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AA-007-089 - Removal of “Resolution of Impasse” from Curriculum Guide
CALIFORNIA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY, POMONA
ACADEMIC SENATE
ACADEMIC AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
REPORT TO
THE ACADEMIC SENATE
AA-007-089
Removal of “Resolution of Impasse” section from the University Curriculum Guide
Academic Programs Committee Date:
Steering Committee
Received and Forwarded Date: 4/28/10
Academic Senate Date: 5/19/10
First Reading
9/29/10
Second Reading
Background
Page 9 of Chapter 1 in the Cal Poly Pomona Curriculum Development Guide contains the following section, which is the subject of this referral:
RESOLUTION OF IMPASSE
An impasse is when two or more departments disagree about a curriculum proposal and the curriculum process is deadlocked.
The proposing unit and the affected college should correspond in a timely manner until resolution or impasse is reached. If there is an impasse, the dean of the affected college shall notify the Associate Vice President for Undergraduate Studies.
The Associate Vice President for Undergraduate Studies shall schedule a meeting of the department chairs and college deans involved to discuss the issues and attempt to reach a resolution.
If a resolution is still not possible, the following shall take place:
Each dean and department chair will prepare a position paper and submit it to the Associate Vice President for Undergraduate Studies or Graduate Studies, as appropriate.
The Associate Vice President for Undergraduate Studies or Graduate Studies will prepare a background document.
The background document, the position papers, and any support materials shall be forwarded for consideration, either to the University Curriculum Committee, to the Academic Senate or to the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
The University Curriculum Committee will typically review cases related to course conflicts not related to general education, make recommendations and forward them to the Executive Committee of the Academic Senate.
The Academic Senate will review all cases related to general education course conflicts as well as conflicts between majors, minors, and options.
The Vice President for Academic Affairs will review all other miscellaneous cases not referred typically to the Academic Senate.
The Constitution of the Academic Senate Of California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, in Article II, Section 3, states: “The Academic Senate shall have primary responsibility for determining the educational policies of the University, minimally to include: curricula.
Resources Consulted
Dr. David G. Lord, Professor Geography & Anthropology Department
Dr. Roger Morehouse, Professor Physics Department
Appendix 17: The Constitution of the Academic Senate of California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Discussion
The committee met with Dr. Lord to discuss his concerns with this section in the Curriculum Development Guide. The committee understood his primary concerns to be:
1. He could not remember this section being approved by the Academic Senate and, therefore, believed it should be removed from the Guide;
2. If protracted, the steps in the process could lead to delays that would cause a curriculum proposal to not be considered by the appropriate senate committee during the curriculum cycle in which it was submitted;
3. A compromise might be negotiated between Department Chairs or College Deans that was not acceptable to the departments involved in the impasse; and,
4. The provision that ‘miscellaneous’ curricular issues might be resolved by the Provost contradicts the Constitution of the Academic Senate by allowing an administrator to determine a curricular issue.
The committee discovered that this section was included in a version of the Guide from ca. 20 years ago and concluded that one could argue that it should be ‘grandfathered’ in. Additionally, the committee members could imagine that the process might produce a compromise that was acceptable to the departments involved and save a senate committee quite a bit of time and energy dealing with a highly contentious issue. The committee agreed with issues 2 through 4 and revised the section to address these concerns.
Recommendations
The section on Resolution of Impasse in the Cal Poly Pomona Curriculum Development Guide shall be changed to the following:
Resolution of Impasse
An impasse is when two or more departments disagree about a curriculum proposal and the curriculum process is deadlocked.
· The proposing unit and the affected college should correspond in a timely manner until resolution or impasse is reached. If there is an impasse, the Dean of the affected college shall notify the Associate Vice President for Academic Programs.
· The Associate Vice President for Academic Programs shall schedule a meeting of the department chairs and college deans involved to discuss the issues and attempt to reach a resolution in a timely manner (within the same curriculum cycle). A proposed resolution reached in this manner must be approved by all departments involved in the impasse.
· If a resolution is still not possible, the following shall take place in a timely manner:
Each dean and department chair will prepare a position paper and submit it to the Associate Vice President for Academic Programs.
The Associate Vice President for Academic Programs will prepare a background document.
The background document, the position papers, and any support materials shall be forwarded for consideration either to the University Curriculum Committee or to the Academic Senate.
· The University Curriculum Committee will typically review cases related to course conflicts not related to general education, make recommendations and forward them to the Executive Committee of the Academic Senate.
· The Academic Senate will review all cases related to general education course conflicts as well as conflicts between majors, minors, and options.
· Any miscellaneous issues concerning curriculum proposals not covered by either of the two preceding processes shall be referred to the Executive Committee of the Academic Senate for handling in accordance with standard senate procedures.