Curriculum Committee

Meeting Dates and Times

2nd and 4th Fridays 

1:00pm-3:00pm 

Boardroom (SS202) 

Scope  

Members of the Curriculum Committee are expected to read all of the curricular documents and provide constructive feedback to curriculum authors in advance of each meeting. Committee members gain a broad, interdisciplinary understanding of the college’s degrees, certificates, and courses as well as the many Chancellor’s Office and state guidelines and requirements. Members also gain a keen understanding of articulation processes, procedures and requirements. This is the kind of committee that requires regular work from members each week, outside of the committee meeting days and times, but exposes members to a broad picture of the entire institution. 

Bylaws 

1. Membership: Terms of each faculty member, including the chair, shall be two years with staggered terms expiring July 1. The Committee shall consist of the following members: 
   1. The chair appointed from the Committee’s members past or present by the President and confirmed by the Senate; 
   2. One faculty member from each Division as defined in the Constitution of the Academic Senate, Article IV, Section 2. 
   3. One faculty member with current knowledge of the regulatory requirements governing Alternative Instructional Methodologies, especially those regarding Distance and Correspondence Education separate course approval (Title 5, sections 55206 and 55263) to be appointed by the Curriculum Committee chair and confirmed  by the Senate; and 
   4. One serving faculty member of the committee who will be the “mentee” who will assume the position of Committee Chair in the future. This person should be identified in the current chair’s final year; and 
   5. The Curriculum Specialist, who shall serve as a non-voting member; and 
   6. The College Articulation Officer (AO), who shall serve as a regular, voting member if the AO is a faculty member; if the AO is not faculty, then the AO shall be a non-voting, ex officio member; and 
   7. The Chief Instructional Officer (CIO) or designee, who shall serve as a non-voting, ex-officio member; and 
   8. The Distance Education Administrator, who shall serve as a non-voting, ex officio member; and 
   9. The Assessment Committee chair, who shall serve as a non-voting, ex officio member unless that person already serves as a regular voting Curriculum Committee member; and 
   10. A student representative who shall serve as a non-voting liaison to the Curriculum Committee to be appointed in accordance with District policies or procedures. 
   11. The Curriculum Committee chair may request a MIS Admissions and Records representative, who shall serve as a non-voting, ex officio member. 
2. Membership Selection Process: Usually about one month before the end of the academic year, or as needed, the Chair will ask the Senate Office Administrator to communicate with full-time faculty to let them know about upcoming vacancies on the committee and to ask for volunteers to serve. Usually in the last two weeks of the academic year, or as needed, the Chair, in collaboration with the Senate President, will select new members to fill those vacancies, considering the following criteria:
   1. Interest in and experience with curriculum.
   2. Availability to contribute to quorum.
   3. Committee representation in terms of instructional and non-instructional areas            and other factors contributing to group diversity, collegiality, and heterodoxy.
   4. Faculty needing to fulfill contractual obligations regarding committee service, including new faculty hires who are starting the following semester.

3. Duties and Purposes: The Curriculum Committee is concerned with the development of and continual improvement of educational programs and the curriculum. The major functions of the Committee are the following: 

   1. To make recommendations to the Senate regarding additions, modifications, or deletions to the curriculum;
   2. To advise the Senate and the administration on issues related to curriculum and educational programs;
   3. To maintain an on-going evaluation of the college curriculum, including advising with respect to equity and the Course Outline of Record;
   4. To assist in the development and long-range planning of the overall educational program of the college; and
   5. To advise faculty who are developing groupings of classes into cohorts or other linked units.
   6. The specific functions of the Curriculum Committee are to act on the following proposals:
      1. Creation, modification or deletion of programs, courses, or certificates;
      2. Revision of a catalog description to reflect changes in the nature of a course;
      3. Changes in hours and/or unites of a course; 
      4. Changes in the requirements of an existing certificate or degree program;
      5. Changes in prerequisites, corequisites, and recommended preparation;
      6. Assignment of courses to disciplines; and
      7. Significant changes in the course outline related to grading standards, method of evaluation, or instructional materials.

 

Approved by Senate 11/15/13  
Approved by Senate 05/02/14 
Curriculum Committee reviewed October, 2015 Approved by Senate 02/07/20. 
Approved by Senate 05/13/2022. 
Approved by Senate 09/20/2024