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General Guidelines for All Proposals to the Curriculum Committee

• Proposals are considered by the Curriculum Committee throughout the academic year and are due one week prior to scheduled committee meetings. Specific deadlines for receipt of course proposals are found at: http://www.umw.edu/cas/acaffairs/dates/curriculum_committee_acade.php

* A proposal that includes more than one item (e.g. extensive revisions to a major program along with new courses and course deletions and course title changes) must have a summary of individual proposed changes -- that is, it must list separately each new course, each course to be deleted, each number and title change, and so forth. This will enable the Curriculum Committee Chair to be sure that all separate proposals have been received. Please submit 12 copies of the summary list of proposed changes.

• Courses should always be identified both by number and by title in any materials being submitted.

• Effective Fall 1998, the Faculty approved "that a [topics] course may be taught no more than three times before it is approved by the Curriculum Committee [as a regular course]." A department must submit a new course proposal to the Curriculum Committee for approval before such a course is taught for the fourth time.

To Add a New Course to the Curriculum

• Complete the New Course Proposal Form, to be signed by the department chair.  Send 12 copies of the completed and signed course proposal form to the Curriculum Committee chair.  Complete this form for each new course if several new courses are being proposed at the same time.

• Include the two required attachments with the proposal  -- (1) a rationale statement explaining the need for the new course, and (2) a course syllabus.  If the proposed course was not previously offered as a special topics offering, the rationale should explain why the course needs to be added without first offering it on an experimental or trial basis.

• Reminder – be sure that the proposed course number listed on the course proposal form has been approved by the Office of the Registrar.

• Note regarding interdisciplinary (IDIS) course proposals – to add a new IDIS course, the same new course proposal form is to be completed. IDIS courses are normally designed by groups of self-selected faculty. Proposals for new courses to the Curriculum Committee will only be accepted from established departments. Therefore, faculty who wish to teach IDIS courses must find a department that will accept "responsibility" for the course. This department will be called the "host" department. Typically the host department will be the one that houses one of the faculty members involved in the design of the IDIS course.  (Even after permanent status is achieved, IDIS courses will require a host department. Host departments may change over time. A short memo from the new host to the Office of the Registrar will be sufficient to register the change.)

To Delete an Existing Course

• Submit a letter/memo, signed by the Chair of the proposing department, explaining why the course should be deleted. 

•If the course to be deleted is a major requirement, the letter/memo should explain the department’s “transition plan” – how will students who are in Catalogs where the course is required for the major be accommodated.

• If the course to be deleted is a general education course, the letter/memo must indicate whether or not the General Education Committee has been notified of the proposed course deletion and if they had any comment.

• The memo must indicate the date that the change is to take effect, and the proposed date must be consistent with the guidance regarding deadlines as distributed by the Curriculum Committee.

• Send 12 copies of the signed letter/memo to the Curriculum Committee chair. A completed course proposal form is not necessary in order to delete a course.

To Change the Number or Title of an Existing Course

• Submit a letter/memo, signed by the Chair of the proposing department, listing (1) the current number or title, (2) the new number or title proposed, and (3) an explanation of why the course number or title should be changed. 

• The letter/memo should also include the Academic Catalog copy for the course exactly as it would appear if the proposed changes were approved.

• The memo must indicate the date that the change is to take effect, and the proposed date must be consistent with the guidance regarding deadlines as distributed by the Curriculum Committee.

• Send 12 copies of the signed letter/memo to the Curriculum Committee chair. A completed course proposal form is not necessary in order to change the number or title of an existing course.

To Change the Prerequisites of an Existing Course

• Submit a letter/memo, signed by the Chair of the proposing department, listing (1) the current prerequisites, (2) the new prerequisites proposed, and (3) an explanation of why the course prerequisites should be changed. 

• The letter/memo should also include the Academic Catalog copy for the course exactly as it would appear if the proposed changes were approved.

• The memo must indicate the date that the change is to take effect, and the proposed date must be consistent with the guidance regarding deadlines as distributed by the Curriculum Committee.

• Send 12 copies of the signed letter/memo to the Curriculum Committee chair. A completed course proposal form is not necessary in order to change the prerequisites of an existing course.

To Change the Description of an Existing Course

• Submit a letter/memo, signed by the Chair of the proposing department, listing (1) the current course description, (2) the new description proposed, and (3) an explanation of why the course description should be changed. 

• The letter/memo should also include the Academic Catalog copy for the course exactly as it would appear if the proposed changes were approved.

• The memo must indicate the date that the change is to take effect, and the proposed date must be consistent with the guidance regarding deadlines as distributed by the Curriculum Committee.

• Send 12 copies of the signed letter/memo to the Curriculum Committee chair. A completed course proposal form is not necessary in order to change the description of an existing course.

To Change the Requirements for the Major (or an Existing Concentration)

• Submit a letter/memo, signed by the Chair of the proposing department, listing (1) the current major requirements, (2) the new requirements proposed, and (3) an explanation of why the major requirements should be changed. 

• The letter/memo should also include the Academic Catalog copy for the major’s requirements exactly as they would appear if the proposed changes were approved.

• The memo must indicate the date that the change is to take effect, and the proposed date must be consistent with the guidance regarding deadlines as distributed by the Curriculum Committee.

• Send 12 copies of the signed letter/memo to the Curriculum Committee chair. A completed course proposal form is not necessary in order to change major requirements.  But any new courses that will have to be added as a part of the new major requirements must be submitted with a completed course proposal form including required attachments.

• Note – if the changes to the major or existing concentration are not very extensive (e.g. deleting a course from the list required in the major, or changing the number of credits required) it would be acceptable to submit the existing Catalog requirements with deletions shown as “strikethrough” text and new items shown in bold text (or in some other similar fashion that distinguished what the proposed changes were).

To Propose Requirements for a New Concentration within an Existing Major

• Submit a letter/memo, signed by the Chair of the proposing department, listing (1) the requirements for the new concentration, and (2) the rationale for why the new concentration is needed at UMW.

• The letter/memo should also include the Academic Catalog copy for the minor’s requirements exactly as they would appear if the proposed changes were approved.

• The memo must indicate the date that new concentration is to take effect, and the proposed date must be consistent with the guidance regarding deadlines as distributed by the Curriculum Committee.

• Send 12 copies of the signed letter/memo to the Curriculum Committee chair. A completed course proposal form is not necessary in order to establish the new concentration’s requirements. But any new courses that will have to be added as a part of the concentration’s requirements must be submitted with a completed course proposal form including required attachments.

To Propose Requirements for a New Minor

• Submit a letter/memo, signed by the Chair of the proposing department, listing (1) the requirements for the minor, (2) rationale for why the minor is needed at UMW, and (3) a brief statement addressing what additional resources (staffing or otherwise) would be required to support this minor, and how the proposing department intends to meet them.

Please note: every minor must have exactly one "host" department, so that there is a single point of administrative contact. In the case of multidisciplinary minors, the Curriculum Committee requests that only one department present themselves as the focal point of communication.

• The letter/memo should also include the Academic Catalog copy for the minor’s requirements exactly as they would appear if the proposed changes were approved.

• The memo must indicate the date that new minor is to take effect, and the proposed date must be consistent with the guidance regarding deadlines as distributed by the Curriculum Committee.

• Send 12 copies of the signed letter/memo to the Curriculum Committee chair. A completed course proposal form is not necessary in order to establish the minor’s requirements. But any new courses that will have to be added as a part of the minor’s requirements must be submitted with a completed course proposal form including required attachments.

Examples of Recently-Approved Minors.

To Propose a New Degree Program

• Before submitting anything to the Curriculum Committee, a department interested in developing a new major degree program MUST first contact the Dean of the Faculty to discuss the proposal, its merits, and resource implications.  If the proposal involves an interdisciplinary major, the interdisciplinary group of faculty must make contact with the Dean prior to sending any materials to the Curriculum Committee.

• Because any new degree program must ultimately be approved by the Board of Visitors and the State Council of Higher Education (SCHEV), the initial contact and discussion with the Dean is essential before proceeding.  The Dean will advise the proposing department or faculty group regarding the need for discussion with the Provost in cases involving potential new degree programs.