TO ALL SENATORS, THE EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY, HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS - PROGRAMS - DIVISIONS - INTERCOLLEGE PROGRAMS, CAMPUS EXECUTIVE OFFICERS, DEANS OF RESIDENT INSTRUCTION, AND MEMBERS OF THE GRADUATE COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON PROGRAMS AND COURSES.

The following statement was approved at the February 29, 2000, meeting of Senate Committee on Curricular Affairs. For future reference, this statement will be published in the Guide to Curricular Procedures:

Statement on Curricular Consultation*

A dynamic curriculum, one undergoing constant review and revision, constitutes the heart of an institution of higher education. While courses and programs are initially developed and proposed by individual faculty members or groups of faculty, once approved by the Senate Committee on Curricular Affairs on behalf of the faculty of the university, these courses/programs become university courses and programs. Subsequent changes and the monitoring of the quality of the curriculum become the responsibility of the appropriate disciplinary faculty throughout the university with final approval resting with the Senate Committee on Curricular Affairs.

At a university that is as complex as Penn State, curricular coherence requires that extensive consultation must occur before changes are made in the curriculum. Initially, this means that the faculty in the discipline, at all locations within the university, are consulted as new courses/programs are proposed and existing courses/programs are revised. The Department Head at University Park is expected to provide leadership within the discipline throughout the various units of the university to assure disciplinary coherence.

Before final approval is given, it is the responsibility of the Senate Committee on Curricular Affairs, acting on behalf of the faculty of the university, to review proposed changes to the curriculum to assure that the appropriate consultation has occurred.

Specifically, consultation is expected with appropriate faculty as early as possible in the development cycle and, at least, in the following manner:

• Faculty members throughout the university, who teach courses being revised or who teach in programs undergoing revision, are to be consulted at the beginning of any revision. Moreover, faculty members throughout the university, in disciplines where a new program is being proposed, are to be consulted before the proposal is submitted to the college curricular affairs committee by the academic unit.
• Once a new or revised course/program is developed, it is the responsibility of the academic unit (department/division/school) to consult with related units throughout the university. (For example, a revision to an existing English course that is a General Education course would require not only that the Department of English consult with other departments within the College of the Liberals Arts, but also with appropriate academic units at Abington, Altoona, Behrend, Berks-Lehigh Valley, Commonwealth and Capital Colleges.)
• In addition to this discipline-based consultation, there is also a "procedural or operational" consultation that is occasionally required. When a department/division/school proposes a change in a program/course that impacts resources or the operation of another department/division/school, it is incumbent upon the proposing unit to consult with the affected units. For example, if an Engineering major is proposing to change its program to require 8 credits of a foreign language, the Committee on Curricular Affairs expects that program to have consulted with the affected units throughout the university prior to the submission of the proposal to the Committee on Curricular Affairs. Curricular Affairs will expect evidence of that consultation to be part of the materials submitted to the Committee in support of the change.

Before approving any curricular change, it is the responsibility of the Committee on Curricular Affairs to assure that university-wide consultation has occurred and that any unit within the university that may be affected by the change has been advised of the change and has had an opportunity to respond. In this context, notification is understood as a request for consultation. (For example, if a department proposes a change in a General Education course, the Committee on Curricular Affairs will expect to see evidence that consultation has occurred with all units that teach the course or require the course in their major. The Committee on Curricular Affairs expects that the Early Alert System, once implemented, and the electronic curricular communities included as part of that system will provide for this type of consultation.)

It is the expectation of the Committee on Curricular Affairs that college curricular affairs committees will ensure that their curricular approval procedures include a mechanism for consultation with appropriate units across the various geographical units of the university prior to the submission of a proposal to the Senate Committee on Curricular Affairs. It is also the expectation of the Committee on Curricular Affairs that the various college consultative procedures will allow for the earliest possible notification to affected units and that discipline faculty across the university are notified in the earliest stages of the process and not at the end of the process. For example, the Committee on Curricular Affairs expects that when a course change is being proposed, that all full time faculty who teach that course across the university have been notified and consulted about the change early in the revision process and not when it is submitted by the college to the Senate Committee on Curricular Affairs.

While it is the hope of the Committee on Curricular Affairs that consultation will result in agreement and consensus among the faculty of the affected units, when agreement is not reached through the consultative process, the Committee on Curricular Affairs, as the final arbiter on behalf of the faculty of the university, will make the final decision.

The Committee on Curricular Affairs does not view it as its responsibility to determine, prior to any submission, the individuals or units to be consulted. However, the Committee, working through the Senate Office and the university administration, will work to develop information that will assist units in carrying out their responsibilities. Units that have questions should feel free to consult with the Curriculum Coordinator at the Senate Office.

To assist in this consultative process, the Senate Committee on Curricular Affairs will continue to work with various units of the university administration to develop mechanisms (including the Early Alert System, an electronic curricular submission form, and the continued development and maintenance of an electronic curricular community structure) that will expedite the consultative process. While it is not the function of the Senate Committee on Curricular Affairs to police good practices, it is the responsibility of the Committee to ensure that consultation has occurred to prevent resource difficulties, curricular confusion and unnecessary duplication, and to resolve perceived quality issues. Ultimately, within a college, it is the responsibility of the dean of the college to assure that appropriate consultative mechanisms are in place within that college and that appropriate persons within the college respond to requests in a timely fashion.

 _____________________________________

Instructions in the Guide to Curricular Procedures for the long (up to 400 word) course description have been revised as follows. Please refer to Item B.3. under Course Adds and Item C. under Courses Changes in the Guide.

Questions concerning items that have been held must be resolved within a 90-day period following the approval date of the Senate Curriculum Report. The proposals will be returned to the presenting departments if the hold is not resolved by the end of the 90-day period unless an extension of the hold is granted by the Senate Committee on Curricular Affairs.

November 24, 1998, Senate Curriculum Report, Volume XXVII, Number 3
Item #011 TURF 237, Course Change, Agricultural Sciences
Approved--effective Spring Semester 2001.
Item #070 ECEEM 484W, Course Change, Earth and Mineral Sciences (HOLD)
Item #074 CH E 435, Course Change, Engineering (HOLD)
Item #123 Neuroscience Option, New, Biology Major, Science (HOLD)
Approved academically; pending review by Board of Trustees.

February 16, 1999, Senate Curriculum Report, Volume XXVII, Number 5
Item #036 ART 290 GA, Course Change (HOLD)

March 19, 1999, Senate Curriculum Report, Volume XXVII, Number 6
Item #030 KINES 190S GHA, Health and Human Development (HOLD)
Item #078 SOC 001 GS, Liberal Arts
Proposal withdrawn by department.

April 19, 1999, Senate Curriculum Report, Volume XXVII, Number 7
Item #005 MUSIC (MUSBA), Program Change, Arts and Architecture (HOLD)
Item #006 MUSIC (MUSBM), Program Change, Arts and Architecture (HOLD)
Item #008 MUSIC ART (MUBMA), Program Change, Arts and Architecture (HOLD)

August 31, 1999, Senate Curriculum Report, Volume XXVIII, Number 1
Item #066 HIST 458W, Course Change, Liberal Arts (HOLD)
Item #067 L I R 136 DF, Course Change, Liberal Arts
Approved--effective Summer Session 2000.
Item #068 L I R 458W, Course Change, Liberal Arts (HOLD)
Item #085 PHYS 419, Course Change, Science (HOLD)

October 12, 1999, Senate Curriculum Report, Volume XXVIII, Number 2
Item #004 Kinesiology Major, Wellness Development Specialization Option, New Option, Berks-Lehigh Valley (HOLD)
Approved academically; pending review by the Board of Trustees.

November 23, 1999, Senate Curriculum Report, Volume XXVIII, Number 3
Item #002 Psychological and Social Science B.A. Major, New, Abington College (HOLD)
Item #003 Psychological and Social Science B.S. Major, New, Abington College (HOLD)
Approved academically; pending review by the Board of Trustees.
Item #004 Agricultural and Extension Education, Leadership Development and Communication Option, New Option, Agricultural Science (HOLD)
Approved academically; pending review by the Board of Trustees.
Item #005 Leadership Development Minor, New, Agricultural Science (HOLD)
Approved academically; pending review by the Board of Trustees.
Item #014 KINES 461W, Course Add, Berks-Lehigh Valley (HOLD)
Item #015 KINES 462W, Course Add, Berks-Lehigh Valley (HOLD)
Item #035 EGEE 102 GN, Course Add, Earth and Mineral Sciences (HOLD)
Item #049 Integrated Spanish B.S. and Industrial Relations and Human Resources M.S. Degree Programs, New, Liberal Arts
Reviewed by the Board of Trustees at its meeting of January 21, 2000--effective Spring Semester 2000.
Item #067 HIST 107 GH/MEDVL 107 GH, Course Change, Liberal Arts (HOLD)
Item #068 L I R 101 GS, Course Change, Liberal Arts (HOLD)
Item #069 MEDVL 107 GH/HIST 107 GH, Course Change, Liberal Arts (HOLD)
Item #070 MEDVL 108 GH, Course Change, Liberal Arts (HOLD)
Item #071 PL SC 014 GS, Course Change, Liberal Arts (HOLD)

January 11, 2000, Senate Curriculum Report, Volume XXVIII, Number 4
Item #012 E R M 415, Course Drop, Agricultural Sciences (HOLD)
Item #014 E R M 423, Course Drop, Agricultural Sciences (HOLD)
Item #016 Management Major, Human Resources Management Option and Minor Option, New Options, Business Administration (HOLD)
Approved academically; pending review by the Board of Trustees.
Item #040 Computer Science Minor, New, Capital College (HOLD)
Approved academically; pending review by the Board of Trustees.
Item #085 MA SC 475, Course Change, Capital College (HOLD)
Item #086 Media Studies Minor, New, Communications (HOLD)
Approved academically; pending review by the Board of Trustees.
Item #089 Environmental Systems Engineering Major, Name Change, Earth and Mineral Sciences (HOLD)
Approved academically; pending review by the Board of Trustees.
Item #104 Bioengineering Major, New, Engineering (HOLD)
Approved academically; pending review by the Board of Trustees.
Item #120A BIOE 450W, Course Add, Engineering (HOLD)
Held pending review by the University Writing Subcommittee.

February 15, 2000, Senate Curriculum Report, Volume XXVIII, Number 5
The entire Curriculum Report was approved with the following exceptions and corrections:

The Senate Committee on Curricular Affairs is considering the attached proposals. New majors, options, and minors become effective following review by the Board of Trustees; new courses and courses being dropped become effective the first semester following the approval of this Report unless otherwise specified, the date upon which changes in existing offerings will become effective is the date of the first published Schedule of Courses listing the changed course, unless written objection is received by the University Curriculum Coordinator Sherry F. Walk (sfw2@psu.edu) at the Senate Office, Birch Cottage (863-1202) on or before April 13, 2000. A copy of any written objection sent to the Committee must also be sent to the college representative of the sponsoring college. The University Curriculum Coordinator will communicate the objection to the Chairperson of the Committee. Any item to which written objection is made will be reconsidered by the appropriate committee and may be delayed in becoming available for scheduling; however, reconsideration of any specific item will not affect the scheduling date of other items here listed.

Connie D. Baggett, Agricultural
Kevin Berland, Commonwealth College
Ronald Bettig, Communications
Barton Browning, Liberal Arts
Garry L. Burkle, Ex Officio
Robert G. Crane, Earth and Mineral Sciences/ACUE
Todd D. Ellis, Student
Richard B. Englund, Behrend
Donald E. Fahnline, Altoona
Gary J. Fosmire, Health and Human Development
George W. Franz, Delaware
Louis F. Geschwindner, Chair
Lisa C. Hatcher, Student
Sally Heffentreyer, Resources
J. Daniel Marshall, Vice Chair/Education
Annette K. McGregor, Arts and Architecture
Robert D. Minard, Science Representative
Henry O. Patterson, Berks-Lehigh
Judith Ozment Payne, Abington
M. Susan Richman, Capitol
Howard Sachs, Graduate School
Shelley M. Stoffels, Engineering
Arkady Tempelman, Science
James B. Thomas, Information Sciences and Technology
Linda K. Trevino, Business Administration
Diane Zabel, Libraries

APPENDIX A (Undergraduate)

CURRICULAR DEADLINES

1999-2000

• 294/494
• 295/395/495
• 296/496/596
• 097/197/297/397/497/597
• 098/198/298/398/498/598
• 099/199/299/399/499/599

Summer Session 1999 and Fall Semester 1999	- May 1, 1999
Spring Session 2000	- December, 10 1999
Summer Semester 2000 and Fall 2000	- May 3, 2000

Summer Semester 1999 and Fall Semester 1999	- April 16, 1999
Spring Session 2000	- November 19, 1999
Summer Semester 2000 and Fall Semester 2000	- April 14, 2000

Proposal Due Date	Record Publication Date	SCCA Meeting Date
August 19, 1999	for the August 31, 1999 Issue	September 14, 1999
September 30, 1999	for the October 12, 1999 Issue	October 26, 1999
November 11, 1999	for the November 23, 1999 Issue	December 7, 1999
December 21, 1999	for the January 11, 2000 Issue	February 1, 2000
February 3, 2000	for the February 15, 2000 Issue	February 29, 2000
March 2, 2000	for the March 14, 2000 Issue	March 28, 2000
March 30, 2000	for the April 11, 2000 Issue	April 25, 2000

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*The following alpha letters have been reserved for identifying special types of courses:

A-G,I,K - special topics courses
H - honors courses or sections
J - individualized instruction courses
L,P,R - lecture, practicum (or laboratory), recitation sections
M - both an honors and a writing intensive course
S - First-Year Seminar course
T - both an honors and a first-year seminar course
U - both diversity focused by section and honors
V - intercultural and international competence courses by section offering
W - writing intensive courses
X - First-Year Seminar courses and writing-intensive courses
Y - both diversity focused by section and writing intensive