Curriculum Development and Revision Guidelines October 2014 Jennifer Browne, College Associate Dean for Curriculum Development

Suffolk County Community College Degree Types Suffolk County Community College (SCCC) offers the Associate in Arts (A.A.), Associate in Science (A.S.) and the Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) as well as certificate programs, which may be completed after one year of study. The A.A. is a liberal arts-based degree designed for students planning to transfer to a baccalaureate degree program, generally in a liberal arts major. The A.S. is a liberal arts-based degree designed for students planning to transfer to a baccalaureate degree program, generally in a professional field. The A.A.S. is an occupationally-based degree designed to prepare students planning to seek immediate employment upon completion of the degree requirements.

Suffolk County Community College Degree Requirements All A.A., A.S. and A.A.S. degree programs must comply with the following: SCCC Local Graduation Requirements SUNY Requirements - Credit Cap, General Education* and Transfer Paths* NYSED Requirements - Liberal Arts and Sciences Content and General Curriculum Design Expectations * General Education and Transfer Path requirements pertain to A.A. and A.S. degrees only

Course(s)Credits ENG 101Standard Freshman Composition3 ENG 102Introduction to Literature3 Humanities Nine (9) credits (only one course may be English). These credits are in addition to ENG 101 and ENG Social Sciences Nine (9) credits (must include at least one semester of History: Western Civilization, American History or Non- Western Culture) 9 MathematicsOne (1) college-level mathematics course3-4 ScienceOne (1) laboratory science course3-4 Physical EducationTwo (2) credits2 Freshman SeminarOne and a half (1.5)credits Suffolk County Community College Local Requirements A.A. and A.S. Degrees

Suffolk County Community College Local Requirements A.A.S. Degrees Course(s)Credits ENG 101Standard Freshman Composition3 English ElectiveOne (1) English Course3 HumanitiesOne (1) humanities course other than English3 Social Sciences Any six credits, usually two (2) courses in the social sciences 6 Mathematics/Science Two (2) college –level mathematics and/or laboratory science courses 6-8 Physical EducationTwo (2) credits2 Freshman SeminarOne and a half (1.5)credits

SUNY Degree Requirements Credit Cap, General Education and Transfer Paths Credit Cap SUNY policy states: “Each SUNY campus will limit its degree requirements to 64 credits for A.A., A.S., and A.A.S. degrees…unless there is a compelling justification for additional credits, and ensure that local graduation requirements that exceed the SUNY General Education Requirement do not cause a student to exceed those credit limits.” Final2BOT pdf If it is determined that there is a compelling reason why a degree program requires more than 64 credits, programs may apply to SUNY for a waiver request. All waiver proposals submitted by Suffolk County Community College were denied due to inclusion of what SUNY deemed “unnecessary” credits in the curricula.

SUNY General Education Requirements (for A.A. and A.S. degrees only) Under the State University of New York policy on General Education, A.A. and A.S. degree programs must include a total of 30 credits distributed among at least seven (7) of the ten (10) general education content areas (SUNY-GER). Students must take at least one course in Mathematics and Basic Communication from the seven required general education content areas. ed_MTP_ _Vol-10-No1_FINALa.pdf

The SUNY-General Education Requirements: (10) knowledge and skills areas and two (2) competency areas Knowledge and Skills areas: 1. Mathematics* 2. Natural Sciences 3. Social Sciences 4. American History 5. Western Civilization 6. Other World Civilizations 7. Humanities 8. The Arts 9. Foreign Language 10. Basic Communication* *Students must take at least one course in Mathematics and Basic Communication Competencies: Critical Thinking Information Management assets/documents/academic-affairs/general- education/GenedCourseGuidelines_ pdf

SUNY Transfer Paths Requirements (for A.A. and A.S. degrees only) Where a SUNY Transfer Path exists for an A.A. and A.S. degree program, “Through local shared governance processes, campuses should revise their program accordingly to ensure true junior status after the first two years of full-time study in the program (or 60 credits, whichever is greater).” MTP 13(3) Seamless Transfer Requirements Transfer Paths do not exist for all A.A. and A.S. degree programs. Established SUNY transfer paths can be found at: paths/suny-transfer-paths-all-2015/

SUNY Transfer Path Course Descriptions Click through the highlighted, hyperlinked courses on the transfer path pages to find the SUNY Transfer Path course descriptors. Examples of some of the course descriptors on the SUNY Transfer Path list are below: Composition I This course prepares students to produce clear, well-developed, well- organized, grammatically correct writing. Composition II (or equivalent writing course) A course that focuses on the development of writing skills beyond the level of the first college course in composition.

New York State Education Department Degree Requirements Degree Credits, Liberal Arts and Sciences Content and General Curriculum Design Expectations Degree Credit Minimum New York State Education Department regulations state: “Associate degree programs shall normally be capable of completion in two academic years of full-time study, or its equivalent in part-time study, with an accumulation of not less than 60 semester hours.” [8NYCRR sections 52.2(c)(6)]

Liberal Arts and Sciences Content Undergraduate degrees must have a certain proportion of liberal arts and sciences content required for the degree. The proportion for A.A., A.S. and A.A.S. programs is stated in the table below. Degree and minimum required total program credits Minimum Proportion of Content Minimum Number of Credits Associate in Arts (A.A.) (60)3/445 Associate in Science (A.S.) (60)1/230 Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) (60)1/320 The liberal arts and sciences comprise the disciplines of the humanities, natural sciences and mathematics, and social sciences.

Examples of course types that are generally considered within the liberal arts and sciences Humanities: English—composition, creative writing, history of language, journalism, linguistics, literature, literature in translation, playwriting Fine arts—art appreciation, history or theory Foreign languages—composition, conversation, grammar, history of the language, literature of the language, reading, translation studies Music—music appreciation, history or theory Philosophy—comparative philosophy, history of philosophy, logic, schools of philosophy Religion—comparative religion, history of religion Theater—dramatic interpretation, dramatic literature, dramaturgy, history of drama, playwriting Natural sciences and mathematics: Natural sciences—anatomy and physiology, biology, chemistry, earth science, geology, physics, zoology Mathematics—calculus, mathematical theory, statistics Computer Science—broad survey/theory courses Social sciences: Anthropology, cultural studies, economics, geography, government, history, political science, psychology, sociology Criminal justice—introductory and broad survey courses Communications—interpersonal communication, mass communication, public speaking, speech and rhetoric

Examples of course types that are generally not considered within the liberal arts and sciences: Agriculture Business—administration, finance, human resources, management, marketing, production Computer applications (e.g., word processing, database, spreadsheet), programming (e.g., specific languages) Health and physical education Home economics Education and teaching methods Library science Music—studio, performance, practice courses—voice, instrument, direction, conducting Office technologies and practice Performing and related arts—acting, costume design, dance, direction, lighting, production, scene construction, sound production Specialized professional courses in such fields as accounting, architecture, dental hygiene, dentistry, engineering, law, medicine, nursing, nutrition, pharmacy, podiatry, veterinary medicine Studio art—drawing, painting, ceramics, sculpture Technology/technician fields—construction, data processing, electrical, electronics, graphic arts, mechanical, medical, refrigeration repair Television and radio production Theology—pastoral counseling, ministry

NYSED Curriculum Design Expectations for Approval and Registration of Changes in Currently Registered Programs In addition to the liberal arts and sciences content requirement, the NYSED has stated expectations for the approval and registration of some changes in currently registered programs. These changes are considered major revisions and require approval by SUNY and the NYSED. In addition, the SCCC curriculum revision process requires different forms for minor and major revisions to currently registered programs. The forms and further information regarding SCCC’s process can be found at:

NYSED Expectations for Changes in Currently Registered Programs The following are some of the changes considered major changes to currently registered programs and SUNY and the NYSED approval must be sought: Cumulative change of one-third or more of the minimum credits required for the award (e.g., a change of 20 credits or more in a registered associate degree program) Changes in a program’s focus or design (e.g., the elimination of management courses in a Business Administration program) Adding or eliminating an option or concentration (e.g., the addition of a concentration in Biophysics to a Physics program) Eliminating a requirement for program completion (e.g., the elimination of the internship requirement)

Major changes to Currently Registered Programs (continued) Altering the liberal arts and science content in a way that changes the degree classification (e.g., increasing the number of liberal arts and sciences credit in a program leading to an Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree from 20 to 45, the minimum required for the Associate in Arts (A.A.) award) Program title (e.g., Psychology to General Psychology) Program award (e.g., BS to a BA) Mode of delivery (e.g., a program leading to an associate’s degree in two years is offered in an accelerated format, leading to completion in less than two years) Discontinuing a program (e.g., enrollment has ceased and no resources are directed to the program) Format change (e.g., the requirements of a program offered completely during the day can now be completed during the evening)

Credit hour policy SUNY Credit hour policy A semester credit hour is normally granted for satisfactory completion of one 50-minute session of classroom instruction per week for a semester of not less than fifteen weeks. This basic measure may be adjusted proportionately to reflect modified academic calendars and formats of study. Semester credit hours are granted for various types of instruction as follows: I. Lecture, seminar, quiz, discussion, recitation A semester credit hour is an academic unit earned for fifteen 50-minute sessions of classroom instruction with a normal expectation of two hours of outside study for each class session. Typically, a three-semester credit hour course meets three 50-minute sessions per week for fifteen weeks for a total of 45 sessions. II. Activity supervised as a group (laboratory, field trip, practicum, workshop, group studio) A semester credit hour is awarded for the equivalent of fifteen periods of such activity, where each activity period is 150 minutes or more in duration with little or no outside preparation expected. Forty-five 50-minute sessions of such activity would also normally earn one semester credit hour. Where such activity involves substantial outside preparation by the student, the equivalent of fifteen periods of 100 minutes duration each will earn one semester credit hour. More information may be found at:

Curriculum Development Information Contacts Contacts for Curriculum Revision and Development Academic Affairs Degree Programs with an outside accreditor Philip Christensen, College Associate Dean for Curriculum Development or (631) All other degree programs Jennifer Browne, College Associate Dean for Curriculum Development or (631) Curriculum Committee Chairs College-wide Curriculum Committee Chair – Tina Good Ammerman Curriculum Committee Chair - Debra Wakefield Eastern Curriculum Committee Chair – Johanna MacKay Grant Curriculum Committee Chairs – Jason Ramirez and MaryPat Takacs

Curriculum Development Information Resources Academic Affairs website Click Tools and Templates SCCC Catalog and General Education Requirement Supplement SUNY Seamless Transfer Information affairs/Seamless-Transfer-Final2BOT pdf SUNY Transfer Paths paths/suny-transfer-paths-all-2015/ NYSED Policy Statement on Liberal Arts and Sciences