ASC Curricular Approval Process

Introduction and Context

In Fall 2011, a streamlined curricular approval process for the College of Arts and Sciences was adopted that preserves accountability while exhibiting greater trust in the faculty proposers. The emphasis in the process is on developing and forwarding proposals that are conceptually and technically sound in a timely and efficient manner. The curricular review process is viewed as assisting the units in producing the best curriculum possible, rather than imposing impediments to change.

Organizational Structure and Roles

Associate Dean

The Associate Dean assists the Chair of ASCC, serves as the liaison to OAA and other campus offices, and provides a single contact person in ASC for all undergraduate and graduate curricular matters.

Assistant Dean for Curriculum

The Assistant Dean works with departments and schools to help them plan and execute new degree programs (including minors and certificates) at the undergraduate and graduate levels, revise existing programs, and create new courses. The Assistant Dean works with the program's faculty to bring forward the best possible proposals. 

Arts and Sciences Curriculum Committee (ASCC)

The Arts and Sciences Curriculum Committee and its panels has responsibility for approving undergraduate and graduate ASC courses and programs, and changes to the General Education program. ASCC also has authority over all other curricular issues referred to it by its panels (see below). The curriculum committee is made up of 18 voting members: 9 ASC faculty who are representative of the divisional disciplines and drawn from the Arts and Sciences Faculty Senate; 5 faculty members appointed by the Executive Dean; the faculty chair of the Race, Ethnic, and Gender Diversity Panel; the faculty chair of the Themes Panel; and 2 ASC students (1 undergraduate chosen in consultation with the ASC Student Council and 1 graduate student chosen in consultation with the Council of Graduate Studies). In addition, the Associate Executive Dean serves as a non-voting, ex officio member of the committee. The chair of the ASCC is elected for a one-year term by the full committee. The term can be renewed once. 

ASCC Panels

Responsibilities for approving courses, General Education courses, and assessing General Education courses are delegated to 5 small panels: 2 Arts and Humanities Panels, 1 Natural and Mathematical Sciences Panel, 1 Social and Behavioral Sciences Panel, and 1 Assessment Panel. Both Arts and Humanities Panels consist of 2 faculty members of the full ASCC (1 drawn from the ASC Faculty Senate and 1 appointed by the Executive Dean in consultation with the divisional dean), 1 appointed ASC faculty member who is not a member of the full ASCC, 1 faculty member from a professional school, and the Assistant Dean for Curriculum (who serves as a non-voting, ex officio member of the panel). The Natural and Mathematical Sciences Panel and the Social and Behavioral Sciences Panel each consist of 3 faculty members of the full ASCC (2 drawn from the ASC Faculty Senate and 1 appointed by the Executive Dean in consultation with the divisional deans), 1 appointed ASC faculty member who is not a member of the full ASCC, 1 faculty member from a professional school, and the Assistant Dean for Curriculum (who serves as a non-voting, ex officio member of the panel). The Assessment Panel consists of 4 faculty members of the full ASCC (3 drawn from the ASC Faculty Senate, one per division, and 1 appointed by the Executive Dean), 1 appointed ASC faculty member who is not a member of the full ASCC, 1 faculty member from a professional school, and the Assistant Executive Dean of Advising and Academic Services (who serves as a non-voting, ex officio member of the panel). There are also two panels that deal with specific GE categories: the Race, Ethnic, and Gender Diversity Panel and the Themes Panel each consist 2 faculty members from the Arts and Humanities, 1 faculty member from SBS, 1 faculty member from NMS and 1 faculty member from a professional school. The chairs of both the Race, Ethnic, and Gender Diversity Panel and the Themes Panel are also members of the full ASCC. If additional ad hoc committees are needed to address special curricular matters, they are appointed by the Executive Dean and will be formed using ASCC members and/or other members of the faculty.

Concurrence

Issues of concurrence should be resolved as early as possible in the process. 

Administrative Support

The Arts and Sciences Curriculum and Assessment Services provide staff support for the curricular process. They assist in organizing and maintaining records of all meetings and transactions, upload proposals to a curriculum archive within Arts and Sciences (https://ascnet.osu.edu/), and work with the Associate Dean and the Assistant Dean to handle final technical checking of proposals prior to their leaving Arts and Sciences. They also assist the ASCC as needed in program and GE course assessment reporting. Although not a member of the ASCC, the Assistant Executive Dean for Advising and Academic Services or his/her designee will attend ASCC meetings to assist the committee.

The Approval Process by Type of Proposal at the Arts and Sciences Level

Undergraduate and Graduate Program Proposals

Proposals are reviewed by the Assistant Dean and panels who then make recommendations to the ASCC, which meets to review proposals, and thus serves as the final approval step for the College of Arts and Sciences. Approved proposals are then submitted to the Council on Academic Affairs (CAA) or the Graduate School.

Undergraduate Courses (including GE) and Graduate Courses

These proposals go from programs (through the Assistant Dean) to the  panels for discussion and then to the Office of Academic Affairs (OAA)—preceded by the Graduate School if applicable. The ASCC receives regular updates of courses approved by the panels. Some courses may also need to be routed to ASC Honors, University Honors and Scholars, or the Office of Service-Learning.