These are some of the most frequently asked questions that we receive at the Curriculum and Assessment Office. If you do not find the answer to your question, you can contact us.
- Where do I submit course and program proposals?
Please submit all proposals to Sera Bird in the Office of Curriculum & Assessment in SC 257.
- If I am having problems with a curriculum-related form, where should I look for help?
Please visit the Processes section of the Curriculum & Assessment website first. This section describes the process for submitting forms and provides helpful checklists that help in the filling out of curriculum-related forms. If you are still having problems, please contact the Office of Curriculum & Assessment at 973-3706.
- Where can I find copies of an official course syllabus?
Copies of all master syllabi are posted on the Curriculum & Assessment website. Select "Course & Program Data" from the sidebar, then click on "master syllabi" to access the discipline choices.
- How much of the Course/Syllabus Form do I have to complete for a minor change to an existing course?
- How much of the Course/Syllabus Form do I have to complete for a new course?
- How do I get a course approved for transfer to another college or university?
Complete a Course/Syllabus Form and indicate on the form the institution where the course information should be sent. If there is a particular course at the four-year institution that the WCC course should be evaluated against, list it on the form. Otherwise, the transfer evaluator at the recipient college will make the decision.
- How do I get a course approved to fulfill a General Education Requirement?
Once a master syllabus is approved by the Vice President for Instruction, the Office of Curriculum & Assessment, in conjunction with Enrollment Services, determines if it fulfills a General Education requirement.
- I want to change the number of a course. What do I do?
This a two or three-part process. 1) The existing course must be inactivated. 2) The renumbered version is submitted as a "new" course. 3) If either the inactivated or new course (or both) is a program requirement, a Program Change form must also be submitted. The inactivation requires only the first page of the master syllabus form - the "new" course must be submitted as a full master syllabus. The Master Syllabus and Program Change/Discontinuation forms are located on the Curriculum & Assessment website. It is recommended that all forms be submitted together to avoid potential scheduling problems. Contact Curriculum & Assessment at 734-973-3706 if you have questions.
- I'm ready to forward the Course and Syllabus Form to my Department Chair, but I'm
not sure if I filled it out correctly. What should I do?
Review the Course and Syllabus Form checklist. The Program Change Form also has a Program Proposal Checklist.
- What date should I use as the effective term when submitting a Course and Syllabus
Form or a Program Change Form?
Look to see what the C & A approval deadlines are for the type of approval you are requesting and select the date. Put the Effective Term-when the change should take place-on the top right corner of the first page. If a course will not be offered until winter semester, but it needs to be included in the catalog, make the effective term the upcoming fall semester.
- I need a new course number. How do I do this?
Contact the C & A office and they will provide a list of all the available course numbers. A course number cannot be reused, even when a course number is inactivated.
- What does it mean when a course has conditional approval, as opposed to a full approval?
As a rule, all new courses and courses with major changes must go to the Curriculum Committee for review before they are forwarded to the Vice President of Instruction. In certain urgent situations, and only by request from a Dean, courses can be sent directly to the Vice President for Instruction for review and may be granted a conditional approval for one semester. The usual process is to submit new, major, or minor changes to courses for full approval. Courses that have completed this process and have been approved by the Vice President for Instruction are considered fully approved. Any course that has a minor change goes directly to the Vice President for Instruction for approval.
- What is the Curriculum Committee and why do they review courses and programs?
The Curriculum Committee is provided for in the Master Contractual Agreement, and is charged with reviewing new courses, courses with major changes, new programs, changes to programs, and issues related to curriculum in general. They act in an advisory capacity and provide recommendations to the Vice President for Instruction. Five faculty members and four administrators comprise the Committee.
- I saw an error in the catalog or on the WCC website pertaining to a course or program.
What can I do?
Contact the C & A office. Depending on the type of change, some can be resolved immediately; others will be changed for next catalog.
- My department wants to print brochures, handouts, etc. for our programs. Do I need
to notify anyone?
Yes, the Office of Curriculum and Assessment needs to be aware of these plans so that correct information can be provided. You should also contact Marketing Services regarding any college-related publications.
- My department wants to develop a new program. What form needs to be completed?
Use the Program Proposal form, checking the Preliminary proposal box. For this initial version, address the items briefly and in general terms, and submit it to the Curriculum and Assessment Office for review by the Vice President. When this version of the proposal is approved, the Program Proposal form is used again, but the Final Proposal box is checked, and all items are answered comprehensively and in detail.
- What if I submit a curriculum proposal to my Department Chair or Dean and it is not
approved?
Before submitting the proposal to the Chair, make sure that the entire Department has had an opportunity to review it, and that they will support it. If the proposal is denied by the Chair or Dean, discuss the reasons they had for not approving the proposal. The Chair and Dean will offer suggestions so that the proposal can be revised and resubmitted.
- What if I submit a curriculum proposal to the Vice President of Instruction and it
is not approved?
The Vice President will discuss the reasons with you, your Department Chair, and Dean, as well as suggestions for resubmitting the proposal.
- What if I submit a curriculum proposal and the Curriculum Committee and it is not
approved?
The Committee will explain why the proposal was not approved, and they will make recommendations concerning items that clarification. The proposal can then be resubmitted.
- How can articulation agreements with other institutions be set up so that programs
can transfer?
Faculty from both institutions review both programs and determine equivalencies between courses. This process applies to both four-year institutions and to high schools. The Curriculum and Assessment Office can facilitate this process.