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Curriculum Development Policy

Curriculum Development

 

Policy Number:

INST_0019

Policy Statement:

The Vice President for Instructional Services (VPIS) is responsible for overseeing the development of the curriculum, including degree requirements, courses, and programs. The primary source of advice on matters of curriculum development is the Curriculum and Instruction Committee (C&I), a faculty-driven committee that reports to the VPIS. Proposals for new courses and programs, course deletions, course changes (including course title/number, credit hours, the addition of prerequisites/co-requisites, and course objectives), and inclusion in the core curriculum distribution requirements may come from the appropriate faculty, divisions, subcommittees, and task forces and must be formally approved by C&I. Changes to program and/or certificate semester sequences as well as Program Learning Outcomes must also be approved by C&I. Changes to course-level Student Learning Outcomes and the removal of course-level pre-requisites will be submitted as information items to C&I.

Procedures:

Changes not Requiring C&I Approval:

Changes to course-level Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) or removal of course-level pre-requisites will be submitted to C&I as information items. A faculty representative should be present at the meeting to present the changes and answer any questions or concerns of the committee members.

Programs:

Programs are defined as specific semester sequences of courses that meet minimum degree or certificate requirements.

C&I will track the percentage of program change through Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs). Substantive changes in Program Learning Outcomes will be tracked over time. When 25% or more PLOs have changed, the VPIS will file the appropriate notification process with the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).

New Programs:

Programs which are transfer in nature, aligned with the Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, and Associate of General Studies degrees, should generally follow the same process outlined below in “New Courses/Course Updates.” After C&I approval, they must also be approved by the College’s Board of Trustees.

New Technical Certificates/Programs:

The procedure for developing a new technical program (certificate or Associate of Applied Science degree) will follow the guidelines set forth by the Kansas Board of Regents after gaining approval from the appropriate instructional administrator and the VPIS. This process includes:

  1. Approval by an Advisory Committee formed for the specific purpose of advising the curriculum of program. This committee should meet guidelines listed in the “Perkins V Advisory Handbook” located on the Kansas Board of Regents web site: https://www.kansasregents.org/workforce_development/perkins_grants .
  2. Approval by C&I.
  3. Approval by the college Board of Trustees.
  4. Submission to the Kansas Board of Regents Technical Education Authority.
  5. After final Regents approval, the program can be listed in the college catalog and in the Kansas Higher Education Data System (KHEDS).

New Courses/Course Updates

All new courses and course changes will be approved or disapproved through the following process.

  1. Faculty members wishing to develop a new course or make changes to an existing course should first discuss the course changes with other faculty within the program and/or department. Minutes of these discussions should be kept for future reference. Faculty should also have prior communication with the appropriate instructional administrator (Division Chair and Dean) to address potential questions, concerns, and issues which may arise.
  2. Once pre-approval has been attained, the course must be developed by the faculty member. Each course must include a master syllabus and SLOs that will be submitted to C&I with the appropriate application for course approval. Email the syllabus with all signed forms to the Chair of C&I, generally one week prior to the next standing meeting.
  3. The faculty member(s) should plan to attend the next C&I meeting to present the changes to the committee.
  4. Upon approval of C&I, the chairperson will then forward the information and appropriate paperwork to the Registrar and the KHEDS administrator for inclusion in the college’s Student Information System and in the Kansas Higher Education Data System (KHEDS).

Policy History:

November 7, 2024, Revised for Format Accessibility

May 25, 2022, Reviewed

July 31, 2013, Adopted