A Guide to the College Curriculum Committee
Prepared by the 1983–84 Curriculum Committee
Revised and updated by the 1984–85, 198–90, 1991–92, 1993–94, 1996–97, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2004–05 Curriculum Committees.
Current version revised 12/13/04.
All departments proposing curricular changes must submit those proposals to the College Curriculum Committee for approval. An outline of considerations and procedures is listed below. If you have further questions, please consult with the associate dean of the faculty and/or the chair of the committee.
Committee chair: The committee chair brings all proposals to the committee for appropriate action. The chair is elected from the faculty members on the committee and serves an academic year term.
Brief Index
- Curriculum Changes requiring Committee Approval
- General Considerations
- Procedures
- Deadlines
- Self-Determined Majors Subcommittee
I. Curriculum Changes requiring Committee Approval
All items contained in the Skidmore College Catalog fall within the purview of the committee, with the exception of staffing considerations, such as listings of departmental personnel, the professor assigned to teach a course, and the specific term in which the course is to be taught. The following changes must receive committee approval:
A. New course proposals or substantial revision to an existing course. New courses include courses that were previously taught as topics courses in a department or program and are now being proposed as permanent courses with course descriptions appearing in the catalog. New courses also include courses that were previously taught but have since been deleted from the catalog. New course proposals should acquaint the committee members with the topics and student learning objectives of the course. To aid committee members in their review of the course, you must submit a syllabus, a course prospectus, an outline of student learning objectives, and a thorough description of course topics, readings, and requirements.
B. Changes in the status of existing courses:
l. Deletion of a course from the catalog. Chairs should note that except in unusual circumstances, courses that have not been taught in the last three years should be submitted for deletion from the catalog.
2. Changes in:
Course description
Course level
Prerequisite(s)
Semester hours credit
Requirements met
C. Establishment and elimination of majors and minors. Even after approval by the committee, the faculty, and the trustees, such changes may not take effect until they have been registered by the New York State Education Department.
D. Changes in major and minor requirements.
E. Descriptive text of the department, including mission, goals, descriptions of major and minor, and descriptions of requirements for honors.
F. All other proposed changes in catalog copy.
II. General Considerations
Before initiating a curricular change, you may want to consider the following:
A. How does the proposed change affect the remainder of your program? How might it affect other departments and programs? How might the addition or deletion of a prerequisite affect current enrollment patterns in the course? Would the deletion of a course from your program prevent some students from completing a major or minor requirement?
B. In cases where there might be significant overlap in content between a proposed course and an existing course (whether in your department or in another department or program), chairs are requested to consult with the head of other departments and programs (where appropriate) and provide an explanation to the Committee indicating the nature of the differences and similarities.
C. How does the proposed course change affect staffing? For example, can new courses be adequately staffed in the future given the size of your department and current faculty loads? Will your proposal have an impact on staffing in another department (e.g., the deletion or addition of a prerequisite course outside your own department), or an impact on your department's staff involvement with all-college requirements? All such matters should be discussed with the associate dean of the faculty.
D. The committee is charged with reviewing the academic coherence of individual majors,
minors, and concentrations, and their relationship to other programs within the college.
This should be a central concern for departments and programs proposing course and
program changes.
III. Procedures
The committee has created several forms for processing curricular revisions. These forms (in Word format) can be downloaded directly below [the links to the right will present you with example forms and links to additional information]:
New Course or Substantial Revisions to Existing Course Form
Major/Minor/Program and Catalog Revision Form
The forms should be submitted with the appropriate signature from department chair and/or interdisciplinary program director (even when proposing a First-Year Seminar or other interdisciplinary courses). If the proposed changes affect more than one department or program (such as interdepartmental majors), obtain signatures of all chairs and/or directors involved. If your proposal involves a substantial or complicated change, you should consult with the associate dean of the faculty and/or the chair of the committee on an informal basis before submitting your proposal.
Depending on the committee's workload, requests may take from one to three weeks to process. In the case of the important deadlines listed below, please submit proposals at least three weeks in advance of the deadline.
A. Routine course revisions (e.g., change in liberal arts credit, change in title, decrease in prerequisites, deletion of a course) should be submitted on the appropriate form, with the copy going to the associate dean of the faculty. After an administrative review, the associate dean will forward the proposal to the Curriculum Committee chair. Routine revisions are handled in an expedited fashion by the chair, and may not involve committee discussion. Such revisions will be considered approved when signed by both the associate dean and the chair of the curriculum committee.
B. New courses or substantial revisions to existing courses (e.g., change in course description, change in course level/number, change in semester hours of credit, change in all-college requirements designation, change in enrollment cap, increase in prerequisites) should be submitted on the appropriate form, with the copy going to the associate dean of the faculty. After an administrative review, the associate dean will forward the proposal to the Curriculum Committee chair, who will then bring the proposal before the committee. If the course is a First-Year Seminar, then the proposal must have the signature of the director of the First-Year Experience Program before submitting it to the associate dean of the faculty. If the course is to contribute to an interdisciplinary program, then the proposal must be submitted to the program director for review before consideration by the associate dean of the faculty. Consult the appropriate program director for submission deadlines. The chair of the Curriculum Committee, in consultation with the associate dean, will place the proposal before the committee as soon as possible. New courses and substantial revisions to existing courses will be considered approved when signed by both the associate dean and the chair of the Curriculum Committee. The signature of the associate dean indicates that the associate dean and the department chair have reviewed the proposal for scheduling, budgeting, staffing, and space considerations.
C. Revisions to majors, minors, or programs should be submitted to the associate dean
of the faculty. After an administrative review, the associate dean will forward the
proposal to the Curriculum Committee chair, who will then bring the proposal before
the committee.
IV. Deadlines
Although changes may be proposed at any time during the academic year, there are three very important deadlines:
A. Any changes to appear in the spring schedule of classes must reach the committee no later than September 15 of the preceding academic term.
B. Spring term new course proposals must also reach the Committee by September 15.
C. All changes in the catalog, including changes for the fall schedule of classes, must reach the committee no later than December of the preceding academic year.
D. If the course is to contribute to an interdisciplinary program, then the proposal must be submitted to the program director for review before consideration by the associate dean of the faculty. Consult the appropriate director for submission deadlines.
Major department changes should be submitted to the committee as early as possible.
Except in the most extraordinary of circumstances, the committee cannot give immediate
attention to proposals that are received after the deadline.
V. Self-Determined Majors Subcommittee
Introduction to the Self-Determined Majors Subcommittee
The Self-Determined Majors Subcommittee (SDMS) is a standing subcommittee of the Curriculum Committee charged with evaluating and approving proposals for the self-determined major and with overseeing the Self-Determined Major Program according to the criteria laid out in the "SDM Guidelines for Faculty Advisors" (Revised 9/95 by the CC) and "Procedures for Self-Determined Majors" (revised 10/95 by the SDMS and CC).
Scope of Authority of the SDMS
As noted in the "SDM Guidelines for Faculty Advisors," the SDMS holds authority over the approval and modification process for all SDM proposals. Students may appeal to the whole college Curriculum Committee in writing if the SDM committee rejects a SDM proposal.
Reporting Mechanism for the SDMS to the CC
The SDMS reports to the college Curriculum Committee twice a year—once near the end of the fall semester and once soon after graduation. The SDMS chair will submit these reports to the Curriculum Committee in written form, or via email if desired. The fall reports should include information about areas of interest for SDMS, the current numbers of SDM students, and the operations of the SDMS, highlighting any particular areas of concern or interest. The summer reports should include information about trends in SDMs, inquiries about SDMs, about the year-end SDM presentations and about the final number of graduating SDM students for the AY in question.
Composition of, Terms of Service on, and Procedures for Selection of the Self-Determined Majors Subcommittee
The SDMS is composed of five (5) members:
- One faculty representative from the CC who represents the CC on the SDMS.
- Three faculty representatives serving four-year staggered terms, who are appointed by the CC chair each spring for the following AY from a list generated by a FEC-sponsored willingness to serve solicitation. The CC chair and FEC will make an effort to solicit candidates for the SDMS from across the major academic divisions of the college: humanities, social sciences, natural science, and preprofessional Programs. If an insufficient number of candidates is generated by the willingness to serve process, the Chair of the CC, in conjunction with FEC, will seek out and appoint willing faculty members.
- The dean of studies or a representative of the Dean of Studies Office.
- The chair of the SDMS will be one of the three faculty members, and will serve for a two-year rotating term, preferably in the second and third year of their service.
Sabbatical Replacements for the SDMS
In line with its practice regarding other standing subcommittees, FEC will appoint half and full-year sabbatical replacements for the SDMS in consultation with the chair of the CC.