Faculty Resources

Curriculum Adoption Process Policy

[revised September 2005]

1. The Core requirement is 2 semester hours for all degree candidates enrolled in the Graduate School, and attendance at the annual Convocation.
2. The Core curriculum is composed of courses that reflect the spirit of Core as articulated in the Standards for Course Adoption.
3. The 2 semester hours of Core are fulfilled through enrollment in any of the variety of elective courses approved for a given year as composing the Core curriculum.
4. Standing Core courses must be approved by the Core Committee (composed of representatives of all programs of the Graduate School) prior to submission to the Curriculum Committee for formal inclusion in the curriculum of the Graduate School.
5. Experimental Core courses may be offered on a three-time basis prior to formal procedure through the Curriculum Committee. Experimental courses must be fully approved by the Core Committee as outlined in the Core Course Adoption Procedure.
6. As indicated in item 3 above, Core courses are elective. Issues of cross-listing are not the business of the Core Committee. Approved Core courses may be listed as Core. The advisability of cross-listing Core courses with departmental electives is the decision of the Curriculum Committee.

Core Course Adoption Process

1. All Core courses are approved by the Core Committee prior to submission to the Curriculum Committee for formal inclusion in the curriculum of the Graduate School.
2. The Core Committee applies the Standards for Course Adoption (see below) in determining the suitability of a course for inclusion in the Core Curriculum. Any cross-listing is the purview of the Curriculum Committee and the Departments. Cross-listing of courses required for departmental degrees is most exceptional.

Standards for Course Adoption (Criteria for Approval)

1. Focus explicitly on issues related to the Graduate School motto—Creativity, Compassion, Commitment—while valuing diverse perspectives and promoting open dialogue, inquiry, respect, and social action (from the Graduate School Mission Statement).
2. Articulate to students the relationship between the course content and their professional roles as future teachers, counselors, or school leaders.
3. Indicate student opportunities for collaboration across the helping professions represented in Graduate School programs.
4. Whenever possible and appropriate, incorporate experiences that go beyond the classroom (e.g., field or service learning experiences, guest speakers, community-based problem solving).

Course Proposal Procedure

A link to the the procedures to propose a new course is here.

Courses for Review