The University of Memphis curriculum approval process ensures that all new and modified courses meet commonly accepted standards for course level and credit. New courses or course revisions are generated by academic departments and forwarded to the appropriate committee for review. Prior to action by the provost, the University Undergraduate Curriculum Committee reviews all undergraduate requests; the University Council for Graduate Studies and Research reviews all graduate requests. Course syllabi, which must include course content and goals, assignments, methods of instruction, and student evaluation, are reviewed in these processes. An example of the syllabus for a geology course is provided. [1]
In the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, a faculty member proposing a new course submits a written proposal to the curriculum committee, a group of five faculty members appointed by the law school dean. The committee meets and reviews the course proposal. The committee then decides whether to forward the course to the faculty. A favorable recommendation for course approval from the curriculum committee goes to the faculty, which must ultimately approve all new course offerings.
At UofM, one credit hour is equivalent to at least 750 classroom contact minutes. Laboratory instruction requires 1500 contact minutes for the same amount of credit. This applies to all terms: fall, spring, summer, or compressed sessions. When providing nontraditional class formats, the UofM ensures equivalence in terms of instructional time, student effort, and student achievement. [2]
Distance education courses follow SACS principles developed as an extension of the Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education, updated June 2003. [3]
3.4.1
