The college curriculum committee is composed of faculty representatives
from each department within the college, plus the Dean of the college
ex officio, and student representatives. The College Curriculum
Committee has the following three major responsibilities:
To evaluate for approval proposed courses and programs,
both undergraduate and graduate.
To evaluate for approval changes to existing courses and programs,
both undergraduate and graduate.
To forward approved proposals to the appropriate oversight
committee for evaluation and approval.
Procedures for Curriculum Change
New Course Approval Process
To initiate the new course approval process, send 12 copies of
the following to the respective College Curriculum Committee:
Form A “New Course Approvals,” Section
VIII, available from department chairs (in paper or electronic
version), or on the Curriculum site of the TU home page. Explanations
of terms used in Form A, as well as guidelines for course
titles, catalog descriptions, GenEd status, credit hours,
levels, etc., are included in Section IV.
Course Rationale: A statement of evidence supporting the program’s
and University’s need for the course and relating the proposed
course to the goals of the program.
Syllabus: A full description of the course, including the following:
Course objectives;
Course content, usually in the form of a schedule of topics
and assignments that explicate and justify both the catalog
title and level (lower-division, upper-division, graduate);
Statements of requirements (readings, assignments, tests,
finals) and procedures by which the final grade is calculated;
Policies on academic dishonesty, including plagiarism, as
it related to grades;
Policy on attendance, as it relates to grades;
A statement of how much and what type of additional work
is required of graduate students if the course is offered for
graduate as well as undergraduate credit; and
Bibliography (Required for upper-level and graduate courses);
Statement of Curse Overlap: Each proposal must include a statement
about the possible overlap with other courses within or between
programs. If potential overlap exists, a statement describing
its extent as well as syllabi for the existing course(s) must
be included. If the proposed course overlaps courses in
other program(s), evidence of consultation with the other program(s)
is needed.
Resource Requirements: A statement that existing resources
are adequate, or, if not, a statement that the program has the
means and agrees to purchase the necessary resources.
Approval of Changes in Existing Courses
To initiate changes in existing courses or to delete a course,
send 12 copies of the following to the College Curriculum Committee:
Form B – “Changes in Existing Courses,” Section
VIII, available from department chairs (in paper or electronic
version). Explanations of terms used on Form B, as
well as guidelines for course titles, catalog descriptions,
GenEd status, credit hours, levels, etc., are included
in Section IV.
Impact Statement: Evidence that chairs of potentially affected
programs have received and have had an opportunity to respond
regarding the proposed changes
Course Approval Checklist
Courses that are submitted to the CHP College Curriculum Committee
are required to be checked for quality and compliance with Towson
University stipulations. Please review the checklist below
before submitting New Course Approval requests.
Done
Checklist Items
Comments
Department Chairperson
or Graduate Program Director Signature
Rationale statement: Include
an attachment (1 paragraph) that summarizes why the
modification (e.g., proposed change) or addition of
a new course is needed – what gap does it
fill.
Statement of overlap: Include
an attachment (1 paragraph) that indicates any potential
overlap the modification or new course may have with
an existing course at TU. If there is a potential
for overlap, evidence regarding a letter from the department—that
currently offers a course that may potentially overlap – explaining
that there is not conflict will expedite approval. If
there is no overlap, include a brief statement to this
effect.
Suggested abbreviation
of course name: Max 17 characters (this is not the
hegis code of the course)
Title of course: Accurately
reflects the content of the course
Succinct and appropriate
course description: The catalogue description should
be in italics and limited to one or two sentences. Although
there is no policy for length (in terms of word limit),
brevity is the rule. A more complete description
can appear in a paragraph below the catalogue description.
Indicates if course can
be repeated: “May be repeated for a maximum of
___ credits.” (Specify ‘0’ if
course is not repeatable).
Syllabus includes a list
of objectives: Objectives are appropriate for the content
of the course
Clearly stated assignments:
This includes description and specifications for all
class assignments, papers, projects, presentations,
etc.
Specific evaluation criteria:
Should be included for each assignment, indicating
the category (e.g., content, writing style, organization,
etc.) and the maximum number of points or percentage
each category is awarded.
Clearly stated grading
policy: Criteria for A, B, C, D, F. (Only A, B, C,
F for graduate courses)
If course is listed for both undergraduate and graduate
students, the syllabus must state more or greater in-depth
assignments for graduate students.
Syllabus includes a topical
outline: Provides an understanding of what will be
taught week-by-week in class.
Syllabus includes a bibliography: Not
listed as “References” unless specifically
used in the course.
Syllabus
includes statements regarding
course polices:
SEE BELOW
Class attendance, participation,
absence and make-up statements.
Penalties for late assignments
University policy on incompletes
Students may not repeat
a course more than once without prior permission of
the Academic Standards Committee
Statement on personal honesty,
integrity, cheating, plagiarizing.
Refer students to policies
in Department Student Handbook
Students with Disabilities: “This
course is in compliance with Towson University policies
for students with disabilities. Students with
disabilities are encouraged to register with Disability
Support Services (DSS) 7720 York Road, Suite 232, 410/704-2638
(Voice or TDD) Students who suspect that they have
a disability but do not have documentation are encouraged
to contact DSS for advice on how to obtain appropriate
evaluation. A memo from DSS authorizing your
accommodation is needed before any accommodation can
be made.”
College of Health Professions
Linthicum Hall, Suite 116
8000 York Road | Towson, MD 21252 | 410-704-2000
