COURSE/PROGRAM CHANGE PROCEDURES AND HELP SHEET
(revised April, 2004)

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This document is intended to assist faculty in navigating the course/program change process. It is a help sheet, not a policy document. It pulls together procedures from both within and outside the College to make them as accessible to faculty as possible. It also provides detailed recommendations on moving through the processes that do not appear in any other document. Official policies and procedures are described in the College of Education by-laws, the University faculty manual and other publications of the University and the Graduate School.

This document was developed by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. It was reviewed by the Advanced and Basic Program Committees and revised according to their recommendations.

See also, Overview of Course/Program Changes

What follows are flow charts of the change process. Further textual explanations and recommendations are provided for steps marked with an * following the charts.

PHASE 1 College of Education Approval (Steps 1-22)

PHASE 2 University and CHE Approval (Steps 23-34)

Further Explanation and Recommendations

Step 1. Forms

As stated on the chart, required forms are available on the COE web page in PDF format. You need to have the full Adobe Acrobat program installed on your computer (not just Acrobat Reader) to save your typed version of the forms electronically (although Acrobat Reader will allow you to save a copy of the blank form). Use the print key on the form to print it out, not the usual print key on your computer.

If you are making course changes/additions you need a separate form for each course. If you are making program changes/additions you need one form upon which you describe the overall program change and additional forms to provide details for each particular course in the program that is being changed/added/deleted.

1. General Recommendations for completing forms
   
   1. If you are new to this process, seek the guidance of a faculty member who has done it before. Ask for recommendations before you start and/or after you have written a draft of your proposal. The Associate Dean for Academic Affairs will meet with any faculty requesting assistance on course change paperwork.
   2. Although faculty are mostly concerned with the substance of the proposals, presentation is important and a reflection on the professionalism of the College. Spelling, grammar, and punctuation must be exact and accurate for anything that is going in the bulletin.
   3. A checklist is available that highlights components of the change process and details that, if attended to, can expedite the entire approval process. Use of this checklist is highly recommended, but optional.
      
2. Explanation and recommendations regarding specific forms and attachments (syllabi, bibliographies, letters of support)

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Form Directions

Click here for a Completed Sample Packet (graduate level)

COE Course Approval Verification Form

Obtain Verification Form for Advanced Programs
Obtain Verification Form for Basic Programs
Completed Sample Packet including Verification Form (pg. 1)

This is a tracking sheet that provides an on-going summary of approval at each level with dates specified and which will serve as a COE record of approval.

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CC-1/GC-1 Course/ Curriculum Action Request Form

Obtain CC-1 Form for Undergraduate Programs or course numbers through 600-level,S
OR
Obtain GC-1 Form for Graduate Programs or course numbers 700- or 800-level.

Completed Sample Packet including GC-1 Form (pg. 2)

This is a simple form upon which you write your contact information and indicate the type of change you are making.

Recommendations for completing the CC-1/GC-1 form:

When designating the contact person, consider the following responsibilities of this role:

• receiving feedback as the change goes through the review process.
• making necessary and agreed upon changes throughout the process and ensure that all parties have copies of any revisions.
• attending (or sending a substitute) to committee meetings at which the proposal is reviewed.

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CC-2/GC-2 New Course Approval OR CC-3/GC-3 Course Change Form

Obtain CC-2 Form for Undergraduate Programs or course numbers 100-600-level,
OR
Obtain GC-2 Form for Graduate Programs or course numbers 700- and 800-level.

Completed Sample Packet including GC-2 form (pg. 3)

Obtain CC-3 Form for Undergraduate Programs or course numbers 100-600-level,
OR
Obtain GC-3 Form for Graduate Programs or course numbers 700- and 800-level.

These are slightly more extensive forms than CC-1/GC-1, upon which you provide further detail.

Recommendations for completing these forms:

• Previous course title and description: Be sure to get these from the most recent bulletin.
• New course title: Avoid unnecessary or redundant words. Keep it short.
• New course description: Do not repeat the title of the course in the course description. Remember these do not have to be complete sentences. Look at examples in the current graduate or undergraduate bulletin. The bulletins are available in the Office of Student Affairs or on the USC web page: http://www.sc.edu/bulletin/
• Rationale: This section is extremely important. Some program change rationales will fit in the small space provided but many will not. You can write “see attached” and provide a thorough rationale on an another sheet. It is better to err on the side of providing too much information rather than too little.

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CC-4 Telecommunications form

Obtain CC-4 Form for Undergraduate Programs

This is the required form for obtaining approval to offer a traditional undergraduate course through telecommunications.

Obtain GC-4 Form for Technology-Assisted Delivery of Graduate courses

This is a required form for obtaining approval to offer a graduate course through video, satellite, or web-based instruction.

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CC-5 Internet delivery form for Undergraduate Programs

Obtain CC-5 Form

This is a required form for obtaining approval to offer a traditional undergraduate course through internet delivery (CC-2 also required for internet delivery proposals).

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Self-check for Course/Program Change Proposals

Obtain Self-check Form 

This is an optional form to assist faculty in attending to details that will likely help proposals get through the system more smoothly. It is highly recommended that faculty use this form.

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Attachments to the Forms

1. Syllabus: Provide a revised syllabus with a bibliography. Bibliographies provide important information for reviewers including clarification regarding the content of the course, evidence of a significant knowledge base, and the currency of the proposed content. Bibliographies are particularly important for reviewers who are unfamiliar with the content area of the course. Other important aspects of the syllabus are to be sure that the topics list is thorough enough for the number of course credits indicated and that the grading system is clear. The Graduate Council requires a sample course schedule outlining how course topics are spread throughout class sessions. An outline for the recommended components of the syllabus and sample syllabi are attached.
   Completed Sample Packet including sample syllabus and bibliography (pg. 6-10)
   
2. Bulletin changes: An attachment is required to provide any new wording for the bulletin beyond the course description. The changes are to be shown in a 2-column format. Click here for a sample.
   
3. Letters of support: If the change will impact any USC departments outside of the COE, letters of support from the appropriate department chairs should be attached. These letters of support should be further approved by the appropriate Dean.
   Completed Sample Packet including sample letters (pg. 11-12)

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Step 5. Department Approval Processes

Approval processes vary by department. Some departments have committees that review proposals and make recommendations to the faculty as a whole. Votes are taken at departmental faculty meetings.

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Step 9. College Committees

The Basic Programs Curriculum Committee (BPCC) and the Advanced Programs Governance Committee (APGC) review all course/program changes for the following purposes:

• To provide opportunity for discussion/modification of proposed changes that impact departments outside the department initiating the proposal.
• To assist the proposer in anticipating concerns from university level committees so that potential problems can be addressed and the review process may be expedited.

Changes for Basic Programs (i.e., Undergraduate Minor, BA, BS, MT, MAT) go to the Basic Programs Curriculum Committee (BPCC). Changes for Advanced Programs (i.e., Certificates, MEd, MS, MA, IMA, EdS, EdD, PhD) go to the Advanced Programs Governance Committee (APGC). These Committees have representatives from each Department. The Associate Dean for Academic Affairs serves as an ex-officio member.

The BPCC and APGC typically meet once per month, September through May. The committees publish annual meeting dates and deadlines for submission of proposals throughout the year. These are available on the College web page or through the Associate Dean's office—777-2562. Materials to be reviewed by either committee should be submitted to the Associate Dean' s Office according to the published deadlines.

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Step 12. College-level Revisions

There are typically corrections or questions from BPCC or APGC. The committee may empower the chair to review revised materials for minor corrections without waiting for the committee to reconvene and review materials a second time. When major corrections or complex questions need to be addressed, the proposal may need to be reviewed by the committee a second time.

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Steps 21-22. University Committees

Upon approval by the Dean, the office of the Associate Dean forwards the proposal to the appropriate university committee.

• Courses at the 100-600 level are sent to the Faculty Senate Office for consideration by the University Committee on Courses and Curricula (UCCC) and then the Faculty Senate.
• Courses at the 500/600 level are sent to UCCC (through the Faculty Senate Office) for approval, then the Graduate Council, and finally the Faculty Senate.
• Courses at the 700-level and above are sent to the Graduate Council Subcommittee on Liberal Arts, Education, and Related Professional Programs (through the Graduate School), then the Graduate Council.

The Administrative Assistant for the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs will post the action on the COE web-site when the proposal is forwarded outside the College.

Approved new courses and course change information is picked up directly from the Faculty Senate and Graduate Council minutes by the Registrar, the Bulletin editors, etc. They make appropriate changes in the materials for which they are responsible (e.g., the Graduate and Undergraduate Bulletins).

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Step 23-24. University Committees

Graduate Council and the Graduate Council subcommittee on Liberal Arts, Education, and Related Professional Programs:

The faculty member initiating the proposal should attend meetings of the Graduate Council sub-committee on Liberal Arts, Education, and Related Professional Programs and the Graduate Council at which his/her proposal will be heard. Failure to attend may result in delays because of unanswered questions during committee proceedings. The proposer can invite other faculty or administrators to attend the meetings as well. Information on the Graduate Council Subcommittee on Liberal Arts, Education, and Related Professional Programs is available on the Graduate School website or by calling the Graduate School (7-4243). This includes the name of the faculty committee chair and the meeting schedule for the committee.

Faculty Senate and the University Committee on Courses and Curricula (UCCC):

The UCCC does not generally expect or prefer that initiating faculty attend its meetings unless it is a major program change. Faculty are encouraged to be sure submitted paperwork is clear and complete. The UCCC often extends an invitation to the initiating faculty or unit for major changes (e.g., new major or minor) or problems (e.g., a dispute between units). Information on the UCCC is available from the Faculty Senate Office, 7-6073, including name of the UCCC chair and the meeting schedule.

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Steps 25-26. University-level Revisions

As with the College committees, the University committees typically have recommendations or corrections that need to be made before they will recommend approval to their full bodies (Faculty Senate/Graduate Council). The proposer is responsible for making any necessary corrections according to the committee's recommendations and forwarding a copy to the COE Associate Dean's Office and the Graduate Council/Faculty Senate. These corrections need to be forwarded as dictated by the deadlines of the Graduate Council/Faculty Senate to keep the review process moving as quickly as possible.

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Steps 30-31. Approved proposal on-file in COE

It is the responsibility of the proposer to file a final copy of the approved change with the Office of the Associate Dean. This copy will be kept in the active file until the change is finalized as evidenced by modifications in the Graduate/Undergraduate Bulletin and/or notification of the Dean by the Provost regarding CHE acceptance of the change. A completely up-to-date file copy allows the Associate Dean's office to support faculty in being sure University materials are revised as approved throughout the system.

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Step 35. Approval by CHE

Upon action by the CHE, the Provost or his/her representative will notify the Dean of the College of the action taken. The Dean will then notify appropriate personnel including the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, the appropriate Department Chair and faculty.

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