Curriculum Chair's Checklist: Navigating Governance and Approval Processes Efficiently

1. Maps & Legends: A Checklist for New Chairs Zerryl Becker, College of the Desert Kevin Bontenbal, Cuesta College 2010 ASCCC Curriculum Institute Santa Clara Marriott • July 8-10, 2010

2. Getting your bearings… • Committee’s / chair’s relationship with others • BOT • Senate • Other Shared Governance Committees • VP’s / Deans • Curriculum specialist ASCCC Curriculum Institute 2010

3. Understanding role & responsibilities… • Who approves what • Approval process • Timelines • When/how will exceptions be made? • Tech review? • Sub-committees • Transfer/articulation • Library • Prerequisites ASCCC Curriculum Institute 2010

4. Who Approves What Example • Curriculum Committee • New Courses • Major Revisions • Prerequisite / Corequisite / Advisory Revisions • Revised Degree Certificates • GE, DE, Diversity, Health • Office of Academic Affairs • Minor Revisions • Prerequisite / Corequisite / Advisory Validations • Program Eliminations • Special Topics • College Council • Program Development ASCCC Curriculum Institute 2010

5. Approval Process Example academic senate BOT GE diversity approve 6a finish DE curriculum committee 5 curriculum chair 6b health denied (sent back) 4a 4 3a feedback/clarifications/concerns v.p. student learning curriculum specialist 3 dean department 2 faculty articulation/ transfer/ library start other department(s) Division Assistant 1 ASCCC Curriculum Institute 2010 consult (overlap/similarities)

6. Awareness of Regulations, Policies, Guidelines, Procedures • Title 5 • Local Board policies • Local guidelines, procedures • Curriculum Handbook? • ASCCC guidelines, best practices • The Course Outline of Record: A Curriculum Reference Guide • The Curriculum Committee: Role, Structure, Duties and Standards of Good Practice • Guidelines for Good Practice: Effective Instructor-Student Contact in Distance Learning • Good Practices for the Implementation of Prerequisites • Chancellor’s Office Program and Course Approval Handbook ASCCC Curriculum Institute 2010

7. Connecting with others… • Chancellor’s Office listserv • CaCurricChairs listserv (Yahoo Groups) • Joni Jordan (joni.jordan@cos.edu) ASCCC Curriculum Institute 2010

8. Provide Orientation/Training • Curriculum Reps • Roles/responsibilities • Title 5 & local polices/procedures • Apportionment • Accreditation requirements • Faculty at-large • Curriculum processes • New courses, major revisions, DE, etc. • Timelines ASCCC Curriculum Institute 2010

9. Guiding Questions to ask when reviewing curriculum… • Do contact hours per week match units? • Would an average student find the course and catalog descriptions clear and reflective of the overall course? • Do topics and scope correlate to objectives? • Have all objectives been addressed in topics and scope? • Are topics and scope appropriate (the right amount) to units? • Do assignments justify the course meeting Carnegie units (two hours of independent work for every hour in class)? • Do assignments/assessments address the objectives? • Are examples of independent work reflective of independent work? • Are the examples of critical thinking of sufficient complexity and at the appropriate level? • If course if being proposed for general education, diversity, or health, does course meet the rubric for those areas? ASCCC Curriculum Institute 2010

10. Preparing for meetings… • Brown Act • Robert’s Rule of Order • Setting Agendas • Decision Making ASCCC Curriculum Institute 2010

11. The Brown Act! • The Brown Act applies to meetings of all legislative bodies (GC 54952), including: • The Board of Trustees • Any subcommittee or task force created by the Board with a majority of Board members serving on the group • Any subcommittee or task force created by the Board which has defined, ongoing charge (either decision-making or advisory) OR has a regular meeting schedule set by the Board, regardless of Board membership ASCCC Curriculum Institute 2010

12. The Brown Act! • A meeting of a legislative body (GC 54952.2) occurs whenever a majority of members gather to discuss business with their charge. • A majority can meet at the following provided they do not discuss any business within their charge among themselves: • Attendance at a conference • An open meeting of some other group to address local issues • Social gatherings ASCCC Curriculum Institute 2010

13. Must have an AGENDA! ASCCC Curriculum Institute 2010

14. Robert’s Rules of Order • http://www.robertsrules.com/ • Committees adopt and incorporate those elements that help facilitate debate and the flow of meetings • Important regarding motions and taking action • Check your local senate constitution and by-laws for established processes ASCCC Curriculum Institute 2010

15. Debates ASCCC Curriculum Institute 2010

16. Important to Debates • Understanding motions: • How to close debate • How to limit or extend debate • How to refer to committee • How to modify wording of a motion • How to suspend rules • How to divide motion • How to table – and how to move from the table ASCCC Curriculum Institute 2010

17. Decision Making • How will decisions be made? • Voting • Consensus • Other ASCCC Curriculum Institute 2010

18. THANK YOU! ASCCC Curriculum Institute 2010 Kevin Bontenbal - kbontenb@cuesta.edu | Zerryl Becker – zerryl@collegeofthedesert.edu