CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT

I. Function of Curriculum Committee

A. The Curriculum Committee is a standing committee of the Academic Senate and is concerned with the development and continual improvement of educational programs and the curriculum. The major functions of the Committee are to:

1. Make recommendations to the board regarding additions, modifications or deletions to the curriculum
2. Advise the board and administration on issues related to curriculum and educational programs
3. Maintain an on-going evaluation of the college curriculum
4. Assist in the development and long-range planning of the overall educational program of the College

B. The specific functions of the Curriculum Committee are to act on the following proposals:

1. Addition of a new program or course, credit or non-credit
2. Deletion of a program or course
3. Revision of a catalog description that changes the nature of a course
4. Change in hours and/or units of a course
5. Change in the requirement patterns of an existing certificate or degree program
6. Change in prerequisites, corequisites or recommended preparations
7. Significant changes in the course outline related to grading standards, method of evaluation, or textbooks

C. The following changes may be made administratively without Curriculum Committee action when recommended by the appropriate Division Dean or Associate Vice President and approved by the Vice President, Academic Affairs:

1. Changes in course titles, numbers or descriptions where the original intent is not altered
2. Minor changes in course outline related to grading standards, method of evaluation, or textbooks
3. Typographical errors

II. Membership of the Curriculum Committee

A. By agreement between the Administration and the Academic Senate, the membership of the committee shall be as follows:

1. Member of the Academic Senate Executive Committee (co-chair)
2. Vice President, Academic Affairs (co-chair)
3. Five faculty members from Eureka campus, elected at-large and confirmed by Academic Senate
4. One faculty member each from the Del Norte and Mendocino campuses elected by the faculty of those centers and confirmed by Academic Senate
5. The college articulation officer
6. The director of student development

B. A representative of the division deans will serve as an ex-officio, non-voting member

C. Faculty members will serve staggered two year terms and will be disqualified if they miss more than three meetings during the semester (Center representatives may participate by telephone or video conferencing)

D. The office of Academic Affairs will provide technical support to the Curriculum Committee and will be responsible for appointing and maintaining the Technical Review Committee, whose function is advisory to the Vice President of Academic Affairs and the Curriculum Committee.

III. Procedures for Curriculum Development

A. Ideas for new courses and programs may originate from such sources as students, faculty, advisory committees, administrators, community and government offices, and
transfer institutions, but the formal responsibility for new course and program introduction lies with the Division Deans and Associate Vice Presidents. It is the responsibility of the Division Dean/Associate Vice President to assess student and community needs before forwarding recommendations for Curriculum Committee consideration.

B. When considering development, revision, or deletion of any course, or program, it is recommended that, prior to submitting a curriculum proposal, the person initiating the process:

1. Consult with other instructors (full-time, associate, Eureka campus, centers) that might be affected
2. Consult with Advisory Committees where appropriate

C. To propose/revise/delete curriculum, the following forms
must be submitted:

1. Curriculum Proposal Form
2. Course Outline Form
3. Master Course File Form
4. Application for Approval of New Education Program
state and local forms (for programs only)

D. The completed forms are to be routed and receive approvals in the following order:

1. Division Dean or Center Associate Vice President and appropriate instructors at the campus of origin
2. Division Dean or Center Associate Vice President at the other two locations (Note: The Division/Center initiating the proposal is responsible for obtaining all of the required signatures before forwarding the forms to the Academic Affairs office)
3. Academic Affairs office, for Technical Review Committee consideration
4. Curriculum Committee for study and recommendation. If approved,
5. Academic Senate for approval
6. Board of Trustees for local legal approval
7. Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, Sacramento, and Department of Veterans Affairs, if applicable, for State legal approval

E. The procedure for completing and routing forms for approval is as follows:

1. For courses, complete a "Course Outline" form, giving particular attention to the following sections:

Prerequisite - these must be "academic" and, if required, must also be validated ("Consent of the Instructor" is not a legal prerequisite)
Academic Level - B.A. level course proposals should be accompanied by evidence that at least two regionally accredited 4-year colleges offer the same or similar courses preferably at a lower division level
Description - brief, and appropriate for publication in the catalog
Objectives - statements of what the student can expect to take from the course
Text(s) - all textbooks being used or which would be acceptable (alternatives should be listed). Indicate reading level of textbook
Evaluation - a clear statement of what is graded and the grade scale used. (If more than one instructor is involved and there is not agreement, the form should disclose each acceptable method of grading.)
Topical Outline - a statement of topics covered plus an approximate percentage of the time spent on each topic

2. For courses, complete all sections of the "Curriculum Proposal" form, attach it to the Course Outline, and make three (3) sets of copies. The division head or center dean for the campus of origin should sign each set of copies, certifying that all forms are complete and technically correct

3. For programs, complete both the district and Chancellor's Office Application for Approval of New Educational Programs, ensuring that all requirements of the Education Code and Title 5 have been met. Attach all required supplementary material, including course lists, budget projection, statement of need, and, for vocation programs, a job market analysis

4. Send one copy of all materials to each of the two remaining campus locations for review, and request that the copies be returned to the division/center of origin with comments and/or signatures within one week

(Use of the telephone rather than inter-campus mail to communicate concerns and to resolve differences of opinion is encouraged.)

5. After receiving all three signatures (Eureka campus Division Dean plus two center Associate Vice Presidents - these need not be all on the same copy), the originating division/center should submit the three sets of copies, along with one "Master Course File" (MCF) form, to the Office of Academic Affairs

6. The Technical Review Committee (TRC) will review the proposed curriculum for technical correctness and completeness of forms submitted. The TRC will meet at regularly scheduled intervals established each year in the fall. TRC meetings are open to all who wish to attend. Interested parties are encouraged to call the Academic Affairs Office on the day of the scheduled TRC meeting to find out what courses will be reviewed and to determine whether they wish to attend the meeting. Attendance of Center representatives can be accommodated by use of a conference phone. TRC will notify the division/center of origin, in writing (via the agenda for the Curriculum Committee) as to the status of the proposal. Feedback will specify whether the proposal has been approved as technically correct, or approved with conditions (described).

7. Once a proposal has been approved as technically correct, it will either be included in the master course data bank or forwarded to the Curriculum Committee, as required, for consideration.

8. Decisions of the Curriculum Committee will be reported to the Academic Senate. Recommendations of the Curriculum Committee will normally be approved by the Academic Senate unless compelling educational reasons dictate that a recommendation be sent back to the Curriculum Committee for further consideration.

9. All divisions/centers will be notified, via minutes, of the decisions of the Curriculum Committee and Academic Senate regarding courses and programs.

a. When a proposal has been rejected, or when further revision is required, the appropriate division/center will be notified and the course materials will be returned.

b. When a proposal has been approved, either by the Board of Trustees or the Chancellor's Office, a copy of the course outline or program description will be sent to the appropriate division/center for its files, and data from the MCF form will be
entered into the computer.

F. The following questions will guide the Curriculum Committee in its judgments on program and courses:

1. What is the evidence that the program or course is needed?

a. Is it required in order to meet transfer needs of students?
b. Does it meet a vocational-technical need?
c. Does it contribute to College of the Redwoods' general education objectives?
d. Does it meet the needs of other divisions?
e. Does it meet remedial needs?
f. Does it meet community needs?
g. Could an existing course be modified to meet this need?
h. Would it be appropriate that a lay advisory committee be consulted in regard to need for the course or program? Has this been done?
i. Does the program or course unnecessarily duplicate offerings in other nearby institutions?

2. What is the relation of the proposed program or course to other programs or courses?

a. Will it modify any existing programs or courses? (either in the same division or in other divisions)
b. Will it overlap or duplicate any existing programs or courses? (either in the same division or in other divisions)
c. Will any course be dropped because of it? (either in the same division or in other divisions)
d. Will it supplement some other programs or courses; if so, which ones?

3. Is the scholarship level of the course appropriate for its place in the Curriculum?

a. Is the course clearly lower division?
b. Is the proposed unit credit appropriate for the contemplated class time and assignment?

4. Does the course meet all of the standards established in Title 5 (Section 55002) for Associate Degree credit, non-degree credit or non-credit courses, as appropriate?

5. Has the course had divisional/center consideration and has it received district-wide endorsement?

a. Will course content meet the needs as set forth in Section 1?
b. For what students will the course be:

(1) required?
(2) recommended?
(3) elective?

c. How often will the course be offered and in what probable numbers will students enroll?

6. Is the program or course consistent with the college philosophy and strategic plan?

a. Is this course part of a larger curriculum program readily identified with the purpose of the college?
b. How does the proposed course or program help to fulfill the strategic plan of the college?

7. What are the resource implications of offering the program or course?

a. Will the offering of this program or course require additional staff?
b. To what degree will offering this program or course require additional equipment and facilities?
c. Have the financial aspects of offering the program or course been considered from a short and long-term point of view?
d. Will the enrollment in this program or course remain relatively constant, or will it increase in proportion to general enrollment?

IV. Curriculum Proposal Restrictions and Guidelines

A. Recreational, avocational, and personal development courses are not acceptable as either state funded credit or non-credit curriculum. Recreational, avocational, and personal development courses are those which:

1. are not required courses or suggested electives leading to the completion of the requirements of a major or certificate offered by the college
2. are offered primarily to provide recreational or avocational pursuits for students
3. are of greater private than public interest
4. should be offered as community services classes for a fee which covers the cost of instruction

B. The following nine curriculum areas are designated as appropriate for state-supported non-credit courses:

1. Parenting
2. Elementary and secondary basic skills
3. English as a Second Language
4. Citizenship for immigrants
5. Programs for substantially handicapped
6. Short-term employment training
7. Older adult programs
8. Home economics
9. Health and Safety

All non-credit adult courses must be submitted by the Community Education Office to the Curriculum Committee for approval.

C. The types of courses listed below are defined in Title V, Section 55001 as community services classes and may not be claimed for apportionment purposes. No classes of this nature can be submitted to or approved by the Curriculum Committee as for-credit offerings.

1. Avocational classes
2. Recreational classes
3. Seminars, lecture series, forum series, workshops, and conferences
4. Professional and occupational inservice classes

Community Services classes are to be offered on a self-supporting fee basis only.

For a complete description of forms, regulations and processes, refer
to Curriculum Development Handbook.

Approved: May 1986
Revised: October 1991; January 9, 1995