1

UNO Curriculum Review Guidelines

September 30, 2013

Higher Learning Commission/North Central Association:

Criterion Three. Teaching and Learning: Quality, Resources, and Support

The institution provides high quality education, wherever and however its offerings are delivered.

Core Components

3.A. The institution’s degree programs are appropriate to higher education.

  1. Courses and programs are current and require levels of performance by students appropriate to the degree or certificate awarded.
  2. The institution articulates and differentiates learning goals for its undergraduate, graduate, post-baccalaureate, post-graduate, and certificate programs.
  3. The institution’s program quality and learning goals are consistent across all modes of delivery and all locations (on the main campus, at additional locations, by distance delivery, as dual credit, through contractual or consortial arrangements, or any other modality).

Criterion Four. Teaching and Learning: Evaluation and Improvement

The institution demonstrates responsibility for the quality of its educational programs, learning environments, and support services, and it evaluates their effectiveness for student learning through processes designed to promote continuous improvement.

Core Components

4.A. The institution demonstrates responsibility for the quality of its educational programs.

  1. The institution maintains a practice of regular program reviews.
  2. The institution evaluates all the credit that it transcripts, including what it awards for experiential learning or other forms of prior learning.
  3. The institution has policies that assure the quality of the credit it accepts in transfer.
  4. The institution maintains and exercises authority over the prerequisites for courses, rigor of courses, expectations for student learning, access to learning resources, and faculty qualifications for all its programs, including dual credit programs. It assures that its dual credit courses or programs for high school students are equivalent in learning outcomes and levels of achievement to its higher education curriculum.
  5. The institution maintains specialized accreditation for its programs as appropriate to its educational purposes.
  6. The institution evaluates the success of its graduates. The institution assures that the degree or certificate programs it represents as preparation for advanced study or employment accomplish these purposes. For all programs, the institution looks to indicators it deems appropriate to its mission, such as employment rates, admission rates to advanced degree programs, and participation rates in fellowships, internships, and special programs (e.g., Peace Corps and Americorps).

Educational Policy Advisory Committee:

Educational Policy Advisory Committee (EPAC) serves as a campus-wide curriculum committee. The EPAC advises the Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs about most curricular activities (after the appropriate department/school and college review). These activities include, but are not limited to, proposals for new programs and courses and major course revisions. Major revisions of existing courses include changes in level, credit hours, purpose and scope, content, or method of instruction. When submitting curriculum changes or new courses proposals be sure to check the schedules for all committees. Additional information on the information and process of preparing new and revised courses is availablehere.

EPAC review of proposed curricular changes takes place subsequent to college and department reviews. EPAC review is undertaken from a campus-wide perspective and is intended to accomplish the following purposes:

  • Ensure that proposed changes are in accord with university-wide objectives and priorities as identified in the role and mission statement and relevant planning documents
  • Prevent the unnecessary duplication and proliferation of curricular offerings
  • Consider possible impacts of proposed curricular changes on other units and programs

When reviewing curricular changes, EPAC members consider these changes in accordance with review guidelines designed to ensure adherence to university objectives and priorities:

  • Consistency with university-wide objectives and priorities
  • Prevention of unnecessary duplication among departments and colleges
  • Possible impacts on other units and program

Keys to a Successful Course Proposal / Master Syllabus

Note: Developed by Graduate Council but distributed as guidelines for graduate and undergraduate.

  • Follow all instructions provided on the new course proposal form.
  • Complete all sections of the form thoroughly, yet succinctly (too much detail may raise more questions than answers).
  • Pay careful attention to formatting (i.e. fonts, bullets, numbers, and tabs).
  • Clearly state course objectives in terms of the student (i.e., in this course students will demonstrate; students will analyze).
  • In dual-level graduate –undergraduate courses, clearly define the differences in expectations of graduate and undergraduate students.
  • List and explain assignments completely, but succinctly. The total value of all assignments should equal 100%.
  • Clearly explain the grading scale.
  • Bibliography should include references reflecting recent scholarship, unless older documents have historical value. A standard reference style (i.e. APA, MLA) should be used.
  • Department/school/college approval process must be followed prior to promoting to Graduate Studies.

University General Education:

In spring 2010, the faculty adopted a new approach to University General Education to ensure that UNO’s general education program is student-centered, aligned with the student learning outcomes desired of all UNO graduates, and assessable. The faculty created a University General Education Committee consisting of one representative from each college (determined by the college). The University General Education Committee is responsible for (1) establishing the definition, criteria, and learning outcomes for each university general education areas; (2) reviewing syllabi and approving courses used to satisfy university general education requirements, and (3) facilitating on-going review, assessment, and modification of the university general education curriculum.