Miscellaneous Policies and Procedures

• Departmental Graduate Committee
• Additions, Deletions and Revisions of Courses
• Areas of Specialization -- Additions, Deletions and Revisions
• Process by Which Programs are Revised and Approved
• FERPA
  • Information Brochure For Faculty And Staff
  • Information Brochure for Students

Departmental Graduate Committee

Each department establishes a graduate committee.  The graduate committee consists of faculty elected to represent each program in the department.  Functions of the graduate committee are:

1. Provide general guidance to the graduate program
2. Suggest new course offerings, review and recommend new course proposed to the faculty
3. Consider and recommend new areas or degree programs for graduate study
4. Initiate recommendations for changes in graduate policies or regulations for consideration by the Graduate Council
5. Coordinate the areas of graduate studies in the department with that of departments in other disciplines or in the same discipline at other campuses
6. Solicit, rank and recommend to the department head graduate student fellowship and scholarship nominees and award winners

Additions, Deletions and Revisions of Courses

A Registrar's Form 40 "Request for Addition, Expiration, or Revision of a Graduate Course" must be filled out for any new courses to be added to the course catalog, deletions of existing courses or revision of existing courses.  The department scheduling deputy can assist with typing/reviewing the Form 40.

Form 40's should be passed by the following committees and faculty, in order:

1. Program Area
2. Department Graduate Committee
3. Department Faculty
4. COE Curriculum Committee
5. COE Faculty
6. OPPL / TEC (Information only for those courses affecting licensure)

The Manager of the COE Office of Graduate Studies will then process all Form 40's receiving approval by all committees and faculty. 

Areas of Specialization Additions, Deletions and Revisions

A Graduate School Form 25 "Area of Specialization" should be submitted to the COE Office of Graduate Studies for each addition, deletion or revision to an area of specialization.  A brief memo stating the rationale developed by the program area seeking the new or revised area of specialization should accompany the form.  The departmental graduate committee will consider the request and, if the department approves, the form will be forwarded to the Graduate School for final approval.  The Graduate School assigns the area of specialization number for any new requests after they are approved.

Process By Which Programs Are Revised And Approved

The Leadership Team of department heads and the deans of the College of Education have developed a procedure to address processes for effecting large revisions of programs for which there is substantial shared responsibility across the two departments.  Such programs include undergraduate majors, the professional component of the secondary education major, and graduate programs in which there are required courses in both departments.  Further, no revisions of these programs should begin with an assumption that one department can exclude what has been the historic mission of the other department in terms of required courses.  However, if agreement cannot be reached on reasonable and forward-looking course revisions, then the dean may determine that shifting resources is necessary in order to enable the department with major responsibility for the program under revision to accomplish renewal/reform which is in the best interest of our students.

Initiation of Review and Possible Revision

• The department head of unit responsible for major and/or degree discusses possibility with dean; if they agree, then
• Possibility is discussed in Leadership Team meetings and a decision is made to proceed or not; if proceed, then
• The department heads jointly appoint a Steering Committee with majority representation from originating department and at least 1/3 minority representation from other department
• When appropriate, department heads jointly appoint co-chairs of the Steering Committee, one from each department
• Department heads construct charge for the Steering Committee, including a tentative timeline and plan for administrative support (with discussion by and approval of Leadership Team)
• Department heads assemble committee and give charge

Review and Recommendations

• The Steering Committee develops a plan for review which will lead to recommendations for revision
• Co-chairs of committee present plan to department heads who accept or modify plan and approve it
• Dean announces plan to the COE community
• Plan is carried out by Steering Committee with monthly briefings by co-chairs to department heads and minutes distributed to COE community demonstrating progress
• If necessary, the plan is modified by Steering Committee with approval of department heads
• Preliminary recommendations are brought by co-chairs to the Leadership Team; feedback is given to the Steering Committee concerning (non) acceptability of certain recommendations (if needed) and perceived need for additional recommendations
• If/when agreement is reached on recommendations by Steering Committee and Leadership Team, faculty approval process begins

Faculty Approval Process ­ Program

• A formal document is presented first to the faculty most responsible for the program or degree (e.g., special education faculty, graduate faculty in a department); if approved,
• Document is referred to the appropriate departmental committee for consideration; if positive recommendation,
• Document is presented to the originating department faculty; if approved,
• Document is presented to the COE Curriculum Committee for its scrutiny and recommendation
• Curriculum Committee presents its recommendation to COE faculty for a formal vote; if approved,
• Document is presented to the Teacher Education Council for its approval
• If a graduate program, approved recommendations are forwarded to the Graduate Council for its approval

Faculty Approval Process ­ Coursework for Revised Program

• Following approval of revised program, working committees are constituted by the department heads to revise/develop courses consistent with the program design
• A majority of each working committee will be from the home department in which a course will be located
• if a 2/3 majority of the working committee cannot agree on the substance of a course under revision or development, the Leadership Team will be consulted and will attempt to reconcile differences (including by making changes in design); if at least a simple majority of the working committee agrees on the redesigned course after consultation and possible change by Leadership Team, the course proposal goes forward to the departmental mechanisms for approval; if approved,
• Course is forwarded to COE Curriculum Committee for review and recommendation
• Course is presented to COE faculty for approval; if approved,
• Course is presented to TEC for approval
• If course is a graduate offering, it is presented to Graduate Council for approval

FERPA

• Information Brochure For Faculty And Staff
• Information Brochure for Students

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