Arts & Sciences Program Review Committee By-Laws

Sample Proposal for a New Course

In these by-laws, the Arts and Sciences Program Review Committee will be referred to as the PRC or as the committee.

I.  Objectives

1. To review all course and program proposals from the School of Arts and Sciences for clarity, conformation to policy and/or other issues.
2. To recommend approved proposals to the Committee on Undergraduate Curriculum and Academic Standards (CUCAS) or to the Graduate Council.

II. Membership

1. 2 representatives elected by and from Humanities
2. 2 representatives elected by and from Natural and Mathematical Sciences
3. 2 representatives elected by and from Social and Behavioral Sciences
4. The Dean of Arts and Sciences
5. Term of Office
1. Each elected representative will serve a 2-year term
2. The 2 elected representatives from each division (i.e.: Humanities, Natural and Mathematical Sciences, and Social and Behavioral Sciences) will have overlapping terms.
6. Election of Members
   Elections will be held each academic year by the A&S Nominations and Elections committee.

III. Conduct of Business

1. Meetings
1. The first meeting of each academic year will be convened by the previous year’s chairperson if that individual still serves on the committee.  If the former chairperson no longer serves on the committee, the Dean of Arts and Sciences will designate a committee member to convene the committee.
2. A quorum will consist of 4 members.
3. Meetings will be held not less than once a month during the academic year (unless no proposals have been received for that month).  If the number of proposals is excessive, the committee chairperson may schedule a second meeting during any given month.
4. At the first meeting each semester, PRC members will establish a schedule of monthly meetings for that semester.
5. After the schedule of monthly meeting has been established, the committee chairperson should send an E-mail message to all Arts and Sciences Chair people detailing (1) the schedule for PRC meetings that semester, and (2) deadlines for submission of material for each meeting.
6. The committee chairperson will send an announcement of the meeting, an agenda, and a copy of each proposal to be addressed to committee members at least one week before each meeting.
7. The committee chairperson will send, via E-mail, an announcement of the meeting and an agenda to Arts and Sciences Department Chairpersons at least one week before each meeting.
8. No proposals received after the agenda has been sent to committee members will be considered at that meeting.
9. Decisions of the committee require a majority vote of the members present.
10. Concerned parties may attend meetings to discuss, or be invited to discuss, particular items on the agenda.
2. Committee Officers
1. The Chairperson will be elected by majority vote at the first meeting of the academic year.  Only PRC members can vote for a committee chairperson.
2. The position of Secretary will be filled by each member (excluding the Chairperson) in turn on an alphabetical rotating basis, unless otherwise agreed to by the committee.
3. Committee Minutes
   Minutes of all meetings should be typed and distributed via e-mail to the entire committee.  The chairperson of the committee will distribute the minutes (via e-mail) to:
1. All A&S department chairs
2. All A&S faculty
4. Amendments
   These bylaws may be amended if:
1. Said amendment is on the agenda, and
2. Said amendment is approved by 5 out of 7 committee members.

IV. Submission of proposals

1. Submission of Proposals (Note: A sample proposal in proper format is attached.).
   Proposals that do not conform to the guidelines listed below will be returned to the department. 

The Committee will review proposals to:

1. Add or revise a major
2. Add or revise a minor
3. Add or revise an option
4. Add a new course
5. Change a course title
6. Change a course description
7. Change a prerequisite for a course
8. Change a course label
9. Change the level of a course
10. Change a course outline
11. Change of program name or degree
12. Change of department 3-letter code name
13. Change of program admission or retention standards
14. Other changes relating to programs or courses

All proposals should be typed separately and, when more than one page, stapled.

Seven (7) copies of each proposal should be submitted to the committee
chairperson.

2. Proposals for adding or revising a major, minor, or option.  Submitted proposals should include the following:
1. A coversheet (available from faculty handbook)
2. A statement of what is being revised
3. A rationale for the revision (s) *
4. A copy of the current program sheet*  or list of current requirements*
5. A copy of the new program sheet with proposal revisions* or a list of new requirements*
6. A list of student learning outcomes
7. A description of the assessment plan
8. A statement addressing staffing issues, impact that change may have on students, facilities, and any other predictable resource needs (e.g. software, hardware, library resources).

* Clearly labeled as such

3. Proposals for adding a new course. Submitted proposals should include the following:
1. A cover sheet (available from faculty handbook)
2. The course title
3. The course level (1XX,2XX, etc)*
4. The number of course credits*
5. The prerequisites for the course*
6. A rationale for the course*
7. A course description * (as it will appear in the catalog)
8. A list of student learning outcomes *
9. A description of the assessment plan *
10. A statement addressing staffing needs, impact on students, facilities, and any other predictable resource needs
11. A course outline* with at least 2 levels (including a laboratory outline, if appropriate)
12. The frequency the course will be offered
13. The grading method

* Clearly labeled as such

Do NOT include the name of the textbook to be used in the course.
Do NOT include the name of the instructor who will teach the course.
Do NOT list all library holdings that could be used as resources for the course.

4. Proposal for changing a course (title/description/prerequisite/label/level/outline).
   Submitted proposals should include the following:
1. A coversheet (available from faculty handbook)
2. A statement of what is being revised
3. A rationale for the revision *
4. A copy of the old title/description/prerequisite/label/level/outline *
5. A copy of the proposed title/description/prerequisite/label/level/outline*
6. A list of student learning outcomes
7. An assessment plan
8. A statement addressing staffing needs, impact on students, facilities, and any other predictable resource needs (software, hardware, etc)
9. The frequency the course will be offered
10. The grading method

 
*Clearly labeled as such

5. Other proposals
   
   Submitted proposals for other changes should contain all necessary information; the requirements listed above for submission of various proposal types should serve as a guide.

V. Transfer of Proposals

It is each department’s responsibility to pick up their proposal after the PRC meeting and, if appropriate, to submit the proposal to CUCAS or the Graduate Council.

Note: Please check with the chairperson of CUCAS or the chairperson of the Graduate Council to ascertain how many copies of each proposal should be submitted and the deadline for submission of proposals.

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