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Undergraduate Curriculum and Academic Standards Bylaws, Committee on (CUCAS)

  1. Objectives

    To ensure that academic programs are consistent with the mission of Western Connecticut State University.

  2. Areas of Responsibilities

    1. To develop an academic program which shall be required of all students regardless of major.
    2. To review all proposals for change in courses, programs and academic standards for need, potential duplication, and conformity to University policy.
    3. To receive, review and make recommendations for any program discontinuance.
    4. To initiate and stimulate ongoing periodic progress of academic program review.
    5. To develop, review and recommend to the University Senate and administration policy concerning the undergraduate grading system and its application.

  3.  Powers

    1. To request and receive reports and recommendations from departments, schools, faculty, etc., regarding curriculum and/or academic standards.

  4. Membership (17 Voting, 3 Non-Voting)

    1. Eight (8) teaching faculty members, elected for three-year overlapping terms; two (2) members from each school elected by the teaching faculty of that school.
    2. Four (4) academic school deans, ex officio, only two (2) as voting members, appointed annually.
    3. Registrar or Registrar’s Office designee, ex officio.
    4. Four (4) student members, one from each school, selected by the SGA for one-year terms.
    5. Two (2) at-large teaching faculty members, elected for three-year terms by the teaching faculty.
    6. Director of Institutional Research or his or her designee from the Assessment Committee, ex officio, non-voting.

  5. Conduct of Business

    1. Meetings
      1. Meetings are to be convened by the Chairperson. In the absence of the Chairperson, his or her designate shall convene meetings. 
      2. A quorum shall consist of nine (9) members, at least five (5) of whom are teaching faculty.
      3. Meetings are to be held not less than once a month during the academic year and at the request of the Chairperson.
      4. The call to meeting, accompanied by the agenda, shall be delivered to committee members at least three school days prior to each meeting.
      5. Ordinarily, no decision shall be made on program or course proposals at a meeting the first time such items are discussed unless said material was received by the members at least three school days prior to the meeting.
      6. Decisions of the committee require a majority vote of the members present.
      7. Concerned parties may attend meetings to discuss, or be invited to discuss, particular items on the agenda.
      8. The committee operates under a modified form of parliamentary procedure.
    2. Officers
      1. The Chairperson for the following year shall be elected in the last meeting of the academic year. This meeting will take place in two stages.  The first meeting will comprise all members for the following academic year. The sole purpose of this meeting is to elect the chair. For the convenience of the members who will be joining the committee, that meeting precedes the regular meeting and is adjourned after the election.  
      2. The position of secretary shall be filled by each member (excluding Chairperson) in turn on an alphabetical rotating basis, unless otherwise agreed to by the committee.
    3. Reports
      1. To whom reports are given:
        1. The committee, through its chair, shall report all policy recommendations to the University Senate.
        2. The committee shall submit an annual report to the University Senate.
        3. The committee shall report to the appropriate department and school dean concerning recommendations regarding program and course proposals and changes.
        4. The committee shall report to the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs (as the University President’s designee) for appropriate administrative review of the committee’s action.
      2. From whom reports are received:
        1. Course and program proposals and course title, level descriptions and credit changes and the common core courses and proposals from the appropriate school curriculum review committees.
        2. New programs and options of major impact to the University from the University Planning and Budgeting Committee.
        3. Any University curriculum proposals from the Student Government Association.
        4. Any change from the University Senate concerned with the common core.
        5. Any recommendation for program discontinuance from a department, the University Senate, or the President
    4. Minutes
      1. Minutes of all meetings shall be distributed to:
        1. All members of the committee
        2. University Senate President
        3. University Senate Archivist (2 copies)
        4. School curriculum review committee chairs
        5. Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs
        6. Each department chairperson and program director
        7. SGA President

  6. Amendments

    These Bylaws may be amended by two-thirds vote of members present at any regularly scheduled meeting at which there is a quorum, and the approval of the University Senate and the President of the University.