GUIDING YOUR COURSE THROUGH THE CURRICULUM COMMITTEE
I. PREPARING YOUR MASTER COURSE OUTLINE (MCO)
The instructions given here are meant to help you with the new Master Course Outline process, as well as tell you what to expect when you appear before the Curriculum Committee.
A. DESIGNING YOUR COURSE
Start with your vision of the course. Plan your course exactly the way you want. Include all the information that a new teacher would need in order to teach the course. The following checklist may be useful as you go through this process:
• A list of topics that would be covered in your course;
• A set of skills your students will master;
• A set of outcomes you want to measure;
• Prerequisites – think about English and Math prerequisites as well as courses in
your discipline;
• What you plan to assess and how you will assess it.
B. FILLING OUT THE ONLINE MASTER COURSE OUTLINE SCREENS
Once the plan for your course is complete, move to the Online Master Course Outline screens at:
1. Click on Add a Master Course Outline for new courses or Find a Master
Course Outline for existing courses.
2. The Course Information Tab has a change log/notes/rationale box where you
can tell us what you are doing, i.e. adding a new course, or changing an existing
course, and where you can provide us with the rationale for what you are doing.
- The Description Tabasks for basic course information, such as Discipline,
Number, Title, Abbrev. Title, Credits, Course Description, Prerequisites, Instructor
Permission, Grading Options, and Planned Year/Quarter.
• Consult with your Dean and Department/Division colleagues to be sure your
course number is available and appropriate to the level of the course.
• Choose a title that is descriptive and is different from other courses in your
discipline.
• Be sure your description is clear and that your course is easily distinguished
from other courses by both its title and its description. The description you
write will be read by your prospective students when it appears in the catalog
and time schedules. If your course has a specific audience, you might want to
include that information in your course description. Note the length limitation.
- The Outcomes Tab is where you tell us what you expect your student to be able
to do upon completion of this course, what assessment methods you are using to
measure their progress, if they are suggested or required, and whether any of the
new Gen Ed Outcomes apply.
• The course outcomes should be measurable, clear, and should include only
outcomes you plan to assess. For more information on writing outcomes, you
can refer to the HelpNotes on this tab.
- The Outline Tab has unlimited text space and lets you input the outline of topics
and content for your course. You can cut and paste into this memo box, if you
have the information already typed in a Word document.
• This is where you put the rest of the information that is specific to your course.
The course content/major course topics can also include a more expansive
narrative description of your course. This part of the document is where other
instructors might turn when they want to find out how to teach your course, so
be as specific and complete as you can.
- The Transfer Information Tab includes what type of degrees and/or certificates
this course applies to, where it transfers to and how it transfers and also whether
this is a W course.
• The Transfer Information section includes information for advising. This is
where the details about the transferability of your course appear, as well as to
what degrees or certificates it applies. If you believe that your course will
transfer to the UW or another university in a specific way, you will need to
check this out to be sure. Check with your Dean or Advising and Counseling to
be sure this area is filled out correctly.
7. The Degree/Distribution Tab includes General Education Core Curriculum
requirements, as well as Degree Distribution requirements, and dual-listed
information.
8. The Detail Tabincludes most of the course coding information we are required
to submit to the State Board for Community and TechnicalColleges. This is
where you choose the codes for where your course fits in the overall instructional
scheme, state-wide as well as federally. The Classification of Instructional Program code is basically a categorization of the type of course. The Educational Program code is for Professional/Technical courses only, and is attached to a CIP code. This tab also includes student contact hours, capacity, variable credit, institutional intent, Administrative Unit, Sections, Footnotes, Distance Education codes and information.
9. The Financial Tab includes funding source, fee pay status codes, fees,
instructor contact hours, percent of load, course pay type, and a financial impact
statement which you need to complete. Please read the HelpNote on the
financial impact section for an explanation and examples.
10. & 11. The Cover Page 1 and 2 Tabs have additional directions for completing
the process, and have a checklist which shows which items you are bringing to
the Curriculum Committee. This tells the Curriculum Committee what to expect when they look at your MCO. Work with your Dean to be sure this form is filled out correctly. Make sure all appropriate boxes have been checked.
12. The SignOff Tab lists the people who should have a chance to review your MCO
before you present it to the Curriculum Committee. Once you’ve written your
MCO, share it with your colleagues within your discipline and division and
incorporate their feedback. Each division and department has a different system
for reviewing MCOs. Obtain signatures from your Division Planning Committee,
your Division Dean, and the Library/Media Center. You may also need other
signatures. Please read the Directions on the cover page.
C. PRESENTING YOUR MCO TO THE CURRICULUM COMMITTEE
1. Submission of your MCO
Once your MCO has been reviewed and passed by your colleagues in your
discipline and your division as well as your dean, it goes to Kerry Fondren. See
Directions on Cover Page 1 for more details. Copies of your MCO will be
distributed to the members of the Curriculum Committee, and your course will be
placed on the agenda for its First Reading at the next possible Curriculum
Committee Meeting. You will be asked to come to the meeting to present your
course to the committee.
2. First Reading
When you present your course for its First Reading, The Curriculum Committee
asks that you give a brief explanation of your course, why you created or revised
it, and how it fits with other courses. Then we will ask questions – sometimes for
our own understanding, sometimes to suggest revisions or clarifications in your
MCO. Almost all of our suggestions will have to do with the way the form is filled
out rather than the content of your course. Most such suggestions are minor and
easy to implement. If we find something that needs more substantial work, a
member of the Curriculum Committee will volunteer to help you make any
needed changes after the meeting. In most circumstances, your course will be
passed for its first reading.
3. Resubmission, with changes
Once you’ve made the suggested revisions, send the revised version to Kerry Fondren. Copies of your MCO will again be distributed to the members of the Curriculum Committee, and your course will be placed on the agenda for its Second Reading. You will be asked to come to the meeting to present your course again.
4. Second Reading
During the Second Reading, you can talk about any changes you made. Occasionally, we will make more suggestions for changes at the Second Reading. In this case, you need to make the requested changes and get the final version to Kerry Fondren after the meeting. If we have no further suggestions, the Second Reading will be very brief. In most circumstances, your course will be passed for its Second Reading.