Procedures | Form IMPLEMENTATION: COURSE DESIGNATION PROCEDURES The implementation of Curriculum 2000 will require a set of procedures for coding existing courses and new courses in terms of: Seminar (yes-no); 4 areas of knowledge, 2 modes of inquiries, 3 competencies, and 3 focused inquiries. Currently, there are 3,000+ courses listed in the Undergraduate Bulletin. Some of these courses have not been taught for a number of years. In addition, it is clear there is no consistent basis for course numbers across departments. These two problems, listed but untaught courses and course numbering, would require a thorough review of existing courses whether or not we were engaged in the process of curriculum revision. This implementation of Curriculum 2000 provides the occasion for faculty and departments to critically review and reformulate course offerings in terms of student learning objectives and coherency among courses. Principles The overall curriculum and individual courses are the shared responsibility of the instructor, department, and Trinity College. The instructor is responsible for determining the intellectual content, student learning objectives, and pedagogical approach for his/her course. The Department is responsible for assuring breadth and depth and coherency among courses within a discipline and field of study. Trinity College is responsible for assuring that courses are assigned numbers and classification designations is in accordance with college criteria and regulations as legislated by the faculty through its various committees. Establishing Course Designations The procedure for course designations reflects this shared responsibility through a three-step process. The faculty instructor initiates the process by completing a course designation request form. The instructor provides a title, brief course description and enrollment limitations. The instructor can request designations in terms of: one of four areas of knowledge up to two exposures across the 2 modes of inquiry, 3 focused inquiries, and 3 competencies. seminar (enrollment limited to < 18) Provides the rationale for requested designations in terms of the criteria specified in the curriculum proposed. The Director of Undergraduate Studies indicates support of the requested designations. assigns a departmental course number. The Trinity College Dean for the respective department resolves any issues or concerns with the instructor/department and approves the requested designations or refers the request to the Course Committee for determination of designations transmits the approved designations to the Registrar's Office. New Course Proposals After the initial period of classifying existing courses, new course proposals will follow the first two steps outlined above for the instructor and DUS with the third step being submission of the course proposal to the Course Committee for approval. Changing Course Designation It is recognized that a course will have different emphases every time it is offered. However, course designations reflect the major elements, foci and objectives of the course that are not ephemeral and constitute its specific nature. Nevertheless, changes in course designations can be anticipated in relation to a major reformulation of the course. In such situations, the instructor would initiate the reclassification in the same way new course classifications are requested. The DUS indicates support for the requested reclassification and then forwards the request to the Course Committee for final action. Robert J. Thompson, Jr. Dean of Undergraduate Affairs Trinity College November 19, 1998 Top of this page Procedures | Form Copyright © 1998, Duke University