3.4.10 Responsibility for curriculum
The institution places primary responsibility for the content, quality, and effectiveness of its curriculum with its faculty.
Judgement of Compliance:
Compliance
Narrative:
The faculty at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) has primary responsibility for the content, quality, and effectiveness of the curriculum. Oversight of the curriculum is accomplished at the department, college, and university levels. Proposals to develop or change courses, programs, or academic policies are submitted to the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee or the Graduate Council after review and approval by the department and college curriculum committees. These responsibilities are described in the Faculty Handbook. Proposals may also require approval by other committees and administrators, depending upon the scope of the proposal. Proposals to offer courses or programs through distance learning must be reviewed by the Distance Education Council. All proposals are reviewed by the Associate Provost for Academic Affairs/Accreditation Liaison for substantive change implications. Protocols for the approval of curriculum proposals directly involve the faculty and are available on the Academic Affairs webpage.
Each instructional department or college at UTC has at least one curriculum committee which reviews academic programs and curricular issues. The precise configuration of such committees varies from department to department. However, the faculty oversight of the curriculum is satisfied in each case.
The faculty evaluates the effectiveness of each academic program by developing and assessing student learning outcomes at the departmental level. Assessment plans and data are tracked using the Task Stream program (See Comprehensive Standard 3.3.1.1).
Undergraduate Programs
The content, quality, and effectiveness of undergraduate programs are also monitored by standing committees of the Faculty Senate: Undergraduate Curriculum, Academic Standards, and General Education.
The Undergraduate Curriculum Committee was established to review undergraduate course and program proposals in light of the university’s mission and to forward its recommendation to the Faculty Senate. Its scope also includes academic matters such as degree and graduation requirements. Membership on this committee consists of undergraduate student representatives and faculty elected from each college. Ex officio members include the Associate Provost for Academic Affairs and the University Registrar/Director of Records. The committee reviewed eighty-three (83) proposals in 2009-2010.
The Academic Standards Committee reviews and makes recommendations to maintain and improve the undergraduate academic standards of the University. It reviews issues related to continuation standards, grade requirements for graduation, and standards for academic honors. Further, it makes recommendations for policies in areas such as academic residency and non-traditional credit. It may act on requests for studies or initiate its own studies. No fewer than nine faculty members serve on the committee as well as two students. Ex officio members are the Provost and Director of Records. The annual report for 2009-2010 was submitted to the Faculty Senate on March 18, 2010.
The General Education Committee certifies that courses meet the requirements for inclusion as options in the General Education curriculum, monitors current general education courses, evaluates the effectiveness of the curriculum, makes recommendations regarding the structure of the curriculum and the transferability of general education credit from other institutions, and rules upon student petitions for exceptions and substitutions. No fewer than ten faculty members serve on the committee as well as one student. Ex officio member is the Associate Provost for Academic Affairs.
Graduate Programs
The Graduate Council is responsible for providing and periodically revising the basic educational philosophy for graduate programs, ensuring the maintenance of high standards in the graduate programs offered, and proposing and recommending to the Faculty Senate new graduate programs. The Graduate Council reviews new courses to be offered for graduate credit as well as other changes in the content and sequence of individual graduate programs. The Graduate Council reports its curriculum and standards actions to the Faculty Senate with recommendations for implementation or appropriate disposition. Membership includes two elected representatives each from the College of Business and the College of Health, Education and Professional Studies; one elected representative from each of the other academic programs offering a graduate degree; and two at-large representatives elected by and from the Faculty Senate from departments which do not offer graduate degrees. Ex officio members include the Associate Provost for Graduate Studies and the Assistant Dean of Libraries.Documentation:
- Institutional Vision and Mission Statement
http://www.utc.edu/About/Mission.php - Faculty Handbook, Chapter 2,section 4
http://www.utc.edu/Departments/fcouncil/FacultyHandbook/Ch2Handbook.pdf - Center for Distance Education
- Curriculum and New Program Proposal Protocols
- UG Curriculum Committee Guidelines
http://www.utc.edu/Administration/FacultySenate/documents/Curriculum_Proposal_Guidelines_09-10-08.pdf - Curriculum Committee Annual Report, 2009-2010
http://www.utc.edu/Administration/FacultySenate/documents/REPORT-FROM-CURRICULUM-COMMITTEE.pdf - Academic Standards Committee Report, 2009-2010
http://www.utc.edu/Administration/FacultySenate/documents/AcademicStandardsCommitteeFinal2009-10.pdf - Faculty Senate Minutes, March 18, 2010: Submission of Academic Standards Report
http://www.utc.edu/Administration/FacultySenate/documents/FSMinutes-3-18-10.pdf - General Education Certification Procedures
http://www.utc.edu/Administration/GeneralEducation/GECertification.php - Graduate Council Proposal Guidelines
http://www.utc.edu/Administration/GraduateSchool/GraduateCouncil/documents/WebpageCurriculumProposalPreparationSubmissionrev-51025wp.pdf
