Committee Charge & Policies
Introduction
The Curriculum Review Committee (CRC) is a standing faculty committee that serves at the request of the Vice President for Instruction. Composed entirely of faculty members, this committee encourages and fosters curriculum development and faculty participation in program planning and maintenance of academic standards, primarily through program reviews and course reviews.
Course Reviews
CRC reviews new and revised courses submitted by faculty. The committee considers compliance with college standards, accreditation standards, and alignment with the college mission, values, and learning outcomes. All new and revised courses must be reviewed and approved by CRC prior to approval by the Vice President for Instruction. CRC maintains and facilitates documents related to the course approval process.
Program Reviews
CRC conducts reviews of programs on a rotating schedule (approximately every three years). A committee member facilitates each review. Program faculty and the appropriate administrator are responsible for producing written reviews according to CRC guidelines and for attending an oral review meeting with CRC. Related programs within the same division may be combined into a single review.
Other issues related to the curriculum
As appropriate, the Vice President or others may present issues and/or information related to the curriculum for the committee’s consideration. These issues may include college grading policy, AA degree and related policies, modes of delivery, and others.
Values
The CRC provides collegial feedback and guidance to faculty members as they carry out their professional responsibilities related to maintaining the curricula in their respective subject areas. The CRC will respond to issues brought before the committee in a timely manner.
Composition
The committee consists of a chair and at least ten full- or part-time faculty members and representing all college divisions except those comprised exclusively of workforce education programs.
Chair
The CRC chair is appointed by the Vice President. The chair receives one third (1/3) release time or other arrangements as agreed upon to carry out CRC responsibilities. The chair serves a three-year term.
Membership
Faculty representatives from each academic division recommended by the Dean or administrator. CRC members serve a three-year term. Representation includes at least:
- Humanities/Social Sciences – one from each
- Science and Math – one from each
- Library – one
- Allied Health, Business, Language and Cultures – two
- Basic Studies – one each from ABE and ESL
- Counselors – one (two preferred)
Duties
Chair
- Establish meeting schedule, develop agenda items, and conduct meetings
- Ensure the development and acceptance of short-range objectives and long-range goals for the committee
- Make provisions for recording and distributing minutes for each meeting
- Facilitate course establishment by maintaining forms, assisting faculty proposing courses, conveying information between committee members and proposing faculty, and ensuring that course information is routed as required
- Facilitate program reviews by advising program review chair and communicating with the administrator and Vice President as necessary
- Inform faculty and administrators of the CRC process and provides training or guidance as needed; inform the Vice President for Instruction of policies recommended by the CRC
- Maintain or delegate responsibility for maintaining a CRC Web site, including schedule, forms, instructions, and other information
- Maintain records of member participation for the purpose of salary credits
- Maintain a records of CRC activities, including courses approved, program reviews, policies and procedures, and other activities
- Communicate with the other two curriculum committee chairs in the district
- Provide an annual review of committee activities to the Vice President for Instruction
Members
- Attend all meetings
- Review all courses submitted to the committee and provide feedback
- Review program reviews and provide feedback to the program faculty
- Chair program reviews as assigned
- Take on projects that facilitate CRC operation
Missed Meetings
After a member has missed three consecutive meetings, the chair will contact the member to discuss whether a replacement should be sought.
Meetings (not held during summer quarter)
The CRC holds three types of meetings: Business Meetings (at least twice per quarter); Course Establishment Meetings (at least once per quarter); Program Review Meetings (depending on program review schedule, 3 to 5 per quarter).
Voting
A quorum consists of 50% (rounded up) plus one of the current CRC membership
Actions Requiring a Vote
The following actions by CRC require approval by a simple majority of the quorum:
- Approving a course
- Establishing a CRC policy
- Approving final Program Review feedback
E-mail Discussion
In the interest of expediency, some decisions can be made by e-mail. In this case, at least 50% plus one member must respond to the e-mail vote. For example:
- Minor changes to course proposals submitted to the committee
- Issues discussed at a meeting that required additional information before a vote
Course Approval Process
Process Overview
The CRC accepts course proposals for review once each quarter. Course proposals must include all required documentation in order to be considered. Required documentation is described and forms are provided on the Course Establishment and Revision Guide Web page.
CRC reviews all completed packets and forwards its recommendations to the Vice President for Instruction. CRC-approved courses are reviewed by the three district Vice Presidents and forwarded to the district once they are approved.
Timing and Deadlines
In general, courses must be proposed at least two (2) quarters before being offered to allow time for any necessary revisions and to meet the publication deadline for the quarterly schedule. The committee’s course review deadline typically falls in the third or fourth week of the quarter. Committee members review courses received by that deadline and discuss them at a course review meeting usually scheduled about two weeks later. Proposing faculty may be invited to attend the meeting.
After the meeting, the CRC chair notifies the proposing faculty of the committee’s conclusions and provides a summary of recommendations, if any. If the chair fails to notify the faculty of the course status within two weeks of the course review meeting, the course may continue through the approval process without CRC intervention. The proposing faculty must respond to the recommendations within two weeks of the chair’s communication, to be considered at the next business meeting. Otherwise, the course can be re-submitted by the next course approval deadline.
The committee will review late proposals as time allows and at the discretion of the chair with approval from the committee.
Appeals
Within two weeks of receiving the committee’s recommendations, the proposing faculty may appeal by submitting a rationale for rejecting the recommendations. The committee will consider the appeal at its next scheduled business meeting. If the committee accepts the appeal, the course will be approved and forwarded to the Vice President. If the committee rejects the appeal, the committee will forward the course to the appropriate administrator with an explanation.
Documentation and Notification
Approved courses are routed as follows:
- Hard copy original with signatures: Manager - Instructional Information (BE4180)
- Photocopy of original with signatures: CRC Files and appropriate Division Office
- Electronic Copy: Saved with CRC Files
- Notify: Proposing faculty, appropriate administrator, committee members
Program Review Process
Process Overview
The CRC establishes and follows a rotating schedule to reviewthree to five programs each quarter. A committee member serves as chair for each program review, communicating with the faculty and administrator, and providing support for the process. The program’s administrator is responsible for ensuring faculty participation in the process.
Program faculty and the administrator produce a brief program review according to the guidelines provided by CRC, and they attend an oral review of their program. CRC members read program reviews, participate in a scheduled oral review, and provide feedback to the program.
Timing and Deadlines
CRC establishes an annual schedule of deadline for written and oral program reviews. The chair works with the administrator to ensure that program reviews do not conflict with major obligations or workload issues (such as a move or change in faculty) within a given program.
To allow the committee time to review the written review, oral reviews are typically held 3-4 weeks after the written review is submitted. Within two weeks after the oral review, the review chair provides the program with all feedback, questions, concerns, and recommendations from the committee. When there are questions or concerns, the program has 90 days (not including summer) to respond.
The program review chair prepares minutes from the meeting and a program review summary, typically in memo form that describes the committee’s findings and recommendations. The memo is addressed to the Vice President for Instruction.
Documentation and Notification
- Program Review: four copies submitted to the library for committee review
- Program Review: After the review, two copies are retained in the library and two copies are returned to the program
- Minutes and Program Review summary
- Vice President
- CRC Chair and members
- Program faculty and administrator
- Copy placed in the Program Review binders
Extensions, missed deadlines, and failure to provide a written review
Under extreme circumstances, a program may request to extend the deadline for the written report and/or to reschedule the oral review. The program review chair and CRC chair will work together to revise the oral review date.
If a program fails to provide a written review, the program review chair will write a memo addressed to the Vice President for Instruction, the appropriate program administrator, and the CRC chair explaining actions taken to inform the program of its obligations. The administrator is responsible for corrective actions; the CRC chair will work with the administrator to re-schedule the review for a later date.