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Jocelyn Sanders, Accreditation Liaison
Karen Adsit, Steering Committee Chair
106 Race Hall
Dept #5405
615 McCallie Avenue
Chattanooga, TN 37403

(423)425-4515
(423)425-4088 fax

Jocelyn-Sanders@utc.edu
Karen-Adsit@utc.edu

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Chris Tanis, Web Development Specialist
206A Founders Hall
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Home / SACS Accreditation / 4.2 Program Curriculum...

4.2 Program Curriculum

The institution’s curriculum is directly related and appropriate to the purpose and goals of the institution and the diplomas, certificates, or degrees awarded.

Judgement of Compliance:

Compliance

Narrative:

Degrees offered at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) include the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Science, Master of Arts, Master of Music, Master of Science, Doctor of Education, Doctor of Physical Therapy, and Doctor of Philosophy. The Doctor of Nursing Practice has been approved at the campus and system levels (University of Tennessee Board of Trustees) and is currently being considered by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC).

Relation to the Mission
The curriculum is directly related to the institution’s Mission:

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is an engaged, metropolitan university committed to excellence in teaching, research, and service, and dedicated to meeting the diverse needs of the region through strategic partnerships and community involvement.

All course work toward degrees displays the commitment to excellence in teaching. Additionally, students and faculty participate in community-based research and service projects, such as:

“Local Food Guide,” for Crabtree Farms, funded by the Benwood Foundation –Department of Art graphic design students and faculty
Summer archaeological field camps studying original building at Tusculum College and slave cabins on Sapelo Island, Georgia – Department of Anthropology students and faculty
Math and science tutors at UTC and in Upward Bound - UTeach students

Several degree programs are also supported by arrangements and partnerships with organizations and businesses in the area. For example,

The Teacher Preparation Academy enjoys a partnership with the Hamilton County Schools in which education majors gain experience in the classroom as early as the second year of study in the Professional Development School (PDS) program.
The University has established partnerships with area hospitals to provide clinical experiences for students in the Nurse Anesthesia, Physical Therapy, Nursing, and Rehabilitation Science programs.
Music students serve as instructors in the Cadek Conservatory of Music, a community outreach program of the University.

Finally, it is a THEC requirement that all degree programs prove relevance and need for the program. This requirement means the program must prove the need for higher education in the particular field or discipline. Doing so highlights the University’s commitment to serving the diverse needs of the region.

Appropriate to Degrees
The curriculum for each program is developed and approved by the faculty within the relevant discipline prior to curriculum committee, administration, and Faculty Senate approvals. New courses and program revisions are approved in the same manner, while new degree programs must also receive approval from the University of Tennessee Board of Trustees (UT BOT) and THEC. THEC approval requires evidence of need for the program, adequate resources to support the program, and compliance with program standards in Tennessee (general education, 120 hour minimum for UG programs, 30 hour minimum for graduate programs).

Many programs are accredited by national accrediting agencies and must adhere to curriculum standards for programs in those disciplines. In spring 2010, Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) reaffirmed accreditation of the programs in the School of Nursing for the next ten (10) years – the longest possible period, with no recommendations. The Social Work program regained its accreditation with the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) in 2010. Other recent reaffirmations include the College of Engineering (ABET), and the College of Business (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business - AACSB International). Scrutiny of this type on a national level attests to the appropriateness of the curriculum to the institution’s degree programs.

All non-accredited programs undergo program review on a 5-year cycle, as required by THEC. The Department of Foreign Language successfully completed its program review in April 2010 with no recommendationsrelated to the curriculum.