Planning the First Class

Planning the First Class:
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Planning the First Class

Guidelines for Developing and Submitting Materials to the Curriculum Advisory Committee (CAC)

Goal
These guidelines were developed to assist you in preparing materials for submission to the Curriculum Advisory Committee (CAC). We have tried to make the CAC process understandable, streamlined and helpful to faculty.

Overview
Although there are seven general types of curricular issues brought before the CAC (see below), the majority of the business involves New Course Proposals and Modification of Existing Courses.

New Program Proposals include the following four categories:
(A) A.A. Degree (Associate of Arts)
(B) A.S. Degree (Associate of Science degree is awarded for programs with a technical or vocational emphasis)
Requirements for A.A. or A.S. degrees: minimum of 18 units in a recognized field or discipline plus state and local requirements for GE as specified in current SBCC Catalog

(C) Certificate of Achievement (for highly specialized programs of study; need not include state or local General Education requirements)

Requirements for Certificate programs: minimum of 18 units. New Program forms are required for initiating these new programs. All degree and certificate proposals must be submitted to the Chancellors Office for program approval after it has been approved by our Curriculum Advisory Committee. There are special state forms for this process.

(D) Skills Competency Awards
Earned by the successful completion of short?term program of study, usually designed to prepare students for entry-level positions. These programs consist of CAC-approved courses. They must require less than 18 units of course work. Students must have a C grade or higher or credit in all courses. Skills will be specifically stated on the award and will be related to the course of study outline objectives for each course included in the award. These awards do not need to be approved by the Chancellors Office. New Program forms are used for SCAs

Modification of Existing Programs
For changes in existing A.A. or A.S. Degree, Certificate or SCA programs, complete the Program Modification form.

New Course Proposals
Complete the New Course Proposal form and Title 5 Course of Study Outline as well as any pre-requisite, co-requisite or advisory forms that may be appropriate.

Modification of Existing Courses
Complete Course Modification form

Experimental Courses
The New Course Proposal form is used for experimental courses. These courses do not transfer or count toward degrees or certificates. Experimental courses may be offered twice, then they must be reviewed by the CAC for approval as official college courses. All experimental courses are designated in the Schedule of Classes by an 'X'. The experimental course of study outline must be submitted in Title 5 format to CAC Chair and to CAC Vice-Chair for approval.

Topics Courses
These are generally short courses that fall under a general topic or discipline. These topics can change each semester or can be offered periodically. Each new topic that falls under the general topic must be approved by CAC. The New Course Proposal form and a Course of Study Outline needs to be submitted for each new topic.

Distance Education courses (Technology Mediated Instruction)
All distance education courses or existing courses that will be including a distance education component must have separate course approval by the CAC. There is a Distance Education information packet available to assist in this process. (Academic Senate secretary, ext. 2217)

Important Curriculum-Related Timelines to Consider

A master calendar for all CAC deadlines and meeting dates is sent by email and hard copy to all faculty as well as posted on the Academic Senate Web site. For all new courses offered in the spring semester, all proposals must be submitted to the CAC secretary by the middle of August. For all new courses offered in the fall, course proposals must be submitted by the middle of January.

Courses proposed and passed in one semester may be offered as soon as the course is added to the master course file and the admissions office can complete the 'paper work'.

New or modified A.A. or A.S. Degree or Certificate programs take affect the following catalog year.

New or modified Skills Competency Awards may be given the following semester.

Courses for transfer to UC or CSU must go through an articulation and approval process with the four-year schools. This process usually requires one year for the UCs and often less time for the CSUs

Abbreviations and Key Terms Definitions

CAC
Curriculum Advisory Committee

GE
General Education. "General Education courses should be broad in scope and should introduce students to the variety of means through which people comprehend the world. GE requirements should provide all degree recipients with common educational experiences and knowledge about certain basic principles, concepts and methodologies, both unique to and shared by the various disciplines within each GE category." Excluded are courses which focus on specialized applications with in the discipline.

PCA
Pre-requisites, Co-requisites and Advisories

A prerequisite indicates that students who do not meet that prerequisite will be blocked from registering in the course.

An advisory recommends that students should have these skills but does not prevent students from enrolling in the class.

A co-requisite requires the student to take another course concurrently with or previously to the course in which the student is enrolled.

Articulation
Courses proposed for transfer to the UC or CSU systems and/or for the General Education requirements (IGETC, CSU Breadth, UCSB GE, etc.) must be articulated with these four-year institutions. Contact SBCC's articulation staff in the Counseling Office for information on the guidelines and assistance with this process. (Kathy McGuire, ext 2690)

Title 5
Title 5 is the part of the Ed Code that specifically applies to California Community colleges. It provides clear curriculum guidelines that we must follow in developing, revising and approving curriculum.

IGETC
This is the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum. This is a set of courses that both the CSU and UC systems have agreed to accept from the community colleges to satisfy the General Education lower division requirements for students transferring to their institutions.

GEB
General Education Breadth-The CSU lower division general education requirements.

Guidelines for Completing CAC Forms

The CAC takes a minimum of two meetings to review and approve all proposals unless the committee votes to waive the rules and proceed to action at the first hearing, which happens rarely.

A. New Program Proposals

A New Program Proposal Form must be submitted for each proposed A.A. or A.S.Degree, Certificate program or SCA. After the CAC approves the new program the division dean submits an Application for Approval of New Educational Program to the Chancellor's Office. A needs analysis is submitted with the application to demonstrate, among other things, employment possibilities for graduates, interest in the program and service to other disciplines.

B. New Course Proposals

A New Course Proposal Form and a Course of Study Outline must be submitted to CAC for approval. The Department proposing a new course is responsible for ensuring that a similar course is not offered either within the department or by another discipline that duplicates or overlaps the proposed course. Each form must be filled in completely, including all the required signatures.

Specific Instructions On Filling Our The New Course Proposal Form

Course Number And Title
You should check with the scheduling office coordinator (ext. 2214) before assigning a course number. The coordinator will examine the departmental course history to determine whether the proposed number conflicts with an existing or previous course number.

Keep the following in mind when assigning numbers to new courses:
   A. Courses below 100 are non-degree applicable.
   B. Courses numbered 100-289 are degree-applicable and         may be transferable.
   C. Courses numbered 290-299 are independent study, work         experience or internships

Department/Discipline
Name the appropriate department and list the discipline(s) that applies. The Academic Senate office has the current discipline list for verification of correct listing. (ext. 2217)

Units/Hours
[You will complete either section A or B, but not both.]
   A. For units, identify the number of units students will earn by         completing the course. Units may only be calculated to         tenths. (1.5 units)
   B. Compute the number of hours per week students will         attend the course.

For full semester-length courses:

Lecture/Discussion:
one lecture hour/week = 1 unit
In Lab courses, three lab hours per week = 1 unit
Lab: three hours/week = 1 unit

1 hour/week = 18hrs = 1unit
2 hours/week = 36hrs = 2units
3 hours/week = 54hrs = 3units
4 hours/week = 72hrs = 4units
5 hours/week = 90hrs = 5units 1 hour/week = 0.33 units
2 hours/week = 0.67 units
3 hours/week = 1 unit
4 hours/week = 1.33 units
5 hours/week = 1.67 units

For short courses:

All short courses are configured as follows:

one unit of lecture or discussion hours requires 18 hours of instruction.

one unit of lab requires 54 hours of instruction

Configuring Teacher Load Units (TLUs)

For lecture/discussion hours there is a one to one ratio. For lab classes there is a two to three ratio (two TLUs for each three hours of lab). We are allowed to calculate TLUs to the hundreds (1.33 TLUs)

TMI (Technology Mediated Instruction) or Distance Learning Course
If any or all of your class is taught at a distance, which means you are supplanting regular face to face time with work completed with the use of technology at a distance, the course must be reviewed by the CAC

Either a New Course Proposal form or a Course Modification form must be completed along with the other required documentation detailed in the Guidelines for Submitting Distance Learning Courses. These guidelines are available online or from the Academic Senate Office. (ext. 2217)

Plus Hours
Plus hours are required hours that students satisfy in a lab on campus. These hours are in addition to regular homework hours. All students are expected to study two hours for every hour in class. Plus hours are additional time students must spend in order to successfully complete their homework assignments. The student must be under the immediate supervision of qualified college personnel. Students do not earn credit for plus hours, and faculty are not assigned TLUs. Attendance must be documented. Impact on facilities will be considered by the dean for the area and the supervisor for the facility when plus hours are proposed. Please use discretion when assigning plus hours.
Before submitting this proposal to CAC, you should have thoroughly consulted with your dean and the supervisor of the facility you plan to use.

Pre-requisites, Co-requisites and Advisories
If a Prerequisite, Co-requisite or Advisory is indicated for the course, you must complete an additional form specifying the nature of the requirement.

Note that a prerequisite indicates that students who do not meet that prerequisite will be blocked from registering in the course. An advisory recommends that students should have these skills but it does not block students from enrolling in the class

PCA Guidelines

A prerequisite or co-requisite will be established only if it is an appropriate and rational measure of a student's readiness to enter the course. The prerequisite or co-requisite must meet one of the following criteria:

a match between the skills, concepts and/or information that is presupposed in the proposed course and those developed or measured by the prerequisite or co-requisite course

statute or regulation requirement

health and safety requirement

lecture/lab pair

"standard" prerequisite or co-requisite for four?year institutions

for all communication and computation skill courses assessment exams or cutoff scores proposed as a prerequisite or co-requisite, valid research results

An advisory will be established only if it is an appropriate and rational measure of a student's readiness to enter the course or program. Before an advisory is indicated, faculty must verify that there is a match between the skills, concepts and/or information that is presupposed in the proposed course and those developed or measured by the prerequisite or co-requisite course.
.
There are 5 forms that are used for different PCAs

Form A-Content Review:
Use this form for requirements that do not involve English, reading or mathematics restrictions on your course. For example, Form A would be used if an introductory science course is needed to introduce students to terminology and concepts in the field and it is expected that the student would not succeed in the latter course without completion of the prior course.

Note that signatures from 3 faculty members in your department are needed. The CAC expects that the course proposals or course modifications have been discussed by the faculty in your department, that there is a consensus for the pre-requisite or co-requisite and that this consensus is reflected by signatures on the PCA form. A single faculty member's signature should not appear on this form unless it is a one person department. The Department Chair and Dean must also sign the form.

Form B-Writing Skills-Eligibility for English 100
Use this form if the course presupposes that students have a minimum level of writing proficiency (as indicated on the form) to succeed in the course. Each writing-related skill or competency should be checked by each faculty member either at a (1) prerequisite level (critical or important) or (2) at an advisory level (useful but not necessary, or not necessary).

Note that each reviewer that signs the form must independently rate the seven skills/competencies listed, using a checkmark that identifies the faculty member's rating of that skill/competency.

Based on the skills/competency assessment, the Faculty reviewers must make a recommendation whether to list the English 100 course as a Prerequisite or an Advisory.

The Department Chair and Dean must also sign the form.

Form C-English Composition-Eligibility for English 110
Use this form if the course presupposes that students have English proficiency to succeed in college level composition.

Form D-Reading Skills-Eligibility for English 103
Use this form if the course presupposes that students have a minimum level of reading proficiency to succeed in the course. Each reading-related skill or competency should be rated either at a (1) prerequisite level (critical or important) or (2) at an advisory level (useful but not necessary, or not necessary).

Note that each reviewer that signs the form must independently rate the seven skills/competencies listed using a checkmark that identifies the faculty member's rating of that skill/competency.

Based on the skills/competency assessment, the Faculty reviewers must make a recommendation whether to list the English 103 course as a Prerequisite or an Advisory.

Form E
Used for all math PCAs (Math 1 through Math 138). All of these forms may be used in the same way. Determine which skills are either pre-requisite or advisory to the recommended course and complete the forms in the same manner described above.

The Department Chair and Dean must also sign the form.

Course Repeatability
A skills or activity based course may be repeated a maximum of three times.

Class size
You should consult with your department chair and dean about the decision on the appropriate class size for the discipline, type of course and health and safety issues.

(Justification is needed if there is a class size recommendation of fewer than 20 students)

Maximum class size.
If there are legal or licensing requirements that affect the maximum number of students allowable in a class, indicate those constraints here. Again, consult with your department chair and dean about the appropriate maximum class size. The maximum seats available in a classroom is not the appropriate reason for establishing maximum class size

Self-explanatory.

For courses that will be part of a Skills Competency Award, please include a list of the courses which make up the award.

Self-explanatory.

Self-explanatory.

General Education guidelines are discussed in the "Abbreviations and Key Terms Definitions" section. You may also contact the Articulation Officer (ext.2690) to discuss whether or not your course applies to GE or to a Liberal Studies degree.

Contact the Articulation Officer to discuss whether or not your course applies to one of the Institutional Requirements.

& 17. Contact the Articulation Officer to discuss whether or not your course applies to IGETC or CSU GEB requirements.

C. Course Modifications

All modifications to a course must be submitted to CAC using a Course Modification Form.

Attach the old course outline, with the proposed changes entered by hand on the outline, to the modification proposal.

All courses that come before the CAC are subject to an entire review of the course, including elements that have been approved in the past and that are not being presented for modification.

If there is an impact on other courses or departmental offerings, you should resolve these issues before coming to the CAC.

You should provide a complete reference citation for the textbooks listed, and the textbooks identified should have current dates.

     Instructions

The first section of the Modification form should be completed with the current information about the course.

Nature of Changes:
You do not need to complete each item in Question 2. A-O. Complete only those items that you are actually changing. Indicate the items that you are modifying in the first line of Question 2. Then make the appropriate change in Questions A-O. Leave the remaining items in A-O blank. (For example, if the only change that is being made is a change in the title of the course, then only Question A would be answered, and the letter "A" would be indicated on the top line of Question 2.)

Provide a short rationale for the course modification.

Impact on Facilities
Before submitting this course modification to CAC, you should have thoroughly consulted with your department, dean and the supervisor of any facility you plan to use (e.g. laboratory space, Learning Resources Center, etc.).

Signatures
The order of signatures under "Endorsements" should be followed. You may consult with the Articulation Officer before completing the form, but the form should be completed before the Dean and Articulation Officer signs the form.

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