will be helpful guidance for programs coming forward with proposals to convert to 4-credits in 2018/19. Bring your questions

Ahl, Liz

Cantor, Pat

Coykendall, Scott

 Information regarding changes from three-credit to four-credit 
curriculum, including blanket agreements  
 
In 2017-18, at least five programs converted from 3-credit curricula to 4-credit. Most of those 
programs presented their proposals in February. In order to avoid many of the problems that 
programs and the committee encountered, we offer the following guidance to programs 
planning to propose 4-credit conversions in 2018-19. 
Deadlines 
First, in order to allow programs time to make adjustments before 
the 2019 Spring catalog deadline, we are requiring all proposals to 
convert programs to 4-credits to come to us before the end of the 
calendar year. In the event a program encounters significant 
problems with their initial proposal, they can bring revised 
proposals to a subsequent meeting. This is complicated by the fact 
that the calendar does not permit a Curriculum Committee 
meeting in December so revised proposals may need to come to 
our February meeting (which will otherwise be reserved for new 
program proposals or individual course proposals). As always, our 
March meeting will be reserved for individual course proposals 
and other smaller proposals. Thus, programs converting to 4-
credits will need to keep the following Fall deadlines in mind:  
• September 14 (4 pm) is the deadline for the September 21 
meeting. 
• October 12 (4 pm) is the deadline for the October 19 
meeting (if you are submitting updated materials from an 
earlier proposal, you may want to submit them by October 
5 for inclusion in our October online voting session). 
• November 9 (4 pm) is the deadline for the November 16 
meeting (if you are submitting updated materials from an 
earlier proposal, you may want to submit them by 
November 2 for inclusion in our November online voting 
session). 
• In December we will only have an online voting session for 
minor curricular changes. However, if you need to submit 
updated materials from an earlier proposal, you can submit them by December 7 for 
inclusion in our December online voting session. 
At a glance… 
Required Documents 
 Curriculum Change Proposal(s) 
for Major/Option 
 Curriculum Change Proposal(s) 
for Minor/Certificate 
 Curriculum Change Proposal(s) 
for Blanket Agreements 
 Curriculum Change Proposal(s) 
for individual converted 
courses 
 New Course Proposal(s) 
Recommended Documents  
(linked to examples) 
 Communication to students  
 Summary of communication to 
other departments/disciplines, 
Lamson Library liaison, and IT  
 Cover sheet with document 
list   
 Summary of changes with 4-
credit justification   
 
 
Required Documents for Proposal package 
Programs converting to 4-credits must include the following documents in their proposal to the 
Curriculum Committee: 
 Curriculum Change Proposal(s) for Major/Option 
 Curriculum Change Proposal(s) for Minor/Certificate 
 Curriculum Change Proposal(s) for Blanket Agreements (see below) 
 Curriculum Change Proposal(s) for individual converted courses 
 New Course Proposal(s) 
 
Recommended Documents for the Curriculum Committee  
While the following documents are not associated with specific proposal forms, we recommend that 
programs incorporate the following as separate documents to assist them (and the committee) in 
managing their overall proposal package. 
 Communication to students [Example of student correspondence]  
In considering these proposals, the Curriculum Committee always seeks to ensure that the 
proposed changes to the program will be clear to students. To that end, please ensure that your 
communication addresses the following: 
• Description of the new program(s) 
• When the discipline will begin offering the new/revised courses 
• When the discipline will discontinue the old courses 
• Changes to courses in the program core or other key courses (if applicable) 
• Who should consider changing to the new catalog and what implications that may have (see 
below, consider completing your blanket agreement first). 
• What will happen to students who remain in the current catalog (see below, consider 
completing your blanket agreement first)? 
• Remind them that converted versions of existing courses will receive new course numbers 
(and plan to publicize that as soon as those numbers are issued by the registrar). Note that it 
may take up to several weeks for the registrar to generate new course numbers. 
 
 Summary of communication to other departments/disciplines, Lamson Library liaison, 
and IT [Example of Communication] 
 
As always, curriculum changes and new courses require that you consult with Lamson Library, 
ITS, and (if your courses are included in other majors) affected departments. Rather than include 
such correspondence on each proposal form, it may be simpler to present it in a standalone 
document. 
 
 Cover sheet with document list [Example 1, Example 2]  
The proposal package from the English department included 40 separate files. Communication 
and Media Studies included 50 files, and the combined Social Sciences proposal included over 
100 files. In order for the Curriculum Committee to navigate such a large number of proposals 
and supporting documents, we request that you include a cover sheet and document list, and 
that you use some consistent naming convention for those files. Communication and Media 
Studies prefixed all supporting documents with the numbers 0x (i.e., “02 Summary of CMS 
Changes.pdf”), overall option or minor proposals with the numbers 1x (i.e., “11 Curriculum 
Change Proposal Professional Communication Option.pdf”), new course proposals with the 
numbers 2x (i.e., “22 New Course Proposal CM2xxx Strategic Communication.pdf”), and so on. 
This made review much easier for the committee, but also made it much easier for the 
department to manage the large number of files in their proposal.  
 Summary of changes with 4-credit justification  [Example of change summary]  
 
The Curriculum Committee looks at proposals for courses that are converting to 4-credits to see 
what is changing in the course to justify another credit. Frequently, the simple answer is, “My 
new course is pretty much the same course except that we meet longer so we can do more of 
the same work we were doing in the 3-credit version.” Other courses, though, may be 
combining content from earlier courses, incorporating new learning experiences, etc. For 
programs that are converting all (or most) of their courses to 4-credits, it may be helpful to 
provide an overview of those changes, explain which courses were 
cut/recombined/reconfigured, and why. 
 
Developing blanket agreements and transition plans [Example of Blanket agreement for four-
credit transition] 
 
When changes occur because courses have changed to 4 credits, as well as for required courses being 
deleted, we must remember the students that are in the pipeline, working to complete their 
requirements, and prepare a clear pathway for them. Blanket agreements should 
clarify for students how new or revised courses will fulfill requirements from 
earlier catalogs and/or how courses from old catalog will satisfy requirements in 
new catalog: 
Example 1: For English majors and minors following pre-2017-2018 Catalogs, 
to count the four-credit versions of any of the following courses in place 
of their three-credit versions for fulfilling the requirements of the relevant 
major/option/minors:  EN 2560; EN 2610; EN 2700; EN 3030; EN 3100; 
EN 3120; EN 3130; EN 3140; EN 3300; EN 3320; EN 3510; EN 3590; 
EN 3680; EN 3690; EN 3750; EN 3760; EN 4025; EN 4030;EN 4150; EN 
4310; EN 4550; EN 4800 
 
Example 2: For current CM students changing TO 2019-20 CATALOG (all options and minors)  
OR for CM students remaining in current catalogs after Fall 2019 (all options and minors): 
CM3xxx Analyzing Screen Media (new catalog) equivalent to CM3800 or CM3810 (previous 
catalogs); CM2xxx Public Speaking is EQUIVALENT to CM2400 Public Speaking in previous 
catalog; CM 2xxx Media and Cultural Studies is EQUIVALENT to CM2770 Introduction to 
Media and Cultural Studies in previous catalog; CM 2xxx Communication and Leadership is 
EQUIVALENT to CM2910 Human Communication and Conflict in previous catalog 
 
Note that blanket 
agreements cannot specify 
that a requirement from 
an earlier program will be 
waived. Instead, your 
blanket agreement must 
indicate which course(s) 
may substitute for the 
former requirement.  
If blanket agreements will not cover all scenarios for students, you may also want to include a plan for 
how you will transition or teach out the current program.  
Example: 
CURRENT EN MAJOR 4 CREDIT CHANGES SUBSTITUTIONS/Adaptions Needed 
EN3690 Critical Theory EN3XXX Critical Theory Most students still need this, so we can 
request this to fulfill their requirement. 
EN3510 Currents in Global 
Lit 
EN 3XXX Currents in Global 
Lit 
Many current students may still need this; 
we can SR this course to count or have 
them chg catalog 
Introductory EN Elective 
Complete one of the 
following:  
EN 2250 Identity and 
Difference in 
American 
Literature 
(DICO) 
EN 2350 Decades in 
Literature  
EN 2410 Shakespeare's 
(St)age  
EN 2450 Prize Winners  
EN 2610 Introduction to 
Film  
  
No longer required for 
several reasons, including 
moving the Currents 
courses down to the 2000 
level and adding more 
depth throughout the 
curriculum;  
We will still be offering EN2250 as a 3 
credit course through the transition, and 
EN2610 will be a 4 credit course but can 
still be requested to fulfill this 
requirement. (We’d also like to keep 
EN2350 for just one more fall to help with 
the transition but this wasn’t on our 
original requests, fyi.).  
Currents - complete three 
of the following, one of 
which must be Global 
Literature and one of 
which must be Technology 
in the Discipline 
Connection (TECO): 
EN 3611 Currents in 
British 
Literature I 
(INCO)  
EN 3621 Currents in 
British 
Literature II 
(TECO)  
EN 3715 Currents in 
American 
Literature I 
(DICO) 
(TECO) 
EN 3720 Currents in 
American 
Literature II 
(DICO)  
 
The Currents courses, as a 
group, have been deleted 
and replaced with the 
2XXX/3XXX level 
“Rethinking” courses. 
Rethinking—complete 
three of the following, one 
of which must be TECO: 
EN2XXX Rethinking Early 
American Lit (DICO/TECO) 
EN2XXX Rethinking Modern 
Am Lit (DICO) 
EN3XXX Rethinking 
Medieval and Renaissance 
Lit (INCO) 
EN2XXX Rethinking Mod 
British Lit, 1660-present 
day (TECO) 
 
This will be the most complicated as most 
current students are in the middle of 
these requirements. Our plan is to SR a 
Rethinking course to substitute for 
required Currents courses as needed or to 
have students chg their catalog, 
depending on how early they are in the 
program.  
EN Electives Above 3000 
(15 credits) 
Changed to 16 credits in 
new program; students will 
have almost the same list 
of classes they have now 
but classes will have more 
depth of content, more 
emphasis on skills, and 
more opportunities for 
project-based learning and 
collaboration.  
Again, this seems like an easy fix if we 
focus on the number of CREDITS. We will 
still aim for 15-16 credits minimum at the 
Advanced level; we will adjust to meet the 
student’s needs based on where they are 
in the curriculum. Early students (first 
year/sophomore) will likely take all four 
credit Advanced classes (i.e., 16 credits), 
while current juniors and seniors may 
have a combination.  
 
 
CURRICULUM COMMITTEE
LIZ AHL > PAT CANTOR > SCOTT COYKENDALL
2018-19 Curriculum Committee 
Meetings
Programs converting to 4-credits will need to keep the following Fall deadlines in mind: 
 September 14 (4 pm) is the deadline for the September 21 meeting.
 October 12 (4 pm) is the deadline for the October 19 meeting 
(October 5 deadline for inclusion in our October online voting session).
 November 9 (4 pm) is the deadline for the November 16 meeting (November 2 deadline 
for inclusion in our November online voting session).
 In December we will only have an online voting session for minor curricular changes. 
However, if you need to submit updated materials from an earlier proposal, you can 
submit them by December 7 for inclusion in our December online voting session.
Required Documents 
for your proposal package
Curriculum Change Proposal(s) for:
Major/Option
Minor/Certificate
Blanket Agreements 
individual converted courses
New Course Proposal(s)
Recommended Documents 
for your proposal package
Cover sheet with document list [Example]
 2017-18 proposal packages ranged between 40 and 100+ files. 
 Please include a cover sheet that lists all of the individual files in your proposal.
 Consider using a consistent naming convention for those files. 
 Ex. CMS prefixed all supporting documents with the numbers 0x (i.e., “02 Summary of CMS 
Changes.pdf”), overall option or minor proposals with the numbers 1x (i.e., “11 Curriculum 
Change Proposal Professional Communication Option.pdf”), new course proposals with the 
numbers 2x (i.e., “22 New Course Proposal CM2xxx Strategic Communication.pdf”), and so 
on. 
 Include some general descriptor for the type/purpose of that file.
Recommended Documents 
for the Curriculum Committee (cont’d)
Summary of changes with 4-credit rationale
[Example]
The Curriculum Committee looks at proposals for courses that are converting to 4-credits to see 
what is changing in the course to justify another credit. 
 Frequently, the simple answer is, “My new course is pretty much the same course except 
that we meet longer so we can do more of the same work we were doing in the 3-credit 
version.” This will almost certainly draw questions.
 Other courses, though, may be combining content from earlier courses, incorporating new 
learning experiences, etc. 
 For programs that are converting all (or most) of their courses to 4-credits, it may be helpful 
to provide an overview of those changes, explain which courses were 
cut/recombined/reconfigured, and why. If you were guided by a particular philosophy or 
goal, this is an excellent place to include it.
Recommended Documents 
for the Curriculum Committee (cont’d)
Summary of external communication with…
 Lamson Library
 ITS
 Impacted programs
Rather than include such correspondence on each proposal form, it may be 
simpler to present it in a standalone document.
[Example of Communication]
Recommended Documents 
for the Curriculum Committee (cont’d)
Communication to students
[Example of student correspondence]
 Description of the new program(s)
 When the discipline will begin offering the new/revised courses
 When the discipline will discontinue the old courses
 Changes to courses in the program core or other key courses (if applicable)
 Who should consider changing to the new catalog and what implications that may have (see below, 
consider completing your blanket agreement first).
 What will happen to students who remain in the current catalog (see below, consider completing your 
blanket agreement first)?
 Remind them that converted versions of existing courses will receive new course numbers (and plan to 
publicize that as soon as those numbers are issued by the registrar). Note that it may take up to several 
weeks for the registrar to generate new course numbers.
Blanket Agreements
When changes occur because courses have changed to 4 credits, as well as 
for required courses being deleted, we must remember the students that are 
in the pipeline, working to complete their requirements, and prepare a clear 
pathway for them. 
 Blanket agreements should clarify for students how new or revised courses 
will fulfill requirements from earlier catalogs and/or how courses from the 
old catalog will satisfy requirements in new catalog.
 Note that blanket agreements cannot specify that a requirement from an 
earlier program will be waived. Instead, your blanket agreement must 
indicate which course(s) may substitute for the former requirement.
2018-19 Curriculum Committee 
Meetings
Programs converting to 4-credits will need to keep the following Fall deadlines in mind: 
 September 14 (4 pm) is the deadline for the September 21 meeting.
 October 12 (4 pm) is the deadline for the October 19 meeting 
(October 5 deadline for inclusion in our October online voting session).
 November 9 (4 pm) is the deadline for the November 16 meeting (November 2 deadline 
for inclusion in our November online voting session).
 In December we will only have an online voting session for minor curricular changes. 
However, if you need to submit updated materials from an earlier proposal, you can 
submit them by December 7 for inclusion in our December online voting session.
Questions?


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