Curriculum
Subject to approval of the VCAA and the final authority of the Board of Regents, departments and colleges have the authority to establish their curricula and the requirements for majors and minors, and to add to or remove courses from both in accordance with rules established by the college or campus.
A program curriculum should reflect the courses and course sequencing required in order for students to complete the program having developed the stated learning outcomes. Analysis, discussion and program revision based on assessment results assures that a program remains current and viable.
There should be a balance among the amount of change in program requirements from year to year, the role of advising in course selection, the way in which the program is defined in university systems, and the demands on staff time to reconcile systems for individual students. As curricular changes are planned, faculty should consider how the change will be implemented and its impact on students currently in the system. Impacts of curricular change.
Curriculum Review Process
The curriculum review process for proposed new or modified courses and programs begins with the faculty. All curriculum must be approved at the department and college level before submission to VCAA.
Special Credit Registration Proposals
Course Mappings
This course mappings file references programs that require specific courses. When course change proposals are considered, departments whose programs require the course should be consulted about impact on individual programs.
Electronic Systems
When proposals reach VCAA, they are entered into systems designed to track the approval process, to provide current information about the curriculum, and to track changes in the curriculum over time. The Electronic Course Approval System (ECAS) maintains course information; the Program and Curriculum Approval System (PCAS) maintains program information. Both are accessible using X.500 login/password. These systems, in turn, feed information into registration, degree audit, catalog, graduation planner, class schedules, etc. A System Diagram represents these connections.