Curriculum

C O N T E N T S

University Curriculum Committee (UCC)

• Role
• Membership

Curriculum Review Calendar

• Curriculum Review Calendar

Curriculum Resources

• Curriculum Proposal Attachments - Assessment Plan, Budget Worksheet, Curricular Map, Personnel Needs, Program Template
• Curriculum Proposal Resources

Curriculum Guidelines & Policies​

• Contact & Credit Hour Definition
• Course Levels
• Course Numbering
  • Subject Codes
  • Reserved Course Numbers
  • Course Number Suffixes
  • Course Number Reuse
  • Changes that require a new course number
• Course Retake Policy
• Course Titles
• Course Types
• Delivery Methods
• Guidelines for Courses in Critical Studies & Courses Intended for CS Credit
• Instructional Methods
• Minor Changes to a Course
• Program Type Definitions - minor, concentration, emphasis, focus 
• Selected Topics Courses
• Travel Courses

University Curriculum Committee

Role

The University Curriculum Committee UCC) reviews and makes recommendations to the provost/vp for academic affairs for approval of curricular changes and innovations. The UCC is responsible for considering the impact curricular changes and innovations will have on the University.

Specifically, the UCC is charged with:

• Reviewing and evaluating proposals for new major or minor programs, and for significant changes in existing programs, including the Critical Studies core, and making recommendations to the provost/vp for academic affairs.
• Reviewing proposals for new courses to be offered in a unit or in collaboration with another unit and making recommendations to the provost/vp for academic affairs.
• Reviewing proposals to change the number of credits associated with an existing course in a unit or to the number of contact hours per week associated with the credits earned and making recommendations to the provost/vp for academic affairs.
• Reviewing proposals to end a major or minor program and making recommendations to the provost/vp for academic affairs.
• Reviewing proposals to deliver instruction primarily or completely online and making recommendations to the provost/vp for academic affairs.  

The committee may recommend to the provost/vp for academic affairs the formation of a University-wide ad hoc committee to examine issues of particular importance and to offer recommendations as needed.

Changes to courses that are within the purview of the program directors, with approval of the dean and provost/vp for academic affairs, include, but are not limited to:

• Changes to course titles
• Changes to prerequisites
• Changes to catalog description
• Selected Topics course sections
• Revisions in instructional delivery (e.g., increases in class size or type of instruction)

The dean may, however, ask that these proposals be reviewed by the UCC. In all cases, directors have a particular responsibility to explore whether the changes being proposed will adversely affect other units or programs. They should work with the dean and the registrar to ensure that the implications of a change are thoroughly understood.

All other changes to courses are the purview of the faculty member assigned to the course, with appropriate oversight by the program director and dean. Such changes may include but are not limited to:

• Revisions of syllabi
• Revision of written or creative assignments
• Changes in required readings and other learning activities
• Changes in pedagogical approach or methods (e.g., variance in reliance on lecture vs. discussion)

The UCC’s membership consists of one faculty (adjunct with a service requirement or full-time) each from: the schools of Art, Dance, Design, Film, Music, and Theater; Critical Studies; and one from any graduate program. Each member is elected by the faculty of their unit, following the procedure defined above under “Electoral Process for University Committees” and in the UCC bylaws, and serves a three-year term on the committee. Terms are staggered to the fullest extent possible to ensure continuity, and faculty may serve up to two terms consecutively. A University Professor may be elected to represent any School or unit for which they regularly teach a course. Elections are completed prior to May 1 of the year and newly elected members shall join the committee at its final meeting of the year. Every other year, at that meeting, one of the committee members shall be elected to serve as chair for a two-year term.

A member of the provost/vp for academic affairs’ staff and the registrar are ex-officio members who attend meetings and provide support and counsel to the committee; they are not voting members. The Office of the Provost provides administrative support for the work of the committee.

Membership

Academic Year Members 
Members each serve a three-year, consecutive term

• Graduate and Professional Studies: Matt Gallagher
• School of Art: Christa DiMarco
• School of Dance: Paul Matteson
• School of Design: Stephanie Reyer
• School of Film: Christopher McDonnell
• School of Music: Keith Hodgson
• School of Theater: Amy Dugas Brown

Ex Officio 
standing non-voting members

• Advising Center: Michelle Kishita
• Director for Assessment & Accreditation: Tracy Bartholomew
• Registrar: Jeffrey Kisler

Curriculum Review Calendar

The Curricular Review Calendar includes form submission deadlines as well as the review and implementation timeline for new and changes to existing programs and courses. The calendar includes a tab for each academic year. The calendar includes the current as well as next three academic years.

Curriculum Proposal Attachments

The Proposal Attachments folder in Google Drive includes various templates which are submitted along with curriculum proposals including: Assessment Plan, Budget Worksheet, Curricular Map, Personnel Needs, and Program Template.

Curriculum Proposal Resources

Proposal authors are encouraged to consult these resources when developing curriculum proposals. 

• Curriculum Proposal Review Guide
• UArts Guide to Writing Course Descriptions
• UArts Guide to Writing Student Learning Outcomes

Contact & Credit Hour Definition

• Contact hour One hour of scheduled instruction presented to students.
• Preparation hour One hour of outside of class or nonscheduled preparation work the typical student is expected to complete.
• Semester Credit Hour the amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is an institutionally established equivalency that reasonably approximates not less than:
  • One hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out of class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester hour of credit, or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time; or
  • At least an equivalent amount of work for other academic activities including studio work, laboratory work, internships, practica, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.

Course Levels

• 001 - 099 Developmental
  Courses do not satisfy degree requirements at the graduate or undergraduate level.
• 100 - 199 Lower Level Undergraduate
  Courses are broad surveys or introductions to a particular discipline.  These courses do not have prerequisites, with the exception of those that are sequential courses.
• 200 - 299 Lower Level Undergraduate
  Courses are introductions to or principles of areas of study within a discipline.  Courses may or may not have prerequisites.
• 300 - 399 Upper Level Undergraduate
  This level is reserved for advanced courses, providing depth or study in a specialized topic.  Courses often have prerequisites, or assume readiness for advanced level study.
• 400 - 499 Upper Level Undergraduate
  This level is reserved for highly specialized courses, including capstones.  Prerequisites, a level of readiness, or advancement within the major may be required for this advanced level work.
• 500 - 599 Upper Level Undergraduate/Graduate
  Courses can be completed by undergraduate students for undergraduate credit or graduate students for graduate credit.
• 600 - 699 First Year Master’s
  These courses are generally intended for Master’s degree students in their first year.
• 700 - 799 Second Year Master’s
  These courses are generally intended for Master’s degree students in their second year.
• 800 - 899 Upper Level Graduate
  These courses are generally intended for PhD degree students.
• 10000 - 19999 High School
  These courses are intended for pre-college students.

Course Numbering

The Office of the Registrar assigns course numbers adhering to the following convention: SubjectCode*CourseNumber*SectionNumber, i.e. COMP*101*01. Some course numbers also include a suffix, for example COMP*111H*01.​

Subject Codes

A subject code designates the area of study in a course. 

Subject codes include:

• ADVT Advertising
• AEDU Art Education
• AETH Art Therapy
• AHST Art History
• AMSL American Sign Language
• ANIM Animation
• ANTH Anthropology
• BOOK Book Arts
• BUSN Business
• CERA Ceramics
• CIM Immersive Media
• COMP Written Composition
• CRFT Crafts Core
• CRIT Critical Dialogues
• CRTY Creativity
• CRWT Creative Writing
• DAAT Design, Art + Technology
• DANC Dance
• DESN Design
• DRAW Drawing
• DVPP Devised Perf Practice
• EDPD Ed. Program Design
• EDUC Educational Practices
• ENVI Environment
• ESLI English As 2nd Language
• ETEC Educational Technology
• FIBR Fibers
• FIDE Film Design
• FILM Film
• FINA Fine Arts
• FMST Film & Media Studies
• FRCH French
• GAMA Game Art
• GDES Graphic Design
• GLAS Glass
• GRAD Graduate Studies
• HIST History
• HNRS University Honors Prog
• IDES Industrial Design
• ILUS Illustration
• IMAG Image
• INCL Inclusion
• ITAL Italian
• IXDE Interaction Design
• LITT Literary Studies
• LITY Literacy
• MATH Mathematics
• MBET Music, Busn, Entrpeneur & Tech
• METL Metals
• MMED Music Education
• MSEM Museum Studies
• MUCP Music - Composition
• MUED Music Education
• MULS Applied Major Lessons
• MUNM Music - Non-Major
• MUPF Music - Performance
• MUSC Music
• OBJT Object
• PDES Product Design
• PHIL Philosophy
• PHOT Photography
• PNTG Painting
• PRES Museum Resources
• PRNT Printmaking
• PSYC Psychology
• RELI Religion
• SCIE Sciences
• SCLP Sculpture
• SOAC School of Art Core
• SOCI Sociology
• SPAN Spanish
• STET Ed Tech Trends
• STIP Inclusionary Practice
• STME Music Education
• STMR Museum Resources
• STPF Performance Studies
• STPS Primary Sources
• STTA Visual Arts Topics
• TDTC Theater Desn Tech Craft
• TDTP Theater Desn Tech Pract
• THEA Theater
• THMD Theater Movemnt & Dance
• THPD Theater Prod. & Design
• THST Theater Studio
• THVC Theater Voice & Speech
• TIME Time
• UTPS Teach With Primary Srcs
• VPAS Visual Arts
• WFTV Writing for Film + TV
• WOOD Wood

Reserved Course Numbers

The following course numbers are reserved for use with approved subject codes as follows:

• Selected Topics: 198, 298, 398, 498, 598, 698, 798
• Independent Study: 490, 790
• Internship: 499, 799

Course Number Suffixes

Course number suffixes are designations that appear at the end of course numbers to indicate specific kinds of courses. For example COMP*111H - Written Composition I: Honors

• E: English Second Language
• G: Graduate
• H: Honors
• LC: Learning Community
• P: Pass/Fail
• S: Screening Section

Course Number Reuse

Once a course number has been deactivated, that number cannot be used again for ten years.

Course Changes that Require a New Course Number

Courses require a new course number only when credit value of course is changed. 

Course Retake Policy

In compliance with Federal Title IV regulations, the university permits three standard course retake options, which cater to different types of courses and their specific requirements.

Overview of Federal Title IV Course Retake Guidelines

Title IV of the Higher Education Act outlines federal regulations regarding the retaking of courses in higher education institutions. The policy stipulates that students may retake any previously passed course once and still receive federal financial aid. This rule is applicable even if the student received financial aid during their first attempt and passed the course.

However, if a student chooses to retake the course more than once after passing, the repeated course cannot be counted towards enrollment status for Title IV aid eligibility. For failed or withdrawn courses, there are no restrictions on the number of times a student may retake the course and still receive financial aid, as long as the course is required for the student’s program of study.

Title IV also allows for exemptions where courses are designed with content that varies from term to term. These include courses that are part of the curriculum of programs requiring continuous, sequential enrollment in a certain course, such as certain music or drama programs, as long as the content of the course changes each term.

This policy aims to ensure fair access to federal financial aid for students while encouraging successful academic progress. All higher education institutions must adhere to these regulations to remain compliant with federal student aid rules.

Course Retake Options

Not Repeatable for Credit

This policy applies to courses that are designed to be taken once for academic credit. The content and learning objectives of these courses are fixed and do not change from term to term. Once a student has completed such a course, they cannot retake it for additional credit.

Completable Two Times for Credit

This policy applies to courses that allow students to earn academic credit twice. These courses typically have a substantial project or practicum component that can vary between iterations, providing students with a unique learning experience each time.

Repeatable for Credit

This policy is restricted to courses with variable content that offer an evolving educational experience. While the course number remains consistent, the educational content, learning objectives, or materials significantly change each term. When selecting this retake policy, the requestor must specify the maximum number of times the course can be completed for credit. Options for this include “Repeatable 3x-Variable Content” up to “Repeatable 8x-Variable Content”. 

To determine if a course is eligible to be repeated for credit, consider the following:*

• Does the course content significantly change from term to term? Courses under this policy should not just change in syllabus or teaching materials but also vary considerably in terms of learning objectives and course content each term. 

• Is the course designed for continuous student enrollment, rather than a one-time completion? The course should be designed in a way that it anticipates and encourages students to enroll in it continuously for a broader and deeper learning experience. 

• Does the course progressively build upon skills or knowledge acquired in previous terms, providing a new learning experience each term despite using the same course number? The course should not merely repeat the same content; instead, it should expand on the knowledge or skills students gained in previous terms, offering a unique and progressive learning experience each term. 

* Each of these factors plays a significant role in maintaining Title IV eligibility for a course under this policy. When designing or modifying a course, faculty should carefully consider which retake policy best fits the structure and objectives of their course.

Course Titles

When selecting course titles, consider the following:

• Clarity: Titles should be straightforward and self-explanatory. For example, instead of “The History of Harry Potter and Magic through the 18th Century in Great Britain,” consider “Harry Potter and Magic.”
• Avoid Jargon: When possible avoid specialized terms that aren’t widely understood outside a specific discipline.
• Capitalization: Capitalize each word of the title except for articles (a, an, the), coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or), or prepositions (on, at, to).
• Courses in a Sequence: When titling courses that are part of a series, always use Roman numerals (e.g., I, II, III) for numbering.
• ‘Introduction to …’ in Titles: Use “Introduction to …” for genuine introductory courses in long titles. Consistently abbreviate as “Intro to …” in short titles. Avoid this phrasing for advanced or specialized courses.

Short Titles

The short title is the title most frequently seen by faculty and students.

• Usage: Courses are listed by the short title in Self Service, Canvas, and on transcripts. Therefore, make sure the proposed short title describes the course content and any abbreviations are easily understood.
• Character Limit: A maximum of 29 characters, including spaces, is available.

Long Titles

• Usage: Courses are listed by the long title in the University Catalog.
• Character Limit: A maximum of 49 characters, including spaces, is available.

Course Types

Course types act as filters in the self-service course catalog and can leveraged when defining program requirements. For example, the business course type can be used to identify all business courses, including those that do not have a BUSN subject code. Courses types are optional additions to courses, which facilitate student course discovery and planning. Course types can be used by students to filter course offerings in student self-service. Requests for new course types are reviewed by the Registrar.

• Available Course Types
• Course Type Lookup Tool
• To Request an Update to a Course Type

Available Course Types

Course Type Lookup Tool

The course type lookup tool provides a list of active courses that have the selected course type assigned.

To request an update to a course type:

Requests that include changes to course types which are used in program requirements require curricular review and should be submitted in accordance with the curricular review calendar. 

Requests that only include a change to a course type which isn’t used in program requirements (i.e. Collaborative, Entrepreneurship, Introductory, or Technology) can be submitted at any time. Requests will be reviewed and processed by the Registrar in accordance with the descriptions listed above. Requests that include any additional changes beyond the designated course types will be held pending curricular review.

1. Log into OnBase
2. Select New Form from the menu.
3. From the Curricular Change Documents Section, select the Changes to a Course form.
4. Complete and submit the form, which will be processed by the Office of the Registrar. An email notification will be sent once a request has been processed

Guidelines for Courses in Critical Studies & Courses Intended for CS Credit

Overview

• General Submission Process
• General Course Guidelines for the Critical Studies Program

Curricular Blocks

• Courses Intended to Fulfill Critical Dialogues Requirements
• Courses Intended to Fulfill Critical Studies Elective Requirements
  • Business
  • Critical Studies Study Away
  • Discipline History

General Submission Process

Proposals for courses intended for credit in the Critical Studies Program should be submitted for review by the University Curriculum Committee through OnBase. Prior to submission to OnBase, faculty must discuss possible plans with the Critical Studies Program director. 

Submissions are encouraged to include a detailed course syllabus. Any supplementary documents, such as syllabi, must be submitted to regscans@uarts.edu. 

The curriculum review process includes a review of the student learning outcomes (SLOs) for all proposed courses and special topics course sections. If you are planning to propose a new course or a special topics course section, send your proposed SLOs along with the course description to the director of assessment, Tracy Bartholomew (tbartholomew@uarts.edu), before submitting your proposal in OnBase. Reviewing the SLOs before they are put into OnBase will allow for a more efficient review of the proposals. Guidelines on how to write effective student learning outcomes can be accessed in the UArts portal.

General Course Guidelines for the Critical Studies Program

• Courses must require no studio skills or specialized disciplinary knowledge, as they must be open for credit — required and/or elective — to all students from all fields of study.
• Courses in critical studies (CS) require regular — i.e., weekly — reading assignments. Readings must embody relevant, contemporary discourse related to course scope and appropriate curricular objectives and learning outcomes.
• Courses in CS require periodic writing assignments that engage students in critical thinking and reflection. The writing assignments must also emphasize excellence in communication fundamentals (e.g., writing for general clarity via organization and development of ideas). The writing assignments may consist of longer essays, but may also take the form of weekly or bi-weekly responses to readings or events, short papers responding to particular aspects of readings or other texts, or reflective/critical journal entries. Instructors may also engage forms of critical response like visual essays with written components, for example.
• The guidelines presented here are by no means exhaustive and faculty or potential faculty teaching courses overseen by CS should address questions to the CS program director.

Courses Intended to Fulfill Critical Dialogues Requirements

• Critical Dialogues (CRIT) courses examine issues and topics related to arts and their relationships to cultures from a variety of perspectives. CRIT course topics introduce students to ways of reflecting critically on issues and questions central to creative endeavors and contemporary society.
• The following are general, overarching guidelines for CRIT courses: 
  1. CRIT course themes are topical, relevant to contemporary artists, designers, performers, and writers and their broader cultural, social, and societal contexts, and draw on interdisciplinary sources. These sources include a diversity of artistic mediums, such as fine arts, film, music, dance, theater, design, writing and literature.
  2. CRIT courses must engage the arts as a broad, expansive, and interdisciplinary category. 
• CRIT course objectives are as follows: 
  1. Think, read, write and discuss from a variety of informed, critical perspectives; 
  2. Access information from a multitude of sources and assess their reliability and relevance while examining a topic or theme using multiple critical lenses recognize the moral and ethical implications of research on issues central to contemporary cultures and arts; 
  3. Recognize contemporary issues central to the arts, culture, and society.

Courses Intended to Fulfill Critical Studies Electives Requirements

• This section on critical studies electives is not intended to be comprehensive and provides snapshots of sub-curricular areas currently offered in this curricular area. Courses specific to major disciplines, including discipline histories or critical approaches to a specific discipline, should be offered by a school, though they may speak to guidelines here for critical studies electives. If interested in offering a course in your school as a critical studies elective, please contact the Critical Studies Program director for further information.
• Elective courses in CS uphold our commitments to critical inquiry and engagement of student artists through a variety of critical lenses and discourses. These lenses and discourses draw upon and create connections between disciplines in interdisciplinary fields like – but not limited to — critical theory, cultural studies, language studies, and sciences. 
• Learning objectives for elective courses intersect with learning objectives for other courses within CS. The following are objectives central to the electives that transcend any specific disciplinary boundaries: 
  1. demonstrate skills in interpretive reading, critical thinking, research techniques, and written and verbal communication;
  2. deploy appropriate methods for critical inquiry and interdisciplinary fields; 
  3. access and assess appropriate research sources; 
  4. deploy appropriate primary and secondary sources in ways that inform a scholarly paper, presentation, or other critical project.

Business

• Business courses in CS uphold our commitments to providing students from all fields of study at UArts entry points for success central to creative entrepreneurship or being part of a business enterprise in the 21st century. 
• Learning outcomes for business courses intersect with learning outcomes specific to other courses overseen by CS. Specifically, these outcomes are framed by business minor program objectives. CS houses the business minor. 

1. Possess essential business knowledge in the foundational areas of marketing, communications, and business.
2. Possess advanced writing and presentation skills.
3. Understand e-commerce and be able to identify and use emerging technologies.
4. Collaborate and partner with other University students and departments as well as professional organizations.
5. Be information literate, aware, resourceful, and problem-solving critical thinkers.

Critical Studies Study Away

• Study away courses in CS uphold our commitments to critical inquiry and engagement of student artists through travel experiences. These experiences prompt students to reflect on their respective roles as student-artists in global contexts.
• Learning outcomes for study away courses intersect with learning outcomes specific to other courses overseen by CS. The following are outcomes central to the courses that transcend any specific disciplinary boundaries. After completing a study away critical studies course, students will be able to:

1. Reflect on — both in writing and verbally — connections between the study away experience and personal, cultural, and creative contexts. 
2. Develop a critical language about the study away experience through synthesizing readings on related topics, issues, and themes.
3. Collect, archive, and analyze research sources linked to study away experience.
4. Theorize a more globally conscious way of analyzing art, culture, and self. 
5. Language courses: demonstrate increased proficiency in language skills — including reading, writing, and verbal communication — and the cultural components of these skills.

• Additional outcomes: Depending on the context of the study-away experiences (longer study away courses, study away courses with close interaction with study away communities doing community service and/or teaching in schools, and semester-long study away), these additional outcomes should be considered:
  • Identify cultural differences and the role of culture in shaping values, beliefs, and practices, and perceptions
  • Reflect critically on one’s own culture and values, beliefs, and practices
  • Interact in a culturally appropriate manner with those from a different culture or cultural background
  • Manage the challenges of daily life in a different culture through applying skills and attitudes like curiosity, adaptability, tolerance for ambiguity, resilience, creativity, independence, and ability to problem-solve
  • Collaborate effectively with creative partners whose ethno-cultural moorings are different from their own
• Questions regarding study away opportunities and mechanics should be addressed to the International Student Programs office. 

Discipline History

• Discipline History (DH) courses must observe all general course guidelines listed above. 
• The course must examine an art form or general creative field from a contextual or critical standpoint. Context, for this course, includes both the history of a medium’s development (e.g., photography from the daguerreotype to digital photography) and the social and cultural context of that development. Critical standpoint refers to examining a creative form or field from the lenses of critique and reflective assessment not based in studio practice.
• The ultimate goal of DH courses: to develop students’ understandings of and appreciations for art forms or creative fields and their unique contexts.

Minor Changes to a Course

Minor changes to a course are reviewed by the Dean, Provost, Learning Assessment, and/or Registrar. Requests are accepted in accordance with the deadlines published on the curricular review calendar.

Minor changes to a course include:

• Course type reviewed by Registrar and others as documented in the course type policy.
• Course description reviewed by Dean, Learning Assessment, Provost, and Registrar.
• Default capacity reviewed by Dean, Provost, and Registrar
• Department reviewed by Dean, Provost, and Registrar
• Registration by petition reviewed by Dean, Provost, and Registrar
• Registration restrictions reviewed by Dean, Provost, and Registrar
• Requisites reviewed by Dean, Provost, and Registrar
• Repeat policy reviewed by Dean, Provost, and Registrar
• Session Cycle review completed by Registrar
• Title (short & long) reviewed by Dean, Provost, and Registrar
• Yearly Cycle review completed by Registrar

Requests to update any of the following are not considered minor changes and must be submited in accordance with the New or Changes to a Course deadlines on the curricular review calendar:

• Academic level
• Contact hours
• Course number
• Credit value
• Grading scheme
• Instructional method

Delivery Methods

Engagement Definitions

• Synchronous: This involves real-time, collective learning, either in-person or remote. It requires scheduled meetings throughout the term. Such sessions encompass lectures, discussions, demonstrations, group projects, labs, and more, happening simultaneously among students and instructors. While these classes may have asynchronous elements, they serve as additional resources and not primary components.

• Asynchronous: These classes don’t rely on fixed meeting times and don’t happen in real-time. The course content is delivered flexibly, allowing students to work individually or occasionally collaboratively. This method does not rule out the possibility of real-time meetings between faculty and students. These classes leverage the Learning Management System (LMS) for diverse resources and tasks.

• Hybrid: This class type fuses synchronous and asynchronous learning. It involves both scheduled and non-scheduled components. A minimum of 50% of contact hours must be covered by scheduled sessions. The scheduled times for hybrid classes are fewer than their non-hybrid counterparts and are defined in the class schedule. Ad hoc alterations are not permitted.

Instructional Methods

Credit-to-contact ratios listed below are the minimum university standards. Programs may require more to fulfill accreditation, certification, or other requirements.

• Dissertation
• Independent Study
• Intensive Learning Experience
• Internship
• Lecture
• Private Lesson
• Research
• Studio
• Travel Course

Dissertation

Preparation of a scholarly paper completed by a candidate for a doctoral degree. This instructional method is restricted for use by the PhD program only.

Colleague Instructor method

The following combinations of delivery & instructional method are permitted. The code & description used in Colleague have been included. Please note: In the catalog we refer to both delivery method and instructional method. However in Colleague there is only a single field called “instructor method;” the instructor method in Colleague is a concatenation of what is referred to in the catalog as a delivery method and instructional method. 

Independent Study

Self-directed study on a topic not substantially covered in a regularized course in the catalog. Requires intermittent consultation with a designated instructor.

Colleague Instructor method

The following combinations of delivery & instructional method are permitted. The code & description used in Colleague have been included. Please note: In the catalog we refer to both delivery method and instructional method. However in Colleague there is only a single field called “instructor method;” the instructor method in Colleague is a concatenation of what is referred to in the catalog as a delivery method and instructional method. 

Intensive Learning Experience

Condensed workshops designed to immerse students in practical situations using simulations and case analysis. This instructional method is restricted for use by the PhD program only.

*Contact minimum hours listed only apply to course sections offered in-person. For additional information see Delivery Method & Credit Hour Equivalencies.

Colleague Instructor method

The following combinations of delivery & instructional method are permitted. The code & description used in Colleague have been included. Please note: In the catalog we refer to both delivery method and instructional method. However in Colleague there is only a single field called “instructor method;” the instructor method in Colleague is a concatenation of what is referred to in the catalog as a delivery method and instructional method. 

Internship

Supervised career-related experience conducted in a work environment outside of the traditional academic setting.

*Contact and preparation minimum hours listed only apply to course sections offered in-person. For additional information see Delivery Method & Credit Hour Equivalencies.

Colleague Instructor method

The following combinations of delivery & instructional method are permitted. The code & description used in Colleague have been included. Please note: In the catalog we refer to both delivery method and instructional method. However in Colleague there is only a single field called “instructor method;” the instructor method in Colleague is a concatenation of what is referred to in the catalog as a delivery method and instructional method. 

Lecture

A course in which the primary emphasis is on transmitting a body of knowledge, explaining ideas or principles, and/or modeling skills. In some courses, students may be expected to participate in classroom activities by means appropriate to the subject matter, such as discussion, performance, skill development, et cetera.

*Contact and preparation minimum hours listed only apply to course sections offered in-person. For additional information see Delivery Method & Credit Hour Equivalencies.

Colleague Instructor method

The following combinations of delivery & instructional method are permitted. The code & description used in Colleague have been included. Please note: In the catalog we refer to both delivery method and instructional method. However in Colleague there is only a single field called “instructor method;” the instructor method in Colleague is a concatenation of what is referred to in the catalog as a delivery method and instructional method. 

Private Lesson

Individualized instruction typically in the study of the performing arts. Section meeting days/times are scheduled directly between the instructor and the student.

*Contact and preparation minimum hours listed only apply to course sections offered in-person. For additional information see Delivery Method & Credit Hour Equivalencies.

Colleague Instructor method

The following combinations of delivery & instructional method are permitted. The code & description used in Colleague have been included. Please note: In the catalog we refer to both delivery method and instructional method. However in Colleague there is only a single field called “instructor method;” the instructor method in Colleague is a concatenation of what is referred to in the catalog as a delivery method and instructional method. 

Research

Independent research done by a student working toward a larger project, such as a master’s thesis, senior project, or dissertation. 

*Contact and preparation minimum hours listed only apply to course sections offered in-person. For additional information see Delivery Method & Credit Hour Equivalencies.

Colleague Instructor method

The following combinations of delivery & instructional method are permitted. The code & description used in Colleague have been included. Please note: In the catalog we refer to both delivery method and instructional method. However in Colleague there is only a single field called “instructor method;” the instructor method in Colleague is a concatenation of what is referred to in the catalog as a delivery method and instructional method. 

Ratio of Contact to Preparation Hours

Each credit requires a total of 45 hours of combined contact & preparation time; there is no minimum on the number of contact hours required. During periods of independent research, the number of contact hours can be reduced when the number of preparatory is increased by an equal amount.

Studio

A course with primary emphasis on student activity leading to skill development and the enhancement of the student’s design or performance ability and/or artistic growth. Evaluation of individual learning may include public display of proficiency and/or evaluation by faculty other than the student’s instructor.

*Contact and preparation minimum hours listed only apply to course sections offered in-person. For additional information see Delivery Method & Credit Hour Equivalencies.

Colleague Instructor method

The following combinations of delivery & instructional method are permitted. The code & description used in Colleague have been included. Please note: In the catalog we refer to both delivery method and instructional method. However in Colleague there is only a single field called “instructor method;” the instructor method in Colleague is a concatenation of what is referred to in the catalog as a delivery method and instructional method. 

Travel Course

Short-term travel experiences guided by the faculty. Planned contact hours with students before, during, and after travel must be documented in the course syllabus.

*Contact and preparation minimum hours listed only apply to course sections offered in-person. For additional information see Delivery Method & Credit Hour Equivalencies.

Colleague Instructor method

The following combinations of delivery & instructional method are permitted. The code & description used in Colleague have been included. Please note: In the catalog we refer to both delivery method and instructional method. However in Colleague there is only a single field called “instructor method;” the instructor method in Colleague is a concatenation of what is referred to in the catalog as a delivery method and instructional method. 

Ratio of Contact to Preparation Hours

Each credit requires a total of 45 hours of combined contact & preparation time; a minimum of 15 contact hours is required.

When a travel course includes more than the required minimum number of contact hours the number of preparation hours can be reduced by an equal amount, i.e. a 1 credit travel course that includes 20 contact hours would only require 25 preparation hours.

Travel Course Contact & Preparation Requirements

In addition to the the standard semester credit hour, contact hour, and preparation hour definitions the additional requirements apply to travel courses.

Contact Hours May Include

• Scheduled course meetings before, during, and after the dates of travel
• Lectures or seminars with the faculty, guest lecturers, members of partner institutions, guides, local residents, et cetera
• Student presentations

Preparation Hours May Include

• Time to read assigned texts
• Site visits, organized cultural excursions, and performances that engage students with the learning objectives of the course
• Service learning projects
• Synthesis and reflection including writing, discussion, or the production of creative work

Contact & Preparation Hours May Not Include

• Travel time
• Meals
• Social activities that are not instructor-led and tied to specific learning outcomes for the course

Program Type Definitions

Refer to the following sections on the Enrollment & Attendance  catalog page:

• Minors   
• Degree Program Definitions , concentration, emphasis, focus

Selected Topics Courses

Selected Topics courses have a consistent disciplinary framework and pedagogy. Objectives/outcomes, assignments, and methods of instruction and evaluation are consistently used in each instance of the course.

Selected Topics course sections (sections of the Selected Topics course) explore a topic not covered by the standard curriculum and are developed to cover current or timely issues/topics, special or unusual topics, or are in a “pilot” phase before being proposed as a permanent course.

Selected Topics courses are not a substitute for creating a permanent course. Individual topics courses may be offered a maximum of 3 times, but a student may not take the same specific topics course more than once. If a program wishes to continue to offer the course after it has run 3 times, it must be submitted as a new course through the regular curricular review process. Otherwise, it will be discontinued.

Selected Topics courses are always elective courses. Selected Topics courses may be included in groups of courses from which students choose one or more courses to fulfill a requirement.

Curricular Review/Approval

Once a Selected Topics rubric course is created, subsequent specific topics courses (sections) must be submitted on a selected topics course form and approved by the dean by the deadlines listed on the Curricular Review Calendar for Selected Topics course sections.

Deans/program directors must include the specific topics course title on the form and on course offering spreadsheets so the specific topics course title appears on transcripts rather than the rubric “Selected Topics in …” course title.

Deans are responsible for monitoring the frequency with which programs offer specific topics courses. The Registrar’s Office will inform the deans if a specific topics course has run twice.

Course Titles and Documentation

Titles will be “Selected Topics in …”.

A separate listing of specific Selected Topics courses offered each semester that includes the course description of the specific topics course will be provided by the Registrar’s Office.

Travel Courses

Short travel courses are proposed as Selected Topics course sections. See the following materials for more information:

• Short Travel Courses Faculty Manual
• Faculty Info Session
• Travel Course syllabus template