New Jersey City University Faculty Handbook
DEPARTMENTAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL MATTERS

Guidelines For Requesting New Course Approval
and Course Changes

(Form Approved on 2-25-02)
Each request must:

• be typed on 8 _" x 11" white paper,
  
  
• be attached to the Course Approval/Change Routing Slip,
  
  
• include the information indicated below with corresponding numbers,
  
  
• in the case of graduate courses, be submitted to the appropriate dean and director of graduate studies prior to submission to the Senate Graduate Studies Committee; in the case of undergraduate courses, be submitted to the appropriate dean prior to submission to the Senate Curriculum and Instruction Committee; in the case of 500 level courses, be simultaneously submitted to the appropriate dean, to the director of graduate studies, to the Curriculum and Instruction Committee, and to the Graduate Studies Committee; and
  
  
• include all required signatures. Materials submitted become the department’s and the University’s official course information, available in University files to the State, accrediting agencies, and reviewers. Course proposals must be approved before they can be included in University publications.
  

1. Abbreviated Course Title
   (30 characters maximum)
   
   
2. Full Course Title
   
   
3. Credits
   Indicate proposed number of degree or non-degree credits (i.e., semester hours). Indicate contact hours if applicable; if not, indicate whether an on-line course or a combination in-person and on-line course.
   
   
4. Catalog Description
   50 words maximum. Use full sentences and the active voice.
   
   
5. Course Prerequisites or Co-requisites
   (if applicable)
   
   
6. Rationale
   Indicate the reason/purpose for course/change and the student audience for which it is intended. Please address external demand (i.e., Middle States accreditation, certification, licensure, employer requirements, changing community needs).
   
   
7. Student Learning Outcomes and Course Goals
   (include discipline specific and generic): An "outcome" is a specific competency that you expect your students to master by the end of your course. The best way to begin this section is with the statement: "By the end of this course, students will be able to…," followed by your list of outcomes. Graduate courses should always involve higher-level competencies (cf. Bloom’s taxonomy), such as "interpret," "analyze," "design," "organize," "appraise," and "evaluate." Undergraduate courses may include some lower-level competencies, such as "define," "list," "recall," "interpret," "practice." However, undergraduate courses (especially at the 300 and 400 level) must involve some higher-level competencies. 500-level courses must involve higher-level competencies. Please refer to the attached verb sheet for some suggestions on discussing the higher and lower-level outcomes.
   
   
8. Instructional Procedures
   Describe recommended procedures in relationship to the specific student learning outcomes listed under Item 7.
   
   
9. Course Content
   Provide a detailed outline that reflects the student learning outcomes (Item 7), and reflects the scheduling of the course content over the (usually) 15-week semester.
   
   
10. Undergraduate General Studies Courses
    (if applicable)
    
    
1. Indicate whether approval is sought as a general studies area course from an Arts and Sciences department/program. (If the department has previously designated five area courses, indicate which course the proposed course will replace).
   
   
2. Proposals seeking general studies (GS) designation, must indicate how the GS course requirements are met (i.e., reading and writing requirements and two of the following requirements: critical thinking/creativity, information gathering/literacy, quantitative/computer literacy, or oral presentation).
   
   
3. Courses seeking inclusion in the Quantitative and Computer Literacy (Q&CL) Area must indicate the prescribed prerequisites and how the course meets the mathematics, computer science, statistics, or computer applications requirement.
   
   
11. Graduate Course Status
    (if applicable) Describe the unique aspects of the course that qualify it to be offered at the graduate level (600/700 number) or at the undergraduate/graduate elective level (500 number) in contrast to similar courses that might exist at the undergraduate level. Your description should be written in terms of the higher-level and lower-level outcomes you listed in Item 7.
    
    
12. Programmatic/Departmental Outcomes
    Describe how the proposal supports the outcomes of your program.
    
    
13. Degree Requirements
    Indicate any impact the proposal will have on degree requirements in your or other departments.
    
    
14. Specialized Accreditation, Certification, and Licensure
    Indicate whether the proposal impacts a course/ program that has or is seeking specialized accreditation, certification, and/or licensure.
    
    
15. Assessment/Evaluation of Student Outcomes and Determining Student Grades
    "Assessment is…an ongoing process aimed at understanding and improving student learning. Assessment is concerned with converting expectations to results" (Angelo, 1995, pp.7-9). The purpose of assessment is to improve future performance (Parker, Fleming, Beyerlein, Apple and Krumsieg, 2001). "Evaluation is … a more specific process aimed at determining what can be known about performance capabilities and how these are best measured. Evaluation is concerned with issues of validity, accuracy, reliability, analysis, and reporting" (American Psychological Association, 1999). The purpose of evaluation is to "… judge the merit or worth of a performance against a predefined standard" (Parker et al., 2001).
    
    
    1. Describe how students will be assessed on an ongoing basis and how their performance will be evaluated. Describe examinations, term or research papers, special projects, class performance, seminar presentations, and portfolios in relation to student learning outcomes (Item 7). Include type of examination, nature of papers and projects, etc.
       
       
    2. Please indicate the percentage assigned to each assessment/evaluation tool.
       
       
16. Bibliography
    The bibliography format should be consistent throughout and in the acceptable style of your discipline (for example: APA, MLA, Chicago Manual, etc.). Use the format that students will be expected to use in your course. Use an asterisk [*] to indicate publications held in the NJCU library.
    
    
1. Required Text(s): It is suggested that three possible texts be listed.
   
   
2. Additional Required Readings: List as appropriate.
   
   
3. Supporting Bibliography: List a minimum of twenty references currently used in the field. Indicate which you recommend for purchase by the library. Videos and CD-ROM may be included.
   
   
4. Relevant Periodical Sources: List a minimum of five journals/periodicals to which students will refer.
   
   
5. Relevant Online Materials (if not noted above).
   
   
6. If your bibliography does not follow the suggested format in a-e above, please explain why.
   
   
17. Enrollment and Scheduling
    Indicate the frequency with which the course will be offered (e.g., fall, spring, SU1, SU2, every year, every 2 years) and the maximum and the minimum number of students recommended per section.
    
    
18. Resources
    
    
    1. Describe the supplies and materials needed for the course.
       
       
    2. Describe the equipment that will be needed.
       
       
    3. Indicate whether the department’s current space allocation is sufficient to offer the course. If additional space is required, outline needs.

 

19. Budget:

1. a. Indicate whether the department’s current budget will be sufficient for items noted above.
   
   
2. b. If equipment or supplies will be needed, attach cost estimates with documentation.
   

 

 

 

See Appendix D for Request for Undergraduate Course Approval.