1. Tips, Tricks and Treats for Curricular Administration
Welcome to the presentation “Tips, Tricks, and Treats for Curricular Administration.”
After you review a slide, click anywhere to advance the presentation To exit the presentation at any time, press the Escape Key. To go back to a previous slide, press the Backspace Key.
Click to begin the presentation.
This presentation was given live on October 31, 2013 by Nancy Westphal-Johnson, Elaine Klein, and Kimbrin Cornelius, and was modified into a self-paced presentation. (The Powerpoint was updated December, 2014.) It is part of a series coordinated by L&S Administration, intended to connect L&S faculty and staff with topics and information that may be helpful in their positions. More presentations and information about this series of trainings can be found at

2. After today’s presentation, you’ll know. . .
What curriculum is, and why it’s important
Potential reasons for updating and creating curriculum
The process for changing curriculum (and who’s involved)
Campus systems that support curricular change

3. What is curriculum?
“The planned interaction of pupils with instructional content, materials, resources, and processes for evaluating the attainment of educational objectives.” Wikipedia
The term curriculum can be used to describe instruction at various levels (at the course level, up to the University degree requirements level). Regardless of level, curriculum is a program of study that takes students through an instructional experience in a planned, sensible way.

4. Why Is Curriculum Important?
It guides students through a coherent learning experience.
It maintains the integrity and excellence of the UW-Madison degree.
It meets regional accreditation and federal regulations required for operation and funding.

5. Levels of curriculum University requirements (general education)
Degree requirements (college-level or graduate level requirements)
Program requirements (majors, options, certificates, etc.)
Course level
Planned instructional programming (curriculum) happens at a variety of levels at UW-Madison; the next slides will review each of these levels.

6. University Requirements (General Education)
University-wide requirements
Managed by the University General Education Committee
For more information, see the General Education webpage
Undergraduates at UW-Madison must engage in a minimum number of learning experiences in communications, quantitative reasoning, ethnic studies, humanities, sciences (biological and physical), and social sciences - the General Education Requirements. The goal of this curriculum is to ‘produce a student that has attributes appropriate for a university-educated person, such as competence in communication, critical thinking, analytical skills, and the ability to investigate issues raised by living in a culturally diverse society, that has been cultivated by breadth of study across the humanities and arts, social studies, biological and physical sciences.”
A faculty committee oversees the General Education Requirement, including reviewing/approving requests to add a course to the list that may be used to meet General Education requirements. Criteria for General Education courses can be found at

7. L&S undergraduate degree requirements
L&S requirements
Managed by L&S Curriculum Committee
L&S BA / BS Degree Requirements
Another level of curriculum is college level. For example, L&S requires undergraduate students to engage in breadth of learning, in addition to depth or learning that students will receive through taking their major coursework. For this breadth requirement, students explore the liberal arts by taking courses in social studies, arts and humanities, literature, biological and physical sciences and foreign language.
Program requirements
If you’d like to take a closer look at L&S level curriculum, see the link above to the L&S BA/BS Degree Requirements.
Major/program requirements
Managed by department program faculty
To see an example of a program requirements, go to Psychology Undergraduate requirements
In the context of the liberal arts degree, students will engage in depth of inquiry through their major studies. Students are exposed to the many “Ways of Knowing” through their breadth studies, but they are able to practice what they have learned in a deeper way through their major. While the L&S may directs some general parameters of the major (it may not require more than 40 credits, students must earn a 2.0 in the major to graduate), departments are primarily responsible for program requirements.

8. Graduate Curriculum Program requirements managed by faculty
Graduate curriculum is managed by program faculty. And, because the degree is conferred by the Graduate School, it also sets policy regarding graduate degree requirements.
Graduate Curriculum
Program requirements managed by faculty
Graduate School is responsible for conferring graduate degrees.
Graduate School also sets policy regarding graduate degree requirements.
L&S partners with the Graduate School to implement that policy.

9. Curriculum: What are some reasons for changing it?
Help students better progress through courses and their major in a meaningful way.
Align with current and emerging areas in a field.
Create opportunities to bring a new students to UW-Madison.
Respond to assessment results that identify issues.
Address resource constraints.
Increase curricular flexibility.

10. Who should most benefit from curricular change?
Students!!

11. Changing and creating curriculum Who might be involved, and what is their role?
Faculty must be involved in changes, as they are vested by the state statutes with responsibility for the curriculum. However, faculty should engage with staff and students to gain the full picture of curriculum and how students are experiencing it.
University:
Faculty (primary responsibility)
Staff
Students
All of whom may serve on department, college and university committees
Outside the University:
UW System/ Board of Regents
Higher Learning Commission
Specialized accrediting agencies
As an example, when UW Madison creates new program, it must be first be approved by the Board of Regents.
The HLC, which is the accrediting organization for UW-Madison, has federal policies that must be followed to qualify for many important benefits, such as federal funding. Changes in their policy may require changes here as well. For example, the recent HLC policy that graduate students must earn at least 30 credits for their degree will require a few L&S graduate programs to change or clarify their requirements.

12. The department has identified a need for change. Now what?
Next is an overview of what’s involved to make the following changes:
Changing or creating courses
Changing program requirements (undergraduate major, option, track, graduate program, or certificate)
Creating a new program

13. Process: Creating and Changing Courses
Most courses follow the orange flow chart. After proposed and approved by the department, the course will be reviewed by the L&S and Interdivisional Committee, and the Registrar’s Office will make the changes in ISIS.
Step 1: Department identifies need for change
Step 2: Proposer submits a proposal in the online system
Step 3: Proposal is reviewed by any affected departments, the L&S Curriculum Committee, and the Interdivisional (Campus) Curriculum Committee
Step 4: Changes are entered by the Registrar’s Office
If the course is cross-listed, or the changes affect other departments, the proposal will be forwarded to those departments for review as well.
The L&S Curriculum Committee also reviews course proposals outside of L&S that request the Liberal Arts and Studies designation (so the course can count towards L&S undergraduate student’s requirement of 108 Liberal Arts and Science credits), L&S level, and L&S breadth.
The General Education Committee will review any proposals requesting a general education designation.

14. Process: Changing existing programs (majors, certificates, options, tracks, or graduate programs)
Step 1: Department identifies a need for change (often coming from assessment of student learning).
Step 2: Department submits a change proposal. It should include evidence that the change is needed, and will benefit students.
Step 3: L&S Curriculum Committee reviews the proposal.
Step 4: If approved, changes are implemented for a future term.
Please see more information on the L&S Administrative Gateway, Changes to Program Requirements (Major Option, or Certificate)

15. Process: Creating new programs
PHASE 1:
Step 1: Identify need for new program
Step 2: Submit Notice of Intent proposal
Step 3: Review and approval
PHASE 2
Step 1: Create implementation plan
Step 2: Review and approval
Step 3: Implementation
As you can see, this is a very involved process. Check in with Elaine Klein, L&S Assistant Dean for Academic Planning, before you start this process– she can provide advice on how to best proceed!
This takes a lot of time!

16. Implementation: Who’s involved?
Department staff and faculty
L&S Administration
L&S Student Academic Affairs
Coding Implementation in DARS
Coordination of Undergraduate Catalog
Graduate School
Registrar’s Office

17. Processes that intersect with curricular changes
Assessment and Program Reviews
DARS (Degree Audit Reporting System) and analysis of DARS data and course-taking patterns
Online course proposal system (

18. What if I forget all this?
Start with the L&S Administrative Gateway (L&S policies and procedures):
APIR coordinates the online course proposal process, and has a helpful webpage about proposals
Need more help? L&S Administration will usually be your first point of contact:
Academic Associate Deans (new programs, program restructuring, Educational Innovations)
Elaine Klein, Assistant Dean for Academic Planning, L&S (new programs, Educational Innovations, sticky curricular questions)
Kimbrin Cornelius, Curriculum Administration Specialist, L&S (program changes, course changes, all things course proposals)

19. This is the end of the presentation!
Want to view more Administrative Training Presentations? They’re all posted in the L&S Administrative Gateway, at