Academic Senate: Curriculum Guide
Appendix C - Procedural Sequence

Procedural Sequence for Curriculum Approval4

  1. Program Faculty development
  2. Departmental Approval (may include advisory, or other committee, approval at the discretion of the department). This process will include consultation with, and explanation of changes to all departments that require the curriculum being modified.
  1. All Departments will be given copies of the Procedural Sequence for Academic Senate Approval of Proposals only. The entire proposal will be forwarded to the Faculty Senate Secretary for assignment of a tracking number, and Senate distribution of the documents to the Curriculum Committee, General Education Committee, or Teacher Education Council.
  2. Actions or recommendations in other departments should be initiated as soon as possible (30 days maximum) and given to the Chair of the Curriculum Committee to facilitate Curriculum Committee actions. Curriculum Committee minutes and agenda items will be tracked to assure timely departmental input. No action, by other departments, indicates acceptance of the changes represented in the distributed materials.
  3. The curriculum materials will be placed on the submission agenda of the Curriculum Committee by the Chair of that committee. When these items are to be evaluated (appear on the Curriculum Committee submission agenda), area faculty, and/or interested others, should be in attendance to answer questions and take notes on changes or clarifications requested by the Curriculum Committee. All interested parties are urged to attend the first Curriculum Committee meeting at which the item is discussed. Motions at this point will be to move the materials to the action agenda for the next meeting. If the motion is then approved (with necessary corrections/clarifications), such repairs, if any, will be made by the department of origin and the revised material given to the Curriculum Committee Secretary for distribution of the revised materials to members.
  1. If proposal is approved at the action agenda stage, the curriculum moves forward to the Academic Senate for placement on the faculty meeting agenda.
  2. The curriculum will be considered by the full faculty.
  3. If approved, the curriculum is forwarded to the Academic Vice Chancellor. 9. Appeal Process
    1. If a committee (General Education Committee, Teacher Education Council, Curriculum Committee, Academic Senate) disapproves the proposal, the originator may request that the item be forwarded to the next body for consideration. If a committee disapproves an item, it will provide a written rationale to the originator.

Process Steps require action to approve/disapprove materials within thirty working days of receipt or the item will be forwarded without consideration to the next level.

Materials that are not approved will be returned to the department level with explanations and/or recommendations.

Curriculum materials for new courses, major modifications of existing courses, or programs must be on new forms. These forms supersede all other curriculum forms, processes, guidelines, and signature gathering processes. Materials and documents for existing courses and programs do not need to be modified until they require submission to the Curriculum Committee.

The three forms used to submit items to the Curriculum Committee are:

  1. Academic Senate Form
  2. Program Revision Form with "before" and "after" picture for revisions to programs.
  3. Course Revision Form for revisions to courses.

The Program Revision Form and Course Revision Form, replaces all other similar forms. It provides options for new courses/programs, dropped courses/programs, and revision of existing courses/programs.

Please believe that the intention of these changes is to unify a system that has been fragmented. It is the clarification of process, and reduction in the variety of forms we are seeking.

_______________
4Minor items {title changes, course description changes) are forwarded to the next level for information only). PLEASE TAKE INTO f" CONSIDERATION THAT THE CURRICULUM COMMITTEE ACTS UPON A SUBMISSION/ACTION AGENDA.