Faculty Handbook
Curriculum Development & Definitions

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CURRICULUM  

CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT AND DEFINITIONS

Curriculum Policy Formulation
UAS Curricular Development
Curricular Definitions
     General
     Undergraduate Programs
     Graduate Programs
     Courses

Preface

The purpose of this Curriculum Guide is to assist in the development, review, and refinement of the various programs offered by the University of Alaska Southeast. It provides faculty members, administrators, and Faculty Senate members with the overall guidelines for review and design of degree programs and courses. It also provides a description of the review processes and procedures for obtaining approval of proposals. These guidelines suggest a format that faculty and curricular review bodies use in their deliberations on programmatic proposals.

Thoughtful application of these definitions, processes, and procedures will enhance the overall effort of the institution to bring coherence to its curriculum.

CURRICULUM POLICY FORMULATION

Academic units have the primary role in the curriculum development process and are responsible for the development and maintenance of curricula and instructional programs. In terms of the curricular responsibilities, faculty members in association with their academic departments are charged with:

Developing and maintaining current curricula, instructional programs, and course syllabi.

Encouraging appropriate curriculum modifications, changes, and innovations in programs.

Approving internal modifications and soliciting input from other academic departments that might be affected by changes in programs and offerings.

Establishing and utilizing procedures for reviewing and evaluating existing and new courses, programs, and curricula.

Maintaining strong academic, instructional, and grading standards.

Selecting library and other material related to curricula and establishing internal procedures for effective and appropriate use of instructional media and other instructional resources.

Fostering the development of undergraduate and graduate programs.

UAS CURRICULAR DEVELOPMENT

More than a decade ago in its commentary on the mission of the college curriculum, a report from the Carnegie Foundation emphasized that “The curriculum is the major statement any institution [of higher education] makes about itself, about what it can contribute to the intellectual development of students, about what it thinks is important in its teaching service to society.” The Foundation went on to say that the curriculum deserved more attention than it had received in the previous decade. Although colleges and universities were reacting to enormous internal and external pressures on their curricula, they were not developing coherent educational policies. Such policies need to have a higher priority, argued the Foundation, so that the curriculum could become more the result of sustained thought and less the consequence of responding to outside pressure. Higher education should demonstrate that it can think about what the curriculum needs are as well as respond to what is demanded of it.

While the primary responsibility for course and curricular development and review rests with the academic units, the collegial process in the University ensures open discussion of instructional issues. Beyond the academic unit(s), the Faculty Senate and its sub-committee, the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee, recommend all undergraduate curricula and policies. The Faculty Senate and its subcommittee, the Graduate Committee, recommend all graduate policy and curricula to the Provost for approval. The faculty representation for the Senate is set forth in its Constitution and Bylaws.

The undergraduate Curriculum Committee has periodically added or deleted courses from the general education requirements (GERs) for the purpose of keeping content current and relevant to the 21st Century. The GERs are sequenced along with all courses to ensure that face-to-face and distance students have adequate choices for completion of GERs in a timely manner.  

CURRICULAR DEFINITIONS

The curriculum of the University is composed of numerous courses of study. Each program contains several elements that provide order and direction. To ensure clarity in the connections among the various curricular parts, it is necessary to define each of them. These definitions provide an overall framework for University programmatic action. Exceptions to these definitions are considered in the established curricular review process.

The definitions serve as guidelines for designing and revising courses and programs. As programs and courses continue to be refined and developed, UAS needs to make its degree programs cohesive by utilizing definitions for the various components of the curriculum. The University continues to define the bachelors, and masters’ degree programs as well as other curricular components, such as programmatic options and areas of specialization, majors, and emphasis areas. The general parameters for Associate of Arts and Associate of Applied Science degrees are contained in BOR policy.

In addition to defining the structural components of the curriculum, clear distinctions need to be maintained among lower division, upper division, and graduate courses as well as coordination of course numbering within UAS and UA Banner Student Information. Those with access to Banner may consult it directly. An alternate source of this information includes the UAA and UAF academic catalogs. Consultation may also be undertaken with the UAS Registrar.

General Definitions

Academic Unit: groups of faculty who offer programs in the academic disciplines. Currently there are seven academic units at UAS: Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, Humanities, Career Education, Management, Information Systems, and Education.

Course Outline: a document that outlines the structure of a course developed for catalog or special topics course approval. The course outline includes a course description, credit hours, number, title, and topics outline with instructional hours or distance hours. Course outlines of catalog courses will be reviewed and updated at least every three years. Special topics course outlines are valid for one academic year, including summer sessions. Course outlines are created during the curricular development and review process and are included in the official record of the Curriculum Committee. Course outlines are included in the postings to the Vice President for Academic Affairs System Web site for new programs or for substantial revision of current programs.

Course Syllabus: a document that is the detailed outline developed by each instructor of an approved course that is distributed to students at the start of the course. The syllabus sets the course structure, objectives, assignments, exams, and grading criteria. Prior to fall 2007, course syllabi must be on file with each faculty unit office. Beginning fall 2007, all syllabi must be posted on UAS Online. Syllabi and course outlines are kept in these locations for a variety of purposes, including accreditation review and articulation among the three campuses. Responsibility for updating courses listed in the catalog rests with the faculty units. Discipline-related faculty members in each unit should conduct a yearly review (in the fall) of all courses and update them as needed.

Degree Type: a designation within a degree level, such as Associate of Arts, Associate of Applied Science, Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Master of Arts, Master of Science. Associate of Arts degrees are oriented toward transfer to baccalaureate programs, and Occupational Endorsements are potentially transferable to degree programs. Associate of Applied Science degrees are not oriented toward transfer to baccalaureate programs but are terminal vocational programs.

Level: refers to categories of academic preparation and performance corresponding to the University's numbering system for courses. 100- and 200-level courses are lower-division courses usually taken by freshmen and sophomores; 300- and 400-level courses are usually taken by juniors and seniors; graduate students usually take 600-level courses.

Program: a prescribed course of study that leads to the formal award of an endorsement, certificate or degree.

Schools: academic discipline in a school under a dean. There are four schools at UAS: Arts & Sciences, Management, Career Education and Education.

Undergraduate Definitions

Associate of Arts Degree (A.A.): This two-year degree program requires 60-75 credit hours including the student’s lower division general education requirements of at least 34 credit hours in appropriate areas. It is also a specific transfer degree for entry into the general range of baccalaureate degree programs offered by a four-year college or university. The receiving institution is not obligated to accept transfer credit that exceeds the minimum number of credits the sending institution has established for awarding the associate level degree. This degree is not normally awarded in a program area. A minimum of 60 semester credits at the 100 level or above, including 20 credits at the 200 level, and a minimum of 34 credits of general education requirement course work must be earned to complete the A.A. degree.

Associate of Applied Science Degree (A.A.S.): This two-year degree is designed to prepare students for entry into particular occupations. It is not intended to encompass the first two years of a four-year program. Thus it may contain courses that are not primarily designed for transfer. Students should expect a receiving institution to evaluate course credits in terms of the applicability of each course to the requirements of the student’s major field of baccalaureate study. For the A.A.S. degree, the General Education Requirements are defined by BOR policy as 15 credit hours: 6 credits of written communications, 3 credits of oral communications, and 6 credits from the humanities, social sciences, or natural sciences or mathematics. The degree requires a minimum of 20 semester credits at the 200 level or above. Courses at the 300- and 400-level should not be required. Exceptions must be fully justified and approved through the review process.

Bachelor’s Degree (B.A., B.S., B.B.A., B.L.A.): The baccalaureate is usually the academic title or rank conferred on a student by the University for satisfactory completion of a prescribed four-year course of study, and the degree awarded is referred to as a bachelor's degree. Its purpose is to enable a student to acquire a foundation in liberal study and to become proficient in a particular academic discipline. The primary sources of liberal education in the curriculum of the bachelor’s degree are the general education core and electives. For most programs, those studies leading to proficiency in a branch of learning are a major supported or complemented by one or more of the following: a professional core or an emphasis area.

The curricular structure of the bachelor’s degree at UAS includes a minimum of 34 credit hours of general education requirements (GERs), a minimum of 12 credit hours of electives, and a maximum of 64 credit hours combining the major or emphasis and its attendant studies for 120-132 credit hours. The BOR minimum credit hour requirements for GER's within baccalaureate degrees is as follows: 15 credit hours in Humanities/Social Sciences distributed among written communication (6), oral communication (3), arts (3), general humanities (3), social sciences (6, in two different disciplines) and 10 credit hours in Quantitative Skills/Natural Sciences distributed among mathematics (3) natural sciences including laboratory (4).

Within the structure, the content of programs determines the type of bachelor’s degree. For example, Bachelor of Arts degree programs usually aim at liberal learning; they tend to teach qualitative methods of scholarship and they ordinarily have a focused major or emphasis area. These components make the degree flexible.

Bachelor of Science programs generally are oriented toward preparation for graduate study in a specialized field; they tend to teach quantitative methods of scholarship for purposes of prediction, and they usually have an intensive required major field of study, which limits the flexibility of the degree.

Certificate Programs require 30 to 60 credits of coursework with a minimum of 30 credit hours of 100 and 200 level courses. Certificates are usually derived from a parent degree at a higher level. Certificates are designed to provide intensive training in specific occupational areas. Certificates must contain a recognizable body of instruction in program-related areas of 1) communication, 2) computation, and 3) human relations. Instruction in these areas may be either embedded within the program curriculum or taught as specialized or discrete classes. Additional topics that should be covered, as appropriate, include safety, and environmental awareness. Certificate programs of 30 credit hours or more must be approved by the Board of Regents. A one-year certificate not associated with an approved parent degree program must be submitted as a new program.

Emphasis Area: The integrity of an emphasis area is measured by the degree to which the structure and content meet a degree’s objectives and, thereby, serve the student. It is also determined by its relationship to the curricular goals and objectives of the discipline. The true significance of a disciplinary area is demonstrated by the extent to which it leads the student to some understanding of that discipline or field of study and to a certain degree of competence with its methods of inquiry. The quality of an interdisciplinary or thematic emphasis is determined by its ability to suggest answers to the questions upon which it is focused. In either case, an emphasis area should provide basic insight into a subject that helps further the student’s educational goals.

An emphasis area consists of 12 to 18 credit hours, with at least 6 credit hours, preferably 9 or more, at the upper level (300 or above). This core provides general direction for the student’s study while maintaining a degree of flexibility. Flexibility is achieved by offering the student a choice from among a group of courses to complete the credits. The unit(s) in which appropriate discipline-related faculty members reside have the responsibility to administer all emphasis areas within their disciplines and to approve appropriate substitutions for students.

Major: The most important feature of a major area of study is depth. A major introduces students to a discipline or field of study through a foundation of theory and method, which serves as a basis for further study. It exposes students to the topics and the analytical methods applied in the study of the subject. It contains a series of courses that presume advancing levels of knowledge and understanding. At its completion, it has a means of assessing students’ mastery of the subject such as a project, an internship, a capstone course, or a comprehensive examination. In-depth study provides students with an understanding of the fundamental problems and arguments of a discipline or field of study. It affords them practice with the tools of the subject, introduces them to its historical and philosophical foundations, and gives them a clear sense of its boundaries and its effectiveness as a means for understanding or serving society.

The number of credit hours in a major and its organizational structure will vary depending on whether it aims at disciplinary or professional preparation. A disciplinary major normally ranges from 30-42 credit hours. Due to the demands of accrediting agencies, certification requirements, and professional competence, a professional major normally ranges from 30-55 credit hours. In both cases, a major includes a logically ordered core of required courses that provide general direction for the student’s study and a series of electives that give a degree of flexibility to the program. At least 40% of the course work in a major is at the upper division level (300 or above).

The unit(s) in which appropriate discipline-related faculty members reside have the responsibility for administering all majors within their discipline areas and for approving particular programs of study and appropriate course substitutions for students. Courses taken to fulfill other academic requirements, e.g., minors and areas of specialization, may ordinarily also be used in the major without reducing the minimum number of hours required for a degree. However, no student may declare a major and an emphasis area in the same discipline or field of study.

Minor: A minor is a program of study that revolves around a unifying principle or theme and consists of at least 15 credits. The same discipline may not be used to satisfy the major and the minor (i.e. English major and English minor does not make a degree.) If a course is a requirement of both the major and the minor, a student may use the course to meet both requirements but will not receive double credit.

Workforce Credentials are non-credit credentials with no minimum or maximum number of continuing education units or contact hours. The Board of Regents has delegated approval to the Chancellor so they can be enacted quickly in response to workforce demands.

Graduate Definitions

Graduate Certificates are integrated groups of courses designed to have a clear and focused academic topic or competency as their subject area. Often, Graduate Certificates meet a clearly defined educational need of a constituency group, such as continuing education or accreditation for a particular profession. Certificates are not degree programs (certificate programs range from 12 to 29 credits), but do provide the student formal recognition of the mastery of a clearly defined academic topic.

Graduate Certificate and Post-baccalaureate Certificate programs relate to state requirements for certification of public school administrators and to graduate studies for public school teachers and supervisors; these programs should be limited to the field of education. They are essentially extensions of master's level study and should demonstrate study beyond that expected in master's programs.

Master’s Degree (M.A.T., M.Ed., M.P.A., M.B.A.)  In broad terms, the master’s degree indicates that the recipient has mastered a program in a particular field of study to a level that prepares the candidate to pursue original work in the specialty. Normally, degree titles indicate one of two categories. The Master of Arts and Master of Science are generally designated as academic degrees designed to provide an introduction to scholarly activities and research. These degrees often serve the needs of individuals as preparation for further postgraduate study. The second category is comprised of professional master’s degrees such as the M.A.T., M.Ed., M.P.A., and M.B.A. programs. While similar to the M.A. and M.S., these programs tend to emphasize professional practice.

Despite differences in title and objective, all masters’ degrees share common characteristics. The degree normally requires one to two years of full-time study (or equivalent) and the completion of  30-45 hours of credit. The degree is awarded upon completion of a coherent program that is designed to assure mastery of specified knowledge and skills rather than a random accumulation of credits beyond the baccalaureate degree. The basic components of the degree may vary in emphasis but generally include a common core in the discipline; a concentration in a sub field of study; cognate courses outside the academic discipline as a means of broadening the curriculum or to provide needed skills; an integrative experience to synthesize the program’s content and/or to translate theory into practice, a summative experience to measure achievement and intellectual growth through such work as afforded by a research project, capstone course, and/or comprehensive examination.

Academic credit applicable to the degree should be awarded for only those courses designed to expand and strengthen skills beyond the level of the baccalaureate degree. Degree credit is not awarded for courses that are remedial or designed to fulfill prerequisites for admission. All courses must be post-baccalaureate credits and all but 6 semester credits must be at the 600 level.

Note: The School Dean assigns workloads for faculty members; therefore, the Dean must approve Directed Studies, Independent Studies, Internships and Practica, and Individual Research.

Continuing Education Unit (CEU): The CEU is a nationally recognized unit of credit granted for participation in educational experiences under responsible sponsorship, capable direction, and qualified instruction that has a ten-contact-hour-per-credit ratio. CEUs are not convertible to academic credit.

Course numbers for continuing education courses are 001-049.

Directed Study is identical to the title, course objectives, course content, and evaluative criteria of a catalog course regularly offered by the school. A directed study is not normally approved during the semester in which the course is regularly offered.

Such courses shall bear the regular title and number on the student's permanent record with "DS", the designation for Directed Study.

Procedure: To enroll, a student must complete an Instructor Approval Form and submit with registration material. The Instructor Approval Form requires concurrence from the instructor and final approval by the appropriate Dean.

Independent Study courses are those in which the course content, learning activities, and evaluative criteria are developed primarily by the student. The student should be capable of bearing responsibility for the entire conduct of the study. Independent study is not on par with a traditional class or “directed study”; independent study requires discipline and creativity of the highest order and is conducted by a student independently. The sponsor monitors, assists as possible, evaluates achievement of objectives, and assigns a final grade when objectives are met.

Independent study courses bear a course number ending in "97" and are offered at the 200, 300, 400, and 600 levels only.

Procedure: The student initiates an Instructor Approval Form and prepares a final contract, which both parties sign. To obtain authorization to enroll for independent study, the sponsor or the student completes an Instructor Approval Form and submits it along with the original of the contract approval to the appropriate Dean.

Independent studies may be initiated at any time but are due to be completed administratively by the end of the semester in which initiated (fall, spring, summer). It is not uncommon for independent studies to enter into an "Incomplete" status when a full semester is not available for completion of the study.

Limitation on Independent Study courses: No more than 12 credits earned in Independent Study may be applied to an undergraduate baccalaureate degree, no more than 6 credits to an associate degree, and no more than 3 credits to an undergraduate certificate. Independent Studies will not duplicate catalog courses.

Individual Research is developed by a student with a sponsoring faculty member. Individual research bears a course number ending in "98" and is offered at the 300, 400, and 600 levels only. Individual research may be undertaken for 1 to 6 credits, and grading is Pass/Fail only. See Independent Study for the method of development.

Internships are experience-based courses that involve placing a student in an off-campus organization under the supervision of both a qualified professional in the agency and a faculty member.

Internships require satisfactory completion of a minimum of four hours per week for each credit (0+0+4) over the duration of a 15-week semester (School of Management: 1 credit=60 hours, all other Schools: 1 credit=50 hours). To apply for an internship, the student must be admitted to a University program. The student must also demonstrate educational preparation for the internship and the connection between the internship and the student's education goals.

Internships are usually faculty-member initiated and arranged for with an organization in which a qualified professional provides direct supervision and periodic reports. The faculty sponsor monitors the student intern's work, including on-site visitation, evaluates achievement of this experienced-based activity, and assigns a final grade when objectives are met.

The student and/or the faculty sponsor develop a contract for work to be undertaken. After the contract is agreed upon, to obtain authorization to enroll for an internship, the sponsor completes an Instructor Approval Form and submits it along with the original of an internship contract to the appropriate Dean. The student needs this form to enroll with the appropriate office of admissions.

Practica are supervised practical applications of a previously studied theory conducted under the supervision of a qualified professional in cooperation with a faculty member. Practica courses require satisfactory completion of a minimum of four hours of supervised experience per week for each credit (0+0+4) for which the student is registered for the duration of the semester. These courses are generally at off-campus settings where the student is under the direct supervision of agency personnel.

Professional Development Courses, assigned the numbers 500-599, are designed to provide continuing education for various professional groups and cannot be applied to degree programs. Such courses are post-baccalaureate in nature but are not applicable to degree requirements. The measurement of student effort is indicated by professional development credits. One credit requires at least 12.5 classroom contact hours, two credits at least 25, three credits at least 37.5, etc. and are usually graded Pass/Fail. The courses are provided on a self-support basis. Professional development courses require standard course and lecture approvals.

Special Topics Courses, which bear the designator -93, are academic credit courses offered to pilot test the course content or to provide a specialty content area on a one-time basis. Special topics must meet the same standard as academic credit courses in every way. Special topics courses are approved by the appropriate Dean for one academic year including summer. Special topics courses are not offered for more than two years without approval from the Faculty Senate undergraduate Curriculum Committee or Graduate Committee.

Thesis study is developed by a student with a sponsoring chair (often the student's academic advisor) and a committee, which the student usually recruits. Thesis study bears a course number ending in "99" and is offered at the 300, 400, and 600 levels only. Academic programs often have thesis study requirements as part of their procedural guidelines. Thesis study may be undertaken for 3 to 6 credits, and grading is Pass/Fail only.

08/08