Guidelines for Requesting New Course Approval and Course Changes

Policy Name: Guidelines for Requesting New Course Approval and Course Changes
Policy ID Number: 02-01-006
Version Effective Date: June 2, 2014
Last Reviewed on: January 1, 2019
Policy Applies To: University wide
Responsible Office: Provost

INTRODUCTION AND STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
Guidelines for requesting a new course approval and course changes.

POLICY

Abbreviated Course Title (30 characters maximum)
Full Course Title
Credits (Indicate proposed number of degree and non-degree credits that students will receive. Indicate the number of contact hours, if different from the number of credits.)
Course Components (Indicate all of the following that apply: lecture, lab, studio, discussion; indicate the credits associated with each component.)
Course Level (Indicate the proposed level of course (e.g., 200-level, 300-level, 600-level). Please note: all courses offered at the 300-level or higher require a pre- or co-requisite.)
Catalog Description (50 words maximum. Use full sentences and the active voice.)
Course Prerequisites or Co-requisites (required for all 300 or higher level courses)
Rationale (Indicate, in a paragraph or two, the reason for the creation of or change in the course. Include the student need that this course or change in course meets, how the new course serves your program and the University as a whole, and any external demand for the course or change in course (e.g., Middle States accreditation, certification, licensure, employer requirements, changing community needs).)
Student Learning Outcomes (Include discipline-specific and generic outcomes. 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, each starting with a single verb from Bloom's taxonomy. Graduate courses should always involve higher-level competencies. Undergraduate courses may include some lower-level competencies but must also involve some higher-level competencies. Please refer to the attached verb sheet. For General Education courses, indicate which two or more University-wide student learning goals will be addressed. Courses seeking approval for Tier 1 and Tier 2 must include instruction in, and assessment of, the skills associated with at least two of the following six University-wide student learning goals: 1) effective writing skills; 2) effective oral communication skills; 3) effective quantitative literacy skills; 4) the ability to think critically to evaluate and solve problems; 5) effective information and technology literacy skills; 6) responsible citizenship in a culturally complex world.)
Instructional Procedures (List recommended procedures for this course from the following: lectures, reading assignments, writing assignments, discussion, student presentations (individual and/ or group), exhibitions, performances. Attach parenthetically the specific related Student Learning Outcomes listed in Section 9 to each (e.g., (Student Learning Outcomes a, c, h)).
Course Content (Provide a detailed outline that reflects the scheduling of the course content over the typically 15-week semester including finals week. Attach parenthetically the specific related Student Learning Outcomes listed in Section 9 to each week.)
Undergraduate General Education Courses (Indicate whether approval is sought as a General Education course. These proposals are subject to review by the General Education Curriculum Committee. Proposals for General Education courses must indicate how the following requirements are met:
- Indicate whether approval is sought in Tier 1 (Tier 1 Seminars), Tier 2 (Tier 2 Seminars), or Tier 3 (Tier 3 Capstones). Tier 1 Seminars comprise the first encounter with college-level work in concert with the composition and math courses. Each of these seminars provides • introductory experience in at least one of the modes of inquiry that students will focus on more deeply in Tier 2. Each seminar addresses a topic that serves as a context in which students develop at least two of the University-wide student learning goals. The topical nature of the seminars provides an opportunity for a meaningful introduction to work in the disciplines. Tier 2 Seminars build on the introductory work of Tier 1. While continuing to develop and reinforce skills in at least two of the University-wide student learning goals, each of these seminars focuses on a topic or theme and gives students more in-depth work in at least one of the disciplinary modes of inquiry. Tier 3 Capstones are the culmination of General Education at NJCU. In the Capstones, students work individually or with peers to design, develop, complete, and present research or creative projects. Each Capstone provides a hands-on experience in which students showcase their command of the skills they have been honing and the knowledge they have acquired in Tiers 1 and 2. The Capstones also provide an opportunity for students to integrate their work in General Education with early work in the major.
- Indicate in which Mode(s) Inquiry approval is sought. Courses seeking approval in Tier 1 and Tier 2 must meet the criteria for inclusion in at least one (and up to two) of the Modes of Inquiry: 1) Creative Process and Production; 2) Language, Literary, and Cultural Studies; 3) Scientific and Quantitative Inquiries; and 4) Social and Historical Perspectives. Courses may be designated as intermodal if they meet the criteria for two Modes of Inquiry. Intermodal courses will meet the distribution requirements in two Modes of Inquiry.
- Indicate which department(s) or academic unit(s) the course will be listed under. For interdisciplinary courses to be cross-listed (offered by more than one department or academic unit), indicate each department or academic unit in which the course will be listed (i.e.: PHYS and PHIL). The signatures of the department and curriculum committee chairs of each department in which the course will be listed must be included on the Request for Permanent Course Approval or Course Change ("cover page/routing slip") form.)
Graduate Course Status (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 listed in Section 9.)
Degree Requirements (Indicate if the course is required or elective for the major and/ or minor and if the creation of this course will change the required total number of credits in the major and/ or minor.)
Specialized Accreditation, Certification, and Licensure (Indicate whether the proposal impacts a course / program that has or is seeking specialized accreditation, certification, and / or Iicensure.)
Assessment/Evaluation of Student Outcomes and Determining Student Grades (List the methods that will be used to evaluate students (e.g. examinations, writing assignments, class participation, presentations, performances), attaching parenthetically the specific related Student Learning Outcomes listed in Section 9 to each. Please note that all General Education courses will be required to participate in programmatic assessment activities that are distinct and separate from those addressed in Section 16.)
Bibliography (The bibliography should include the most current texts in the field. The format should be consistent throughout and in the accepted style of your discipline (APA, MLA, CSE, Chicago Manual, etc.). Indicate the style in a parenthetical remark. Use an asterisk(*) to indicate publications held in the NJCU library. Organize the bibliography in the following categories: a. Required Text(s), b. Supporting Bibliography (Include a minimum of twenty sources.), c. Relevant Periodical Sources (Include a minimum of five journals/ periodicals.), d. Relevant Online Materials, including web addresses, e. Relevant Audiovisual Materials.
Budget (Indicate whether the department's current budget will be sufficient for items noted above. If equipment or supplies beyond that budget are required for the course to be offered, attach cost estimates with documentation. Please note: budgetary requests may subject proposals to review by the Senate Planning, Development, and Budget Committee.)

DATE TO INITIATE REVIEW AND UPDATE
As deemed necessary or appropriate by the Policy Coordinator but at a minimum, at least every 5 years from the date of last review.