Policy Number: D1.0

Policy Name: POLICIES FOR CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT

  1. Rationale

An idea or suggestion for curriculum or course modification, or for new courses or programs, can be originated by anyone, be it student, faculty member, staff member, administrator or advisor. This policy provides guidance on the process for changes and additions with respect to credit bearing courses or academic programs and outlines the roles of administrators and committees at the college and university levels within this process.

This policy also identifies the university committees associated with curriculum and their responsibilities. The Intercollege Curriculum Committee (ICC) is the university committee that oversees undergraduate curriculum. The Graduate Council (GC) oversees graduate curriculum. Each college shall have a policy, approved by the faculty of the college, regarding the handling of curricular matters and in which a curriculum committee is defined.

The Provost's Academic Program and Curriculum Management website provides access to all forms, documents, instructions, and guidelines regarding curriculum development to maintain compliance with New York State Education Department.

Abbreviations used throughout this policy include the following:

  1. Course Proposals

    1. Minor Course Modifications

      1. A minor modification to a course is defined as anything not covered in section II.B.

      2. Proposals for such course modifications will be submitted to the department curriculum committee, department faculty, and the department head. For minor modifications, the department head is the final approval agency. Notification of any action is sent to the dean.

    2. Significant Course Modifications, New Courses, and Special Designations
  1. Minors

Proposals for modifications to a minor or for new minors will be submitted to the department head, the department curriculum committee, and department faculty for approval. If no clear connection to an established administrative unit exists, proposals may be made to the dean of the college that will manage the minor or to the provost, if there isn’t a dean designated to oversee the minor.

If the modification only adds or removes courses from a list of elective options and does not affect a student's ability to complete the minor within the time frame allowed for completion of the baccalaureate degree, then only the dean needs to be informed. The dean will ensure the appropriate dissemination of information of the changes. In all other cases, the approval process below must be followed:

  1. Academic Programs

All proposals for program modifications will be submitted to the department curriculum committee, and the department faculty for approval. Once approved a recommendation is forwarded to the department head for further action.

  1. Minor Program Modification
  1. Student Load and Credit Hours

    1. Credit or Credit Hour Definition

VI. University Curriculum Committees

  1. The Intercollege Curriculum Committee

    1. The Intercollege Curriculum Committee shall be composed of:
  1. The General Education Committee

    1. The General Education  Committee (GEC) is a subcommittee of the ICC and  shall be composed of:

      • the provost or designee, ex-officio, voting;

      • a representative from among the academic deans or designee;

      • a faculty representative from each college of the university that offers an undergraduate degree program;

      • the director of Student Learning Outcomes Assessment, ex-officio, non-voting;

      • the chair of ICC or designee, ex-officio, non-voting.

      Representatives of the colleges shall be voting faculty members of the college who have been full-time faculty members for at least three years and have been elected by the voting faculty of each college. Terms of these representatives shall be for three years, with the terms staggered so that approximately one-third shall expire each year. Each such elected representative shall have the responsibility of being a liaison to the undergraduate curriculum committee of that college. It is acceptable, and may be viewed as optimal, for the college’s representative to the GEC to also be one of the regular voting members of the undergraduate curriculum committee of the college.

    2. Functions of the GEC
  1. The Institute Writing Committee

    1. The Institute Writing subCommittee (IWC) is a subcommittee of the ICC shall be composed of:

      • the provost or designee;

      • a representative from among the academic deans, or designee;

      • a faculty representative from each college of the university, that offers an undergraduate degree program;

      • the First-Year Writing Program director;

      • one representative from the Academic Support Center;

      • one representative from  the English Language Center;

      • the Chair of the ICC or designate, ex officio, non-voting.

      Representatives of the colleges shall be voting faculty members of the college who have been full-time faculty members for at least three years, and have been elected by the voting faculty of the college. Terms of these representatives shall be for three years, with the terms staggered so that approximately one-third shall expire each year. Each such elected representative shall have the responsibility of being a liaison to the undergraduate curriculum committee of that college. It is acceptable, and may be viewed as optimal, for the college's representative to the IWC to also be one of the regular voting members of the undergraduate curriculum committee of the college.

    2. Functions of the IWC
  1. The Graduate Council

    1. The Graduate Council is a standing subcommittee of the Academic Senate. The Graduate Council shall be composed of:

      • One faculty member with experience in graduate education from each college of the university, to be elected by his or her faculty constituents;

      • Three members at large, who are faculty with graduate education experience, elected by the Academic Senate;

      • The dean of graduate studies (ex-officio, voting);

      • The provost or his or her delegate (ex officio, voting);

      • A duly elected graduate student representative.

    Each college representative shall be a voting member of the curriculum committee or committees of that college that deal with graduate education. Terms of representatives, excluding the graduate student representative, shall be for three years, with the terms staggered so that approximately one-third shall expire each year. The graduate student representative shall serve for a term of one year. Faculty representatives may be reelected.

    The Graduate Council shall be presided over by a chairperson elected by the assembly of Graduate Council representatives with a term of two years. The chairperson will be elected from among the faculty representatives of the Graduate Council assembly. The chairperson of the Graduate Council shall have the authority to call and chair regular and special meetings and oversee the Graduate Council functions.

  1. Responsible Office: Academic Senate. Inquiries may be directed to:

    Staff Assistant
    Office of the Academic Senate
    2106 Eastman Hall
    asenate@rit.edu
    (585)475-2016


  2. Effective Date: Approved December 1953

  3. Policy History:
    Edited July 2001
    Revised April 5, 2007
    Revised December 17, 2009
    Revised January 7, 2010
    Edited August 2010
    Edited for calendar conversion May 2, 2013
    Revised May 8, 2014 to reflect changes in Charter of Academic Governance