Curriculum Management

The Council on Science and Technology grants the SEL and SEN designation to science and engineering courses that are appropriate for students concentrating in the humanities and social sciences. Applications to the Council for an SEL or SEN designation for a new course should be submitted as part of the CAP/CUP submissions process. To request an SEL or SEN designation from the Council for a new course, please submit the following additional materials to the Office of the Dean of the College through the PeopleSoft Curriculum Management System: (1) Brief statement discussing alignment of course objectives to SE Learning Goals, and (2) Course Syllabus. If you would like assistance with aligning course objectives to SE Learning Goals, please contact us well in advance of the deadline. CST staff will assist you in preparing the requested materials and can advocate on behalf of your course to the Council. These requests for documents apply only to new courses requesting an SEL or SEN designation or existing courses requesting an additional designation, not existing SEL or SEN courses. Once your ST request has been received by the Council, a member of our staff may contact you for additional information. For questions about SEL or SEN applications, contact Sami Kahn, x84316.

New one-time-only courses are submitted for dean's review and approval through the Course Approval Process (CAP) tool in the PeopleSoft Curriculum Management System (CMS). New term topics are submitted through the Course Update Process (CUP). Staff granted access to CMS will enter and submit their department's new one-time-only courses and new term topics during the course offerings process each fall and spring. A memo from the department chair or departmental representative addressed to the Dean Elizabeth Colagiuri, the course syllabus and any cross-listing approval memos are required and should be uploaded in CMS. Detailed information for the course approval process are found in the course procedures and guidelines memo. CAP and CUP course offering submissions deadlines are set by the registrar's office, and are posted on the online calendar.

This brief video provides an overview of the course component options and how they can be used.

Course attributes are an optional characteristic that can be added to an undergraduate course listing to let students know a range of things: that the course is application only, limited to concentrators, or requires certain skills or assignments, such as statistical programming or multimedia projects. This is also the appropriate place to note whether or not a course will have required off-campus travel, either to a location within the United States or abroad.

 Course attributes also signify whether or not a course has international content or involves community-engaged learning. For more information on when and how to add these course attributes, please see this presentation [link here] from January of 2022. International courses should be highlighted so that they are available to students planning for a significant international experience, and community-engaged courses are listed on the Registrar’s website.

The 2008 Federal Higher Education Opportunity Act (see page 32) requires colleges and universities to publish the cost of required course materials for students. To ensure compliance, faculty should submit their course reading lists through the “Books” tab in the main navigation bar Canvas. For additional guidance on submitting course requests please visit Labyrinth Bookstore’s FAQ page for submitting book orders. Faculty are encouraged to consider the cost of required materials when establishing course reading lists, and to set aside both physical and electronic reserve copies through Firestone Library when possible. Extra copies of Pequod readers may also be placed on reserve at Firestone. E-reserves of book chapters and articles can also be provided through course Canvas sites, provided that the use of these materials is consistent with all applicable copyright laws.

A memo addressed to the Committee on the Course of Study from the relevant chair, program director or departmental representative should include the course title, old course number, proposed new course number and rationale for the change. The memo should be emailed to Vicky Glosson.

Proposals to convert an existing OTO course into a permanent course are reviewed periodically during the academic year, first by the Committee on the Course of Study (COCS), and then the full Faculty. Normally an OTO course is offered a minimum of three times before the COCS will accept the course conversion proposal. Proposal materials should include a memo from the chair, departmental representative or program director, a recent course offerings proof and the syllabus. All materials should be submitted by email to Vicky Glosson. The final deadline for course conversions is posted on the online calendar. Departments and programs will be notified by email when their conversion proposal is approved. Permanent courses will appear in the Undergraduate Announcement.

A memo from the department chair, departmental representative, or program director should be addressed to the Committee on the Course of Study, and should include the course number, course title and rationale. All materials should be submitted by email to Vicky Glosson.

Changes to existing requirements such as the plan of study, prerequisites or changes in tracks within a concentration should be submitted in SharePoint as part of the Undergraduate Announcement update process. Submission dates and deadlines for the UA update process are posted on the online calendar.

Proposals for new certificate programs should be submitted under a cover memo to Dean Elizabeth Colagiuri. Detailed requirements for the proposal are found in the course procedures and guidelines memo.

The Undergraduate Announcement (UA) update process happens once each academic year. The process typically begins in early January, final updates are accepted until late May, and the new edition is available at the beginning of August. Specific dates are posted in the online calendar for the Office of the Dean of the College. Departments update their program description and masthead information in a Word document through SharePoint. Courses that appear in the UA are updated through the PeopleSoft Curriculum Management System. In addition to the programs of study, the UA also presents academic policies, procedures and regulations, as well as A.B. and B.S.E. degree requirements, general education requirements, advising resources and special features of the undergraduate program.

In order to ensure timely review of a proposal to change the SEN/SEL designation for a course listing in the Undergraduate Announcement, departments and programs should submit all proposal materials to Sami Kahn at the Council on Science and Technology by April 20, 2020.