9-21-05

GUIDELINES FOR DEVELOPING AND REVISING COURSES

Establishing a New Prefix Area

The academic unit proposing the prefix should submit such a request to the Office of the Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Programs via e-mail to coltrainem@mail.ecu.edu. The vice chancellor’s office will advise the unit of the decision regarding the establishment of a new prefix. The unit then submits its requests for new courses using the prefix or for changing the prefix of existing courses to the appropriate curriculum committee(s).

Proposing a New Course

New courses should be submitted on the appropriate University Curriculum Committee’s (UCC) course proposal form. Course proposal forms are located at the UCC web site. Older forms found on other web sites should not be used. The form contains instructions for completion and specifies attachments that are to be submitted with the proposal. All applicable sections of the form should be completed. See Guidelines for Writing Course Descriptions for explicit information on writing course descriptions. Please note that there are various individuals and web sites with whom it may be necessary for you to consult while preparing a course proposal form.

Cross-Listing New or Revised Courses

Cross-listed courses are the same courses offered in more than one unit under different prefixes. The courses may or may not have the same number. These courses appear in the catalog with a “Same as ...” statement. The request should be submitted with a letter of support from each of the units involved in offering the course. When submitting a request for new cross-listed courses, each unit must complete a course proposal form along with the request for cross listing the course.

Revising an Existing Course

The methods for revising an existing course vary and are listed below:

Course Number Change at Same Level: Submit by memo if there is no course content or course-level change. Attach a course syllabus. Course numbers must be cleared with the Office of the Registrar. Submit a copy of the registrar’s e-mail along with your memo. If the renumbering is not to occur until a later semester, please indicate the semester in which the new number is applicable. (e.g., A course that appears as a degree requirement is renumbered during the fall semester. The unit wants to continue to use the old number through the spring semester and summer session since the degree description in the catalog lists the old number. The new number should appear in the next catalog along with revised degree description.)

Course Number Change to Different Level: Submit a course proposal form if the course number is changing levels (e.g., 1000 to 2000 level). If the course impacts on another course or degree program outside the unit, that unit head should be advised and a memo of support should be attached to the request submitted to the UCC. If the renumbering is not to occur until a later semester, please indicate the semester in which the new number is applicable.

Credit Hour Change: Submit a course proposal form with any required attachments.

General Education Credit (for existing course): Submit by memorandum. Courses must be submitted to the Academic Standards Committee for approval before submission to the UCC.

Prefix Change: Submit by memorandum. Provide old and new prefix, number, title, and s.h. credit. Include documentation that the Office of Academic Programs approved the prefix.

Prerequisite Change: Submit by memorandum if there is no other course content change (content change requires course proposal form).

Title Change: Submit by memo if there is no course content change. Attach course syllabus.

Deleting a Course

Submit a memorandum that includes the course prefix, number, full title, and page number on which the course is listed in the current catalog. Use the course search tool on OneStop to obtain a list of degrees or courses in which the course being deleted is required as a prerequisite. Include a list of those degrees and courses in the memo. If the course being deleted is included in a degree or as a prerequisite in another discipline, please notify the respective unit of your action and submit a copy of that notification to the committee along with any response received from that unit.

Banking or Unbanking a Course

Banking: Submit by memorandum a banking/unbanking form. Use the course search tool on OneStop to obtain a list of degrees or courses in which the course being deleted is required as a prerequisite. Include a list of those degrees and courses in the memo. If the course being deleted is included in a degree or as a prerequisite in another discipline, please notify the respective unit of your action and submit a copy of that notification to the committee along with any response received from that unit.

Unbanking: Submit by memorandum a banking/unbanking form and include syllabus.