Frequently Asked Curricular Questions


CAC FAQs



NOTE: This information refers only to Undergraduate curricular matters. Although forms and some procedures are shared by the Graduate Council, not all the comments below may apply to graduate-course proposals.


What is the process for getting a new permanent course approved?
Proposals for new permanent courses originate with faculty, using the interactive New Course Proposal form avaialble at http://www.uri.edu/gsadmis/  [click on "Faculty/Staff"].  Proposals must be approved at the department/program level and then are subject to the approval procedure of the college. Once a proposal has been approved at the college level it is forwarded to the Curricular Affairs Committee. The CAC sends approved proposals to the Faculty Senate for action. Curricular matters approved by the Senate go to the president for consideration.

How long does it take to get a new course approved?
Final approval of a new course can take several months because of the meeting schedules of the numerous committees potentially involved. The CAC generally meets one Monday of each month during the academic year CAC.  The Graduate Council generally meets once each month GC. Complete proposals must be received 14 days in advance of the meetings to be assured of inclusion on the agenda.

When can a new course be offered?
A course must be fully approved before Enrollment Services can schedule it.  Faculty and departments should plan ahead so courses can be approved in a timely fashion.

What about “X” courses?
The University accommodates a variety of curriculum needs with temporary courses, also referred to as X courses (because the course numbers include and X e.g. JOR 322X). Temporary courses may be offered no more than twice and only during a two-year period following their approval.
X courses require approval by the department/program, college and the CAC/Graduate Council. Before the CAC/Graduate Council acts, proposed temporary courses are published in a Temporary Course Newsletter. Faculty members have seven days to register comments with the CAC/Graduate Council chair.

Should I offer a new course as an X course before proposing it as a permanent course?
“Trying out” a course by first teaching it as an X course has a number of advantages:
• Perceived need/demand for the course can be demonstrated.
• Evaluation of content and instructional approaches can be used to strengthen a permanent  course.
• Courses are not added to the catalog needlessly.

What do I have to do to change my X course to a permanent course?
When you submit the New-Course Proposal, you will make clear that you are asking for a temporary course to be made permanent. You also must provide the CAC/Graduate Council with the following additional information:
1. Enrollment(s) and grade distribution for the X course.
2. An evaluation of the X course. We expect you to highlight any changes you have made from the Temporary Course and discuss why they are being made. If you are not making any changes, you should explain why.

How do I make a change to an existing course?
If you want to change one or more of these --  number, title, credits, method of instruction, prerequisite or catalog description -- you can use the interactive Minor Change form at http://www.uri.edu/gsadmis/  [click on "Faculty/Staff"].  Proposals must be approved at the department/program level and then are subject to the approval procedure of the college. Once a proposal has been approved at the college level it is forwarded to the Curricular Affairs Committee.  Like a new-course proposal, it requires approval of the department/program and college before it is submitted to the CACand/or Graduate Council. Note:  request to change credits or instructional method may require more information.

Substantial changes to an existing course, e.g several of the following for one course: number/level, title, description, credits and method of instruction require more explanation and justification, and may mean you need to propose a new course and request the deletion of the existing course.

Do the CAC/Graduate Council turn down proposals?
The committees seldom reject proposals, but they frequently table  proposals or approve  them pending changes or clarifications.

What are common reasons for a proposal being tabled?
1. Required information is missing, e.g. Library Impact Statement, documentation of support from another department, documentation that overlap with another course does not exist
2. Inconsistent information, e.g. differing reference to prerequisite, hours don’t match credits
3. Rationale for proposal (or changes) is missing or incomplete
4. The course is proposed by a non-continuing faculty member. The CAC’s policy is that permanent courses must be attached to continuing faculty.
5. Insufficient syllabus.

Why does the CAC care about staffing?
The CAC is well aware of the need for and use of non-continuing faculty, but it believes that the integrity of the curriculum requires that permanent courses be supported by continuing faculty. Further, the university’s commitment to regularly offer the courses listed in the catalog is enhanced when care is taken to approve only permanent courses that departments are reasonably assured of being able to offer.

Why is the Library Impact Statement required?
It is the University Libraries' responsibility to assure that the University can meet the needs for materials and services required by new courses and programs. The Libraries want to work with faculty to evaluate the needs of new courses and programs in advance of their adoption. The Library Impact Statement affords the opportunity for collaboration and prospective planning to the University, its faculty, and its students.

More on the Library Impact Statement at http://www.uri.edu/facsen/LibraryImpact.html

How do I write an effective course description for the Catalog?
Course descriptions are written for students – not faculty -- and must communicate clearly and concisely to them. Jargon and technical language should be avoided as much as possible. Anyone should be able to read the description and understand the nature and intent of the course.

With the new interactive course-proposal form, minor changes to descriptions can be made along the way and a record of who changed what is available. If the CAC/Graduate Council request significant changes, the department is contacted.

An acceptable course description begins with a verb, e.g. examines, introduces, explores, investigates. Articles, adjectives and adverbs are seldom necessary. Sentence fragments are acceptable.

You must adhere to word limits.

Unacceptable – This course will introduce the basic concepts of journalism to majors. It will cover introductory material as it relates to the history of journalism, the role of journalism in a free society, and some of the ethical issues that contemporary practitioners face.

Acceptable – Introduces basic concepts of journalism, including history, role of journalism in a free society and contemporary ethical issues.
 
What is the CAC looking for in a detailed syllabus?
As the interactive New Course Proposal form indicates, committee members look for the following in a syllabus:

 CAC members try to insure that syllabi communicate clearly and fully to students. “Learning outcomes” should make it possible for anyone to understand what a course is about and what it seeks to accomplish. Students must be told what will be expected of them and must be given a reasonable sense of the deadlines for work. How and when their work will be evaluated also is important to students. And the statement of policies, including those for attendance and plagiarism, are in the best interest of students and instructor.

In addition, the CAC is attentive to consistency of information in a syllabus. It looks at required texts (and may raise questions about publication dates) and readings. It considers the overall “user friendliness” of a proposed syllabus.

Who do I contact if I have questions about my proposal?
For undergraduate courses you can email the chair of the CAC or the Faculty Senate coordinator, who also coordinates the work of the CAC.  For graduate level courses you can email the chair of the Graduate Council.

How do I know when my proposal has been approved?
Communication about the status of proposals is the responsibility of department and college curriculum committees and the CAC. Every effort is made to follow-up on CAC questions within a few days after meetings. If you know the CAC was considering your course and you do not hear from the committee, you can presume the proposal was approved and will appear in the next CAC report to the Faculty Senate. Faculty Senate minutes report on the status of the president’s actions. The president rarely fails to approve curricular matters.

How do I know if a proposed course might overlap with an existing course outside my department?
The best advice is to try to think about your proposal the way someone from outside your discipline might think about it.  CAC members bring a variety of backgrounds to the committee, and when reviewing syllabi and other supporting materials we try to think as broadly as possible about potential overlap.

What is required if I want to offer an existing course online?
An online course is one delivered entirely online, and this delivery format is viewed as a method of instruction significantly different from that originally approved for a course. http://www.uri.edu/facsen/Online_Courses.html Therefore, CAC approval to also offer an existing course online is required. Approval is for course and instructor; when all sections of a course use the same syllabus, one proposal covers all of them.

You can use the interactive Online Course Proposal Form at http://www.uri.edu/gsadmis/  [click on "Faculty/Staff"].   The CAC forwards a list of approved online courses to Enrollment Services for scheduling. The CAC sets deadlines for courses intended to be taught in upcoming semesters and summer sessions.    

What is required if I want to offer a new course online?
Along with the New Course Proposal form you also must submit the Online Course Proposal form. Please note that this is true only if the course would be taught entirely online.
 
What is required if I want to incorporate online instruction into an existing course or new course I am proposing?
Courses that combine traditional classroom instruction and web-based instruction are considered “hybrid” courses.  Adding an online component to an existing course requires no additional approval.  Aproposal for a new hybrid course should address how and to the extent to which the course is web-enhanced.  You do not need to complete an online form,

What are the approved methods of instruction?
In 2007 the CAC approved a revised list of definitions for methods of instruction for courses.  http://www.uri.edu/facsen/Method_of_Instruction.html.
You should consult this list when preparing your course proposal.

What is a Portfolio course?
In 2006, responding to a growing popularity of Portfolio courses, the CAC adopted the following guidelines:

How do I propose an open-ended Topics course?
A new open-ended topics course is a new course.  Additional information should include a general description , syllabus for sample topic(s), an indication of whether the course may be repeated and for the number of credits.