CURRICULAR

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES HANDBOOK

Colorado State University

Office of Provost/Academic Vice President
Curriculum Administration Office

January 2002
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

UNIVERSITY CURRICULUM COMMITTEE - MEMBERSHIP AND FUNCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Meetings/Agendas ......................................................................1
Curriculum Challenge Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

PROCEDURES FOR PROGRAMMATIC AND ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

COURSE APPROVAL PROCEDURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

NEW COURSE REQUEST - TRADITIONAL AND NONTRADITIONAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Course Number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Prefix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Approved Inter-University Course Prefixes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Approved Intracollege Course Prefixes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Course Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Courses Taught at More Than One Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Reserved Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Instructional Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Title ..................................................................................8
Term ..................................................................................8
Credit ..................................................................................8
Standard (Fixed Credit) Courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Special Courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Variable Credit Courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Prerequisite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Subtopics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Effective Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Reason for Request . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Overlapping Content/Affected Departments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Replaced Course . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Course Outline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Channels for Course and Curricular Approval . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

MAJOR CHANGE IN COURSE REQUEST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Periodic Course Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Channels for Approval . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Substantive Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

MINOR CHANGE IN COURSE REQUEST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Channels for Approval . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Challenge Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

MISCELLANEOUS COURSE POLICIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Experimental Courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Field Placement Courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Group Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Honors Courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Honors Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Honors Colloquia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Independent Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
MISCELLANEOUS COURSE POLICIES (continued)
International Education (IE) Courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Joint-Listed Courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Nontraditional Course . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Orientation Courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Semester/Year Study Abroad Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Guidelines and Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Initial Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Mechanism for Approval of Study Abroad Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Mechanism for Course Offering, Acceptance of Credits, and Grades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Students on Financial Aid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Course Evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Student Assistants in Instruction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Undergraduate Assistants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Guidelines for Credit and/or Remuneration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Guidelines for Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Graduate Assistants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Travel Courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Travel Courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Permanent Travel Courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Noncredit Travel Courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Unique-Titled Courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

UNIVERSITY POLICIES REGARDING DEGREES AND PROGRAMS OF STUDY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Undergraduate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Definition of Major . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Definition of Concentration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Definition of Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Definition of Minor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Definition of Interdisciplinary Studies Program - Graduate and Undergraduate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Request for Minimum Grade Requirement for Programs of Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Request to Designate Review Courses in Programs of Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Graduate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

NEW PROGRAMS OF STUDY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

General Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Establishment of New Departments and Intercollege Transfers of Existing Departments . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Effective Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Justification for Request . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Channel for Approval . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Listing of Curricular Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

MAJOR CHANGES IN PROGRAMS OF STUDY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Effective Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Channel for Approval . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Listing of Curricular Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Changes to Teaching Endorsement Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

MINOR CHANGES IN PROGRAMS OF STUDY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Effective Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Channel for approval . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Listing of Curricular Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
APPENDICES

A – Publications Concerning University Academic Programs

B1 – Request for New Course

B2 – Major Change in Course, Level Change
B3 – Major Change in Course, Adding Subtopics
B4 – Minor Change in Course
B5 – Major Change, Course Drop

C – Request for Nontraditional Course

D – Definitions of Type A and Type B Instructional Activities

E – Sample Course Outline

F – Channels for Course, Curricular and Fee Approval

Routing Paths for Programs and Degree Changes
Distribution of Approved Materials

G – Experimental Course Request

H1 – Curricular Request, New Degree/Major/Concentration/Option/Minor/Interdisciplinary Studies Program

H2 – Curricular Request, Major Change of Curriculum Requirements
H3 – Curricular Request, Major Change, Program Drop
H4 – Curricular Request, Minor Change of Curriculum Requirements
 UNIVERSITY CURRICULUM COMMITTEE - MEMBERSHIP AND FUNCTION

The University Curriculum Committee (UCC) of the Faculty Council (FC) is charged with the responsibility for overall
review and control of the curriculum. The following is taken from the Academic Faculty and Administrative
Professional Manual 1998, C.2.1.9.5.k.).

The University Curriculum Committee shall consist of one academic faculty representative from each college and the
Libraries, one undergraduate student, one graduate student, the Provost/Academic Vice President or his/her
designee (ex officio), and the Chairperson of the Executive Committee (ex officio). The duties of this standing
committee shall be:

(1) To receive or initiate recommendations pertaining to each and every course and program offered for academic
credit by any unit of the University.

(2) To evaluate all proposals for new undergraduate courses and programs as well as changes in existing courses
and programs for correlation with other departments before consideration and approval by the Faculty Council.

(3) To evaluate all proposals for new graduate courses and programs as well as changes in existing courses and
programs for correlation with other departments. Review of graduate programs is conducted after the
Committee on Scholarship, Research, and Graduate Education has recommended approval prior to their
submission to the Faculty Council for approval.

(4) To develop necessary administrative procedures for informing interested colleges concerning courses under
consideration.

(5) To evaluate proposals for the establishment of new departments, and the change of name, change in college
affiliation, dissolution, division, or merger of existing departments. (See Procedures for Programmatic and
Organizational Change, p. 2.)

(6) To recommend policies to the Faculty Council related to the operations of the Division of Educational Outreach
which impact curricula.

The FC has final approval authority on courses and changes to courses, concentrations, options, minors,
interdisciplinary studies programs, and changes to programs of study. New undergraduate majors and new graduate
degree programs, after approval of the FC, must be approved by the State Board of Agriculture and the Colorado
Commission on Higher Education (CCHE) before they can be implemented and published in the University General
Catalog.

Meetings/Agendas

All UCC meetings are conducted in open forum; all interested parties are welcome to attend. The UCC meets on
Friday afternoons, frequently on a weekly basis. The UCC will normally receive the agenda on Wednesday or
Thursday prior to the meeting. The maximum length of time for items to be held as old business on the agenda for
resolution of concerns will be three meetings.

Curriculum Challenge Procedures

When a new course or program is challenged at the UCC as being duplicative or overlapping existing ongoing
programs, additional information is requested from the initiating unit.

Each college representative serving on the UCC has the responsibility to challenge courses and programs when it is
determined that adequate communication has not taken place between departments. Concerned individuals and/or
departments are to be brought together to resolve specific problems and issues.

1
All actions of the UCC are submitted to the FC for approval. FC members intending to raise questions regarding
UCC minutes should notify the Chair of the FC by noon of the day preceding the meeting so that appropriate
individuals can be invited to the meeting. When questions involving curricular changes are raised at a FC meeting
and appropriate individuals are not available to respond, the Chair will withdraw the item from consideration at that
meeting and reschedule it as unfinished business at the next meeting.

If a challenge is not resolved, the item of issue may be returned to the UCC for additional study and consideration.

Any college or department may challenge a minor change within 14 days after the minor change list is distributed by
sending a memo to the Curriculum Administration Office, stating the reason for the challenge. Challenged courses or
program changes will be removed from the minor change list and sent directly to the UCC for deliberation.
Resolution of the challenge will be noted in the UCC minutes.

PROCEDURES FOR PROGRAMMATIC AND ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE

(Academic Faculty and Administrative Professional Staff Manual, Section C.2.2)

The creation of new programs, departments, and colleges; the change of college affiliation of programs and
departments; and the change of name, dissolution, division, or merger of existing programs, departments, and
colleges shall follow the following procedures:

A. Any faculty member, department, college, Faculty Council standing committee, or other University-related unit
may initiate a programmatic or organizational change.

B. Proposed changes shall be considered by the appropriate department(s) and college(s) with student input.

C. Following recommendations by the appropriate department(s) and college(s), and recommendations by the
Committee on Scholarship, Research, and Graduate Education, if appropriate, proposed changes shall be
considered by the University Curriculum Committee.

D. Following recommendations by the University Curriculum Committee, and concurrence by the Faculty
Governance Committee and the Committee on Strategic and Financial Planning, if appropriate, proposed
changes shall be reported by the Executive Committee to the Faculty Council for consideration.

E. Following approval by Faculty Council, proposed changes shall be reported through the Provost/Academic
Vice President and the President to the State Board of Agriculture.

2
 COURSE APPROVAL PROCEDURES

1. All courses (including nontraditional/extended studies courses such as telecourses, correspondence courses,
and on-line courses) must go through the full curriculum approval process. This includes the review and
approval of certificate programs which are comprised of extended studies courses, and which are offered by
Colorado State University through the Division of Educational Outreach.

2. Courses that are currently taught as only on-campus courses may be submitted for approval to be taught as a
telecourse, correspondence course, or on-line course and vice versa. Departments need to submit course
materials for both formats, indicate the methods used for evaluating the students, and the means used to
communicate with the students. In addition, a memo must be submitted with the course materials from the
department chair/head (with a notation of review from the college curriculum committee chair) which states that
the two courses are comparable and how they are comparable, e.g., list of common goals, objectives, texts.

3. When courses are approved by the UCC and FC, that authorization applies only to the mode of delivery
stipulated when the course proposal was originally approved. Therefore, previously approved courses must go
through the full curriculum approval process if they are to be offered in a different mode of delivery from the
one stipulated when the course was initially approved. (For example, if the course contact hours are fewer than
those stipulated by the CCHE or if the distribution of those formats changes, then the course must be
reapproved.)

4. If the course content is basically the same, the same course number may be used for all modes of delivery.
However, if the course content is significantly different, a new number must be assigned the course which has a
different mode of delivery than was originally approved.

5. Experimental courses (which may be offered for only two terms before being considered for conversion to
permanent courses) are appropriate vehicles for pretesting new courses. (See Experimental Courses, p. 17.)

6. All advertisements, brochures, and publications about any courses must go through the existing approval
process (see Appendix A) before being issued.

3
 NEW COURSE REQUEST-TRADITIONAL AND NONTRADITIONAL
(See Appendixes B and C - Samples of Completed Course Forms)

Numbers correspond to items on both types of request forms (Request for New Course/Major or Minor Change in
Course-Traditional and Request for Nontraditional Course) except #10 (Grading) and #11 (Course Outline) for
nontraditional courses corresponds to #12 and #13 in the instructions.

Electronic versions of the form are available at http://www.colostate.edu/Orgs/ucc.

1. NUMBER (includes alpha prefix and number; and symbols and subtopics if appropriate)

a. Symbols

The following (placed in front of the prefix) should be used when appropriate:

*Offered calendar year 2000 and alternate years thereafter.

If a course is to be offered spring, summer, and/or fall 2000 (i.e., even years), the asterisk [*] symbol is
placed in front of the prefix.

EOffered calendar year 2001 and alternate years thereafter.

If a course is to be offered spring, summer, and/or fall 2001 (i.e., odd years), the degree [E] symbol is placed
in front of the prefix.

+Certain field trips are a required part of this course and incur additional expense to the student.

This expense is considered a special fee. If this symbol (+) is used, a request for special course fee should
be submitted together with the course request, so that students may be assessed the fee as soon as the
course becomes effective. (Refer to the Special Course Fee Manual, which is available in college and
department offices, and on the Web at http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/AcadAffairs/COURSE.FEE/
man1.htm)

b. Prefix

The course prefix is determined by the department and approved by the UCC. A prefix may be one or two
characters and should be as closely related to the department or subject matter as possible. More than one
prefix may be associated with courses in a department.

Requests for new course prefixes (i.e., a new series of courses for which there is no existing prefix) or
change of an existing prefix should be submitted on the course request form through the usual curricular
channels to the UCC. The request must indicate the proposed prefix (item #1, right side), and the course
work symbolized by the prefix (e.g., AP is to be used for anthropology courses), with a justification (item #8)
for requesting the new prefix or the change. An indication of departmental faculty support for the request
should be included in the justification section.

If only selected courses within a current prefix listing are to be changed to a new prefix, the procedure for
the request is the same, but an attachment to the form should list those courses that will carry the new
prefix. Prefixes that have been dropped may not be used again for three years.

Serious consideration of any request to change a prefix is imperative, because the mechanics of doing so
are very time consuming and complicated. (This procedure includes ending the current courses, complete
recoding of the courses with their new prefix, and making appropriate changes to prerequisite courses
carrying the old prefix.)

4
 Inter-University and intracollege course prefixes are approved prefixes not associated with a specific
department. All colleges should be notified of a proposed inter-University prefix before the request is
forwarded to the UCC for approval. New courses or changes to existing courses with these prefixes must be
approved by the Approval Channel listed below before being submitted to the UCC for consideration.

Approved Inter-University
Course Prefixes Approval Channel

AS - Aerospace Studies Provost/Academic Vice President

BH - Biotechnology Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences Curriculum Committee
BY - Biological Science Natural Sciences Curriculum Committee
CM - Cell and Molecular Biology Provost/Academic Vice President
EY - Ecology Natural Resources and Natural Sciences Curriculum Committees
GS - Graduate School Committee on Scholarship, Research, and Graduate Education
HP - Honors Provost/Academic Vice President
IE - International Education Provost/Academic Vice President
IU - Intra-University Provost/Academic Vice President
KA - Key Academic Community Provost/Academic Vice President
LI - Library Information Provost/Academic Vice President
LS - Life Sciences Provost/Academic Vice President
MS - Military Science Provost/Academic Vice President
NB - Neurobiology Provost/Academic Vice President
WS - Women’s Studies Liberal Arts Curriculum Committee

Approved Intracollege Course Prefixes

A - Agricultural Sciences
AU - Liberal Arts
BE - Engineering
BG - Business
CF - Applied Human Sciences
EG - Engineering
ES - Engineering
ET - Liberal Arts
EV - Engineering
HS - Applied Human Sciences
IN - Liberal Arts
LB - Liberal Arts
NR - Natural Resources
NS - Natural Sciences
VM - Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences

Courses approved for inclusion in categories 1-3 of the All-University Core Curriculum (AUCC) have the
letters CC added to the normal prefix (e.g., COCC) following approval by FC. These courses are listed with
the regular prefix in the courses of instruction section of the General Catalog.

c. Number

The course number consists of two elements: the first digit, which indicates the course level, and the next
two digits, which may indicate a particular departmental series or one of the reserve-numbered series
defined on the following pages. (A third element is subtopic letters, if desired; see #6, Description, for an
explanation.)

When a course is dropped, that course number may not be used again for three years. This is to prevent
the possibility of a student’s transcript reflecting two courses with the same number, but entirely different
content.

5
Departments using a numeric designation for a series of courses (I, II) may do so only if the content of each
course is sequential, i.e., where I is a prerequisite for II.

If a course is joint listed (see p. 21), both prefixes and numbers must be included on the first line, e.g., ET
252/HY 252 and forms must be submitted from both departments.

Course Level

100-299 Courses PRIMARILY for freshman and sophomore students.

300-499 Courses PRIMARILY for junior and senior students. Acceptable for graduate credit for students
holding a bachelor’s degree when approved by the student’s graduate committee. (300 level is
primarily for juniors and 400 level is primarily for seniors.)

500-599 Courses PRIMARILY for students enrolled in a master’s degree program or equivalents. Qualified
junior and senior students may enroll.

600-699 Courses PRIMARILY for students enrolled in master’s level programs or equivalents.
Undergraduate students MAY NOT ENROLL TO SATISFY UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE
REQUIREMENTS.

700-799 Courses PRIMARILY for students enrolled in Ph.D. level programs or equivalents and professional
veterinary medicine courses. Undergraduate students MAY NOT ENROLL.

A department that does not have an approved Ph.D. program should have no courses at the 700-799 level
unless those courses are to primarily serve Ph.D. students from other departments. Also, a department that
does not have an approved master’s level program should have no courses above the 499 level, except to
serve master’s students from other departments.

Courses Taught at More Than One Level

All courses must be taught as approved by the curriculum process and must meet the goals, objectives, and
requirements stated. Normally each regular undergraduate or graduate course is approved to be taught
separately from any other regular course. However, if courses are approved to be scheduled
simultaneously, credit cannot be awarded for more than one of these courses.

A joint-listed course is one offered at one level and is jointly listed by two or more departments. The
primary intent is to have faculty from the two or more departments participate in the instruction. Credit can
only be earned via one departmental listing. (See p. 21.)

A multi-level course is jointly offered at two levels. Colleges and departments are discouraged from
proposing multi-level courses. To maintain high academic standards of instruction, multi-level courses
should not be proposed unless a compelling reason exists for students at different academic levels to be
enrolled together and earn academic credit via different course numbers. Proposed multi-level courses must
provide a clear distinction of student requirements at each level. Credit is awarded at only one level and
students cannot transfer between levels as the course progresses.

6
Reserved Numbers

The following numbers have been reserved to meet specific needs within the University.

-80 and -81 EXPERIMENTAL (see Experimental Courses, p. 17)

-82 TRAVEL ABROAD (see Travel Courses, pp. 25-27)

-83 U.S. TRAVEL (see Travel Courses, pp. 25-27)

-84 SUPERVISED COLLEGE TEACHING (see Student Assistants in Instruction, p. 24)

-85 STUDENT TEACHING - For students seeking certification who have completed appropriate
departmental prerequisites. Under the supervision of faculty, but generally in an off-campus
location in a public school.

-86 PRACTICUMS (see Field Placement Courses, p. 17)

-87 INTERNSHIPS - Supervised work experience in an approved location. (see Field Placement
Courses, p. 17)

-88 AFFILIATIONS OR FIELD PLACEMENT - Require association and/or service with a

professional organization necessary for the completion of a degree. (see Field Placement
Courses, p. 17)

-89 UNIQUE TITLE (see Unique-Title Courses, p. 27)

-90 and -91 WORKSHOPS - A supervised group concentrating on a specified subject and for a specified
period.

-92 and -93 SEMINARS - Designated to allow students to engage in a course of study under the
guidance of faculty who meet regularly with them for reports and discussions. Content
varies. All seminars carrying specific credits should be listed as discussion/recitation
courses rather than as lecture courses.

The University recognizes two types of seminars at the graduate level. “Open” seminars (-92
and -93) are not content specific and may not address similar material from term to term. They
may be organized around the ongoing research of those enrolled, current research of
appropriate faculty members, presentations by visiting scholars, reviews of the latest
developments in the disciplines, or other targets of intellectual opportunity. “Topical”
seminars (nonreserved numbers) are advanced study experiences which deal with established
content areas of the disciplines which are subject specific.

-94 and -95 INDEPENDENT STUDY (Special Studies) - Student investigates an area of special interest
under the direction and supervision of faculty. (see Independent Study, p. 20)

- 96 and -97 GROUP STUDY (Special Studies) - A group of students working together under the direction
and supervision of faculty who investigate an area of special interest. (see Group Study, p.
18)

-98 RESEARCH - Requires a paper and may carry either fixed or variable credit.

-99 THESIS OR DISSERTATION - Research for the thesis or dissertation. Offered for variable
credit.

7
 Instructional Type

In addition to the definitions outlined above, Colorado State University complies with the definitions of
Type A and B instructional activities which have been established by the Colorado Commission on Higher
Education (see Appendix D).

2. TITLE

Course titles should give a clear indication of the course content, but must be limited to a maximum of 45
characters and spaces. Because of limitations on the student’s record (transcript), item 2b in the right-hand
column of the course request form should be completed to be certain the title can be abbreviated to 30 spaces
without substantial distortion.

Courses using a reserved number will use the designation for the number in the title, e.g., AA 495, Independent
Study. (An additional descriptor may also be used, e.g., Independent Study in Astrophysics, as long as it does
not exceed the length limitation.)

The following phrases in a title should be avoided:

Introduction to or Fundamentals of (course level should be used as an indicator)

Topics in
Advanced Study of (either course level or the use of I, II accomplishes this without wasting characters)

3. TERM

Indicate F (fall), S (spring), and/or SS (summer) as appropriate for the term(s) the course will normally be offered.
Although these terms are shown in the General Catalog, no assurance is given that a course will be offered in
complete accordance with the catalog listing. Students are advised to consult the official, applicable class
schedule and addendum for a listing of courses to be offered in a given term. However, it is in the students’
and departments’ best interest to be as accurate with this listing as possible.

If a course is being offered for a different term on a one-time basis, contact the Scheduling Office rather than
submit a request to change the term. If it is anticipated that a course will always be offered during a different
term(s) than the present listing in the catalog, a request to change the term must be submitted.

For courses offered on an alternate year basis, indicate the first term and year the course will be offered.
Example: F 2000 and alternate years thereafter. Unless an alternate year pertains to all terms the course is to be
offered, a course should not be designated as an alternate year course.

4. CREDIT

Course credit is determined by the amount of classroom time required to cover the subject matter contained in a
course.

A course clock hour is the amount of contact time a student is expected to spend with faculty to receive credit
for a course.

Course credits may be divided into lecture or laboratory or discussion/recitation or any combination thereof.
Total credits for a course must be divided into the appropriate instructional type(s) and contact hours. They
will be displayed in the catalog and schedule of classes. A COURSE MUST BE TAUGHT AS IT HAS BEEN
APPROVED.

Zero credit and partial credit (1/2 or other fractional credit) courses are unacceptable.

8
Standard (Fixed Credit) Courses

One hour (50 minutes) of lecture or discussion/recitation per week for 16 weeks (or 16 clock hours) equals 1
credit.

Two hours (100 minutes) of laboratory per week for 16 weeks when outside preparation is required equal 1
credit.

Three hours (150 minutes) of laboratory per week for 16 weeks when no outside preparation is required equal 1
credit.

The distribution of credit for lecture-laboratory-discussion/recitation class periods per semester is as follows:

In the example 04(2-2-1), the figure in front of the parentheses indicates the number of credits assigned to this
class. Inside the parentheses, the first figure indicates the number of clock hours spent in lectures each week,
the second figure indicates the number of clock hours spent in laboratory each week, and the third figure
indicates the number of clock hours spent in discussion or recitation each week.

The following are examples of credit and clock hour distributions as they would appear on the course request
form:

Lecture Only

Lect. Lab. Disc./Recit. Total

Credit Dist. 3 0 0 3
Clock Hour
Distribution 3 0 0 3

Laboratory Only

Lect. Lab. Disc./Recit. Total

Credit Dist. 0 1 0 1
Clock Hour
Distribution 0 2 (or 3) 0 2 (or 3)

Discussion/Recitation Only

Lect. Lab. Disc./Recit. Total

Credit Dist. 0 0 1 1
Clock Hour
Distribution 0 0 1 1

Lecture and Laboratory

Lect. Lab. Disc./Recit. Total

Credit Dist. 2 2 0 4
Clock Hour
Distribution 2 4 (or 6) 0 6 (or 8)

9
Lecture and Discussion/Recitation

Lect. Lab. Disc./Recit. Total

Credit Dist. 1 0 1 2
Clock Hour
Distribution 1 0 1 2

Laboratory and Discussion/Recitation

Lect. Lab. Disc./Recit. Total

Credit Dist. 0 2 1 3
Clock Hour
Distribution 0 4 (or 6) 1 5 (or 7)

Lecture, Laboratory, and Discussion/Recitation

Lect. Lab. Disc./Recit. Total

Credit Dist. 2 1 1 4
Clock Hour
Distribution 2 2 (or 3) 1 5 (or 6)

Students should expect to spend two hours per week outside the classroom for each credit in a course.

Special Courses

Practicum - 30 clock hours equal 1 credit.

Internship/Field Placement - 45 clock hours equal 1 credit.

Travel Courses - 40 clock hours equal 1 credit. (Maximum of 5 credits allowed per course with an additional 1
credit allowed for assignments before and/or after travel.)

Thesis/Dissertation/Research/Independent Study Graduate Courses - The number of student credit hours

earned will be determined using a base rate of 48 hours of student effort per credit hour. The faculty adviser, or
other department official, shall estimate the total number of hours of student effort required over the length of
the semester. This effort shall include consultation with the adviser, as well as library, laboratory, field, or
studio work. The total number of hours shall be divided by 48 and the resultant quotient (rounded off to a
whole number) shall define the number of credits to be awarded.

Variable Credit Courses

Variable credit is indicated in two areas on the course request form:

1) Following the course number, where it should be shown as either Var. for those courses which have no
minimum or maximum credit limitations, or as Var [#-#] for those courses having limitations (see below).
2) In item number 4, the line is checked for a variable credit course. Credit and clock hour distribution are left
blank.

10
 Any credit limitations on variable credit courses should be listed as follows:

Limitations per Term: Var [1-3]. The numbers in the brackets indicate that 1 is the minimum and 3 is the
maximum number of credits which can be earned per term; no limitation on the number of credits which can be
earned in that course is indicated. If no limitation is indicated, the default will be 1-18 credits.

Limitations per Course: If there is a limitation on the total number of credits which can be earned in a course,
but no limitation per term, indicate this limitation in the prerequisite area. Example: Maximum of 6 credits
allowed in course.

Limitations per Term and Course: Var [1-3]. (In prerequisite area:) Maximum of 8 credits allowed in course.

If a course has subtopics, credit limitations should indicate the number of credits per subtopic and/or for the
course as a whole.

5. PREREQUISITE

Most courses at the 300-400 level should have a prerequisite. Prerequisites are required for all courses
numbered 500-799, except courses ending in the -84 to -99. Graduate courses normally should not have lower-
division (100-200) courses as prerequisites.

Prerequisites should be courses or indications of prior academic performance. For exceptions, such as grades in
courses or overall GPA, the UCC will consider the merits of the proposals on a case-by-case basis.

If two or more courses are listed as prerequisites and one of the courses is a prerequisite to another prerequisite,
it should not be included (e.g., a course should not list both PH 121 and PH 122 as prerequisites since PH 121 is
a prerequisite to PH 122).

Consent of an instructor for a student to attend a class is implied even though it is not listed as a course
prerequisite. “WRITTEN CONSENT OF INSTRUCTOR” SHOULD NOT BE USED AS A PREREQUISITE
EXCEPT IN THOSE RARE CASES WHERE IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO ADEQUATELY DESCRIBE THE
SPECIFIC COURSES NEEDED AS A BACKGROUND FOR THE COURSE IN QUESTION. Departments wishing
to control individual registrations in a course should do so through the registration system by requiring
students to obtain the section ID number from the instructor or department.

All prerequisites may be considered to have been met if a student presents evidence of credit earned in
equivalent courses or if knowledge equivalent to the prerequisites indicated is demonstrated. Therefore, it is
not necessary to state “or equivalent” with a prerequisite.

The use of “recommended” prerequisites is not acceptable. Course restrictions, such as “senior standing” or
“major only” should be added to the class schedule draft -these are not prerequisites.

6. DESCRIPTION

Course descriptions are limited to a maximum of 150 characters and spaces. They should be brief, concise,
and free from unnecessary phrases and technical terminology, but should contain enough information to
present an adequate concept of the subject matter covered.

Descriptions need not be furnished for reserve-numbered courses. Courses with subtopics do not require
descriptions unless one general description can be given that covers all the subtopics.

In series courses, the second course description should not be “continuation of XX ###.” Transfer students, in
particular, need to know what portion of the course is covered in each sequence of the course.

11
 Avoid the following words and phrases since they take up space without conveying specific information:

A A survey course in The application (development) of

An analysis of A critical inquiry into The objective of this course is
A course in An advanced course in A lecture course in
A study of An introduction to The

Subtopics

Subtopics may be used in a variety of ways. Courses may be divided into subtopics when the content of a
course is so diverse that a specific subdivision of the course is of value for display. This provides departments
with the flexibility to reflect the specific course experience, i.e., title, on a student’s academic record (transcript).
In addition, subtopics may also designate differences in credits, terms offered, prerequisites, course fees, or any
combination of these.

Courses with subtopics are displayed in the schedule of classes each term as separate sections of the course
with specific credits and time offered, i.e., each subtopic is treated as an individual course. When a subtopic
letter is dropped, that letter may not be used again for three years.

7. EFFECTIVE DATE

Requests for new courses must be submitted and approved by the FC in time for inclusion in the addendum to
the class schedule prior to preregistration for the term involved. If the deadline is not met, approval will
become effective with a subsequent term.

8. REASON FOR REQUEST

The reason for the request should be a cogent, meaningful statement of justification or need, including the
constituency for whom the course was designed, whether it is an elective or service course, if the addition of
the course affects the manner in which another course in the department is being taught (i.e., change in credits
or change to an alternate year listing), etc. It is not considered an appropriate reason that it allows an instructor
to teach in his/her area of expertise. An indication of the anticipated enrollment could be helpful; the following
are guidelines used for minimum enrollments in sections of courses:

Course Level Lecture Laboratory

100-200 15 10
300-400 10 8
500 and above 5 5

If the justification is not considered to be sufficiently explanatory, approval of the course request may be
delayed.

9. OVERLAPPING CONTENT/AFFECTED DEPARTMENTS

In a large university some overlap between units in the content of course offerings is inevitable. Some
programs deal with the practical application of the content of a discipline while others are limited to theoretical
or basic content. In other instances, the University may have more than one department with responsibilities
across a broad academic discipline. Without some central coordination, unnecessary and costly duplication of
efforts may result, which severely restricts the University’s ability to perform its assigned mission.

A proposed course must be reviewed by all outside departments teaching related courses in which there could
be overlapping content. Prospective users of the course should also have an opportunity to review the
proposed course. Signatures must be obtained from all individuals representing these units.

12
 All course requests pertaining to computers and computing should be reviewed by both the Department of
Computer Information Systems in the College of Business and the Department of Computer Science in the
College of Natural Sciences.

Any change to a current course which is a service course to other departments and majors must be reviewed by
those departments and signatures obtained to indicate that they have had the opportunity to review the
proposed changes.

Failure to make the appropriate contacts will only delay processing of the course through the UCC.

10. REPLACED COURSE

When a new course is being requested and it replaces a current course or courses, indicate the current course
number(s) and also initiate and submit a drop form(s) for the course(s) being replaced.

11. GRADING

The grading available for each course is designated in the class schedule each term. Indicate the appropriate
grading code as follows:

I - Instructor Option Grading (see below)

O - Student Option - either Traditional or Pass/Fail Grading
P - Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (P/F) Grading Only
T - Traditional Grading

Pass/Fail Grading and Plus/Minus Grading (See the General Catalog, Registration and Student Records
section for a detailed description.)

Instructor option grading is limited to the following courses and to those approved for instructor option
through regular curricular channels, including the appropriate college curriculum committee and the UCC:

Supervised College Teaching (-84) Affiliations or Field Placement (-88) Thesis or Dissertation (-99)
Student Teaching (-85) Seminars (-92, -93)
Practicums (-86) Independent Study (-94, -95)
Internships (-87) Group Study (-96, -97)
Workshops (-90, -91) Research (-98)

Other Courses Approved for Instructor Option Grading

Anthropology - AP 460, 660

Chemistry - C 651A-D
Environmental Health - EH 670
History - HY 510A-C, 610A-C
Mathematics - M CC 117, M CC 118, M CC 120A-B, M CC 121, M CC 124, M CC 125, M CC 126, M 229
Music - MU 200, 204, 301, 302, 304, 305, 309, 400, 401, 402, 404
Natural Resources - NR 561
Philosophy - PL 462
Veterinary Medicine - All VM prefix courses

12. COURSE OUTLINE (See Appendix E)

Outlines are required of all new courses except reserve-numbered courses ending in 84-99. They should be at
least one page, but typically not exceed two pages, and should include all major topics and subtopics to be
covered in the course; course objectives; proposed texts or source materials; and methods of evaluation.

13
 Those courses that have a laboratory should also include an outline for that portion of the course. It is
suggested that the University Library be provided with any supplementary bibliographies after the course has
been approved. Typically, a course syllabus may include more detailed information, but does not need to be
submitted with the course request.

The outline/syllabus for nontraditional courses should include a listing of anticipated course media, e.g.,
videotape, student study guide, software, text, etc.

CHANNELS FOR COURSE AND CURRICULAR APPROVAL

Complete departmental autonomy is unrealistic in a large, multipurpose university that operates within imposed fiscal
constraints and also is held accountable to the state for high levels of educational efficiency and effectiveness.
Therefore, final responsibility for curriculum development cannot be left to individual professors or departments.

New course and program proposals including majors, concentrations, options, and minors or major modifications in
any of these are initiated in the department or college and reviewed by the academic dean for the purpose of
establishing whether resources are available to support the request.

Multiple changes within a department that impact both courses and curricula, should be accompanied by a memo
from the department head/chair which provides an overview of these changes. New programs or changes to
programs must be accompanied by all new course requests or course changes that are included in the program.

All proposals move through the college curriculum committee to the UCC and to the FC for action. Graduate
programs, however, must first be approved by the Committee on Scholarship, Research, and Graduate Education
before being sent to the UCC.

After approval by the college curriculum committee and the college dean, the original signed copy of the request and
an outline (if appropriate) should be forwarded to the Curriculum Administration Office, where copies of the request
will be prepared for the UCC. Failure to obtain appropriate signatures will delay processing of the request.

Interdisciplinary studies programs that can be identified as involving two or more specific colleges must have
simultaneous review by all appropriate college curriculum committees before forwarding the new request or major
change to the UCC. Those programs that are truly interdisciplinary, i.e., those with course work that cannot be
identified with a particular college or colleges, will be forwarded directly to the Office of the Provost/Academic Vice
President for review before being sent to the UCC.

Refer to Appendix F for charts detailing the approval channels for various curricular actions.

14
 MAJOR CHANGE IN COURSE REQUEST

See New Course Request (pp. 4-14) for general guidelines on each item. The Request for New Course/Major or
Minor Change in Course-Traditional form is used for major changes for both traditional and nontraditional courses.
(Appendix B includes samples of completed forms.) The items to be completed for each of these changes are
indicated on the course request form. Only changes are to be shown on the right side of the form. If a request
includes major as well as minor changes, the request is to be treated as a major change.

If an existing course is to be offered as a telecourse, correspondence course, or on-line course, complete the Request
for Nontraditional Course Form. (See Appendix B for a sample of a completed form.)

Electronic versions of these forms are available at http://www.colostate.edu/Orgs/ucc.

A. DEFINITIONS

Major changes are defined as follows:

1. Adding subtopics to or deleting subtopics from an existing course (*A course outline is required for new
subtopics except on reserve-numbered courses.)

2. Changing course level, i.e., raising 100/200 to 300/400 or 300/400 to 500/600 or 500/600 to 700, or lowering of
any of these levels (*A course outline is required.)

3. Changing credits (*A course outline is required.):

a. Increase of one (1) or more credits or decrease of two (2) or more credits
b. Change from fixed to variable credit or from variable to fixed credit.

4. Prefix change

5. Course description (if the new description reflects a significant change in content)

6. Course drop (If the course being dropped is a prerequisite to another course or courses, a minor change will
need to be initiated to replace the prerequisite. The Curriculum Administration Office can provide the
numbers of those courses which would be affected by a course drop.)

7. Change in grading option from instructor or student option to traditional or from traditional to instructor or
student option.

*Some college curriculum committees may require that both the old and new outlines be submitted for review,
although the UCC does not require the old outline.

Periodic Course Review

The UCC conducts a periodic review of all current courses to determine which ones have not been taught
during the past three-year period. Departments are asked for a written justification for those that are to be
retained. The UCC then acts to either retain or drop the courses under review.

B. CHANNELS FOR APPROVAL

After approval by the college curriculum committee and the college dean, the original signed copy of the
request and outline (if appropriate) should be forwarded to the Curriculum Administration Office, where copies
of the request will be prepared for the UCC. Failure to obtain appropriate signatures will delay processing of the
request.

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C. SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES

Course changes that include a substantive change in title, adding or dropping three or more credits, or changes
in description that indicate a substantive change in course content should be processed as both a New Course
Request and as a Course Drop.

Course changes that include three or more minor changes will be processed as a major change, e.g., will be
considered by the UCC.

MINOR CHANGE IN COURSE REQUEST

See New Course Request (pp. 4-14) for general guidelines on each item. The Request for New Course/Major or
Minor Change in Course-Traditional form is used for minor changes for both traditional and nontraditional courses.
(See Appendix B for a sample of a completed form.) The items to be completed are indicated on the course request
form. Only changes are to be shown on the right side of the form.

A. DEFINITIONS

Minor changes are defined as follows:

1. All nonmajor changes in course number, e.g., 100 to 200 level or different number within the same level.

2. Title changes which do not reflect a substantive change in content.

3. Changing the term(s) and/or alternate year the course is to be offered.

4. Decreasing credits by one (1).

5. Changes in clock hour distribution which do not affect the total number of credits.

6. Adding or changing prerequisites.

7. Changing the course description. (Changes in description which reflect a significant change in content
should be treated as a major change.)

Course changes which include three or more minor changes will be processed as a major change.

B. CHANNELS FOR APPROVAL

After approval by the college curriculum committee and the college dean, the original signed copy of the
request should be forwarded to the Curriculum Administration Office, where the request will be processed.
Failure to obtain appropriate signatures will delay processing of the request.

On a regular basis (monthly during the academic year) a list of minor changes will be prepared and distributed to
college deans, department heads, and the UCC.

C. CHALLENGE PROCEDURES

Any college or department may challenge a minor change within 14 calendar days after the list is distributed by
sending a memo to the Curriculum Administration Office, stating the reason for the challenge. Challenged
courses or program changes will be removed from the minor change list and sent directly to the UCC for
deliberation. Resolution of the challenge will be noted in the UCC minutes.

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 MISCELLANEOUS COURSE POLICIES

EXPERIMENTAL COURSES
(See Appendix G - Sample of Completed Experimental Course Request Form)

An electronic version of the form is available at http://www.colostate.edu/Orgs/ucc.

Experimental course numbers 180 and 181, 280 and 281, 380 and 381, 480 and 481, 580 and 581, 680 and 681, and 780
and 781 are available to all departments as a means of presenting new instructional formats and topics of special
interest on an experimental basis. It is recommended that any proposed new course be offered as an experimental
course prior to a request for a permanent course.

Each course may be delivered two terms without submission of an additional request form. This privilege does not
preclude a request to offer a different experimental course with a different number (even at the same level) during the
second semester. A new request form must be submitted if the number, title, and/or credits change between the first
and second offerings.

After a course has been taught twice on an experimental basis, a new course request (not a major change in course)
may be submitted for approval through the regular curricular channels. Any requests to offer a course more than
twice as an experimental number must be submitted to the UCC. Courses with experimental numbers may not be
used to meet requirements in programs of study.

The request to offer an experimental course must be submitted through the following channels for approval:
department head/chairperson, college curriculum committee chairperson (for notation and signature only), college
dean, and the Curriculum Administration Office, where it will be checked in detail, any exceptions noted, and
forwarded to the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies for final action.

Experimental courses may be taught by departments only after students’ requests for regular courses offered by
the department are met.

A request to offer an experimental course as a joint listing must have the signatures of both department heads and
college deans concerned.

Outlines are required for all experimental courses and should list all major topics and subtopics to be covered in the
course. They should be at least one page but typically not exceed two pages, and should include objectives,
proposed texts or source materials, and methods of evaluation. (See sample course outline, Appendix E.) Courses
taught as a telecourse or as a correspondence course or on-line course must also be accompanied by a listing of
anticipated course media, i.e., videotape, student study guide, software, text.

Until a course request has been received in the Curriculum Administration Office, checked in detail, and forwarded to
and approved by the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies, the course cannot be advertised or listed in the class
schedule or the class schedule addendum for a given term.

A department must request signature(s) of departments having the possibility of overlapping content before
submitting a request. Failure to obtain the signature(s) may cause a significant delay in the approval process.

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 FIELD PLACEMENT COURSES

The University recognizes that field experiences of all kinds, whether described as affiliations, practicums,
internships, or student teaching, are designed to benefit the student. The experiences are regarded as an extension
of the more formal classroom instruction and are designed to broaden student horizons, to provide practical bases
for theoretical work, to make realistic contact with practicing professionals in the field, and/or to enhance
opportunities for job placement at the completion of a training program. Control and supervision of all such
programs of field experience shall be exercised by the appropriate department of the University.

It is intended that field experiences provided for students shall meet the same standards of rigor and quality required
in regular campus-based instruction.

Guidelines

A. Each department offering internships, practicums, affiliations, field placement, or student teaching must have
prepared a handbook for each course.

B. All types of required field experience shall be offered only on a credit basis.

C. All credit generated through field experiences shall be accepted toward degree and major requirements by the
department offering the program.

D. The department and the University accept responsibility for the supervision and evaluation of students during
a field experience. This function may be shared with agency personnel but the final responsibility for
supervision and evaluation rests with the University.

E. The department sponsoring the field experience shall designate a member of the faculty as the instructor for
each student placed in a field assignment.

F. Prior to placement, each student shall be counseled about the expectations of the field experience and shall be
given detailed and written instructions relating to the objectives to be met during the period of field experience.

G. The program of study and/or training shall be mutually agreed upon by representatives of the University and
the sponsoring agency prior to placement of the student. The sponsoring agency must agree to provide
responsible and reasonable local supervision of students assigned.

H. Where possible, a requirement that class attendance on at least a weekly basis be regularly scheduled to
provide for interaction between instructor and student.

I. Where a field experience is required for graduation, the specific experiences are to be identified in the program of
study (major).

J. Maximum credit allowed for field experience is one credit per week for 40 hours work.

GROUP STUDY

Group study courses (reserved numbers -96 and -97) are intended to serve two or more students working together
under the direction and supervision of faculty to investigate an area of special interest in an academic subject.
Group study courses should be offered only in circumstances that render impossible the observance of the normal
procedures prescribed for curricular approval. That is, they should not be used to circumvent procedures required
for experimental and regular courses in those cases where these courses are more appropriate. In those cases where
the subject of the proposed course overlaps the subject matter in other departments or disciplines, the department
proposing the course should inform the other department(s) affected.

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Written proposals for group study courses shall be developed by the academic department responsible for offering
the instruction and shall be kept on record in the department for at least seven years. Proposals for group study
courses should meet the following expectations:

A. The subject to be investigated and the modes of inquiry must qualify as academic in nature.

B. The course shall allow student investigation of subjects not otherwise represented among regular curricular
offerings in the University for which the students are eligible and which they could take.

C. The proposal shall provide an agenda for work to be accomplished or a course syllabus and shall include a clear
statement of procedures for evaluation of student performance.

D. Credit to be awarded for the course shall reflect the work to be done and the number of hours needed to
complete that work.

HONORS COURSES

Honors Option

Some classes at Colorado State can be taken for honors credit providing the following provisions are met:

A. The course instructor has the interest and the time to offer the honors option for the course. This is indicated
by listing courses available for honors option in the Honors Newsletter which is mailed to all eligible students
(GPA of 3.25 or above) prior to preregistration each semester. The honors option is an instructor-initiated
program (as are most honors sections of regular courses); students may not demand the honors option for a
course. The program is a vehicle for those instructors who are already interested in the concept and believe
they can fit the program into their schedules.

B. The instructor has filed in the Honors Office a written record (approved by the department chairperson and the
Honors Director) of the extra work (above and beyond normal class requirements) necessary for honors credit.
The latitude available for honors option requirements is broad and primarily the responsibility of the instructor.
The Honors Office will not approve requests which include certain activities such as assisting with course
grading.

C. The student desiring honors credit is enrolled in and attends a regular section of the course while completing
additional work designated by the instructor.

D. The student desiring honors credit is enrolled in the Honors Program and has demonstrated interest in and
progress toward graduation with University Honors. At present 24 honors credits and a 3.5 GPA are required
for graduation with University Honors. Accumulation of honors credits and a 3.5 GPA is regarded as evidence
of a student’s interest in University Honors.

E. The student desiring honors credit has received permission from the instructor to take the class for honors
credit. Even if a course is approved for honors option, final approval for a given student rests with the
instructor. If the instructor believes, for example, that the academic background of a particular student is not
adequate, the instructor may deny honors credit for that student.

F. The student understands that the grade received will be listed as honors credit regardless of the grade.

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Honors Colloquia

Topics which are offered under HP 197 and HP 397, General Honors Colloquia, on a regular basis (every semester,
every year, or every other year) will be reviewed by the Faculty Honors Council and the UCC. They will then be
referred, if necessary, for approval to the appropriate college curriculum committee and the UCC. Topics offered on a
one-time basis will be approved by the Faculty Honors Council and the UCC. A form is available from the Honors
Office or the Curriculum Administration Office to request approval of these topics.

INDEPENDENT STUDY

Guidelines

A. That each department have a written policy on independent study.

B. That said policy address the philosophy and purpose of independent study.

C. That the policy designate and limit: 1) the maximum number of independent study credits allowed toward the
satisfaction of degree or certification requirements; 2) the number of independent studies credits allowed within
the major; 3) the total number of independent studies a student may take per term within the department; 4) the
total number of independent studies credits that may be taken in other departments as part of the allowable
electives; and 5) qualifications for entry into independent study.

D. That the policy designate approved grading options for independent study.

E. That each department maintain a procedure for instructor and department head approval of independent study,
and this procedure include a required, written statement of the objectives, goals, and tasks entailed in the study,
or require a written report at the termination of the study.

Independent study is a type of learning that supplements regular, supervised classroom instruction by permitting
the student to carry such learning even further, working independently under necessary and sufficient guidance of a
supervising instructor. While details of each independent study project are negotiated by the student and
instructor, the expectation is that at least three hours per week of directed effort on the student’s part is required for
each credit. Personal contact (face-to-face, via telephone or Internet, or by other forms of communication) is
expected.

When a student registers for an independent study (-94, -95) course, the instructor and the student shall specify in
writing the requirements the student shall fulfill to complete the course, including due date, contact expectations,
number of credits, and other pertinent information. Instructor, student, and department head shall sign this
statement, and each shall retain a copy. Upon completion of the project, a copy or description of the work involved
shall be retained in the department for at least seven years.

INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION (IE) COURSES

University-wide courses in the field of international education are administered by the Office of International
Programs. The Director of this Office serves as department head and the Provost/Academic Vice President serves as
dean in the preparation of new course or course revision requests.

All requests will be reviewed and approved through the following curricular channels: Advisory Committee of the
Office of International Programs, Director of International Programs, college curriculum committee to which the
course content is most closely related, UCC, and FC.

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The Provost/Academic Vice President must approve courses not governed within a regular college structure as in
the case of interdisciplinary programming spanning several colleges.

Guidelines

A. Elaboration or complementarity with existing courses is permitted. However, evidence of coordination with
concerned faculty and departments is required.

B. Approach to handling the subject matter must be interdisciplinary.

C. Course must be international in scope.

D. Course outlines must be submitted to request the use of the IE prefix.

E. Requests must be accompanied by evidence of adequate funding.

Student credit hours generated from IE courses will be allocated to the home department of the instructors involved
if the course is financed by a department or to the “general University” category if the course is funded by the Office
of International Programs.

JOINT-LISTED COURSES

The FC has endorsed the concept of joint listing courses. A joint listing of courses is not encouraged but is, in
principle, possible if requests are considered individually by the UCC. The following guidelines must be followed by
departments requesting approval for listing courses jointly with another department:

A. Course content is the foremost consideration in joint listing. Content is to be interdisciplinary between those
departments requesting the joint listing. An interdisciplinary prefix, if available or appropriate, is preferred to a
joint listing.

B. The departments involved must agree to the joint listing and submit concurrent course requests and outlines
through regular channels.

C. Joint-listed courses are numbered at the same level and use, if at all possible, the same number for all prefixes.

D. Joint-listed courses are team taught by the departments listing the courses, or are taught by a faculty member
on a joint appointment between departments, or are taught on an exchange basis between departments, or are
taught through the cooperation of both departments relative to facilities and personnel, or if certification or
licensing requirements necessitate separate course designators.

E. The course must be available for registration under all of the approved prefixes when offered.

F. The lecture portion of the course must be taught in the same room at the same time by the same instructor or
instructors.

G. Duplicate credit will not be allowed for joint-listed courses. (This policy should be reflected on the course
request forms by the addition of the following statement in the prerequisite area of the form: Credit not allowed
for both XX ### and XX ###.)

H. The same grading option must be used in both courses.

While courses may be triple listed, it is suggested that an intra-college or inter-University prefix be used (or
proposed if one is not available).

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NOTE: Any change to joint-listed courses (including discontinuation of the joint listing) must be submitted
concurrently by both departments on two separate forms and be processed through the regular curricular channels.
If one of the joint-listed courses is dropped, only one form is necessary, but the signature of the other department
head/chair must appear on item #9.

NONTRADITIONAL COURSES

A course may have one or two formats: traditional or nontraditional. It is the responsibility of the University to
disclose the manner and method of course offering. To this end and to facilitate curriculum review, the following
definition is provided:

Nontraditional courses deliver 33 percent or more of the primary/essential course content in OTHER THAN
a face-to-face setting. The faculty member may direct student activities using a remote medium (e-mail,
regular mail, threaded discussion) or may use a series of preplanned and monitored activities to direct the
study (e.g., self-paced quizzes that must be passed before a student can advance to the next section).
Course may take place within normal instructional semesters or they may be designated as open
entry/open exit if they are offered through the Division of Educational Outreach (DEO).

Courses that DO NOT meet these criteria as defined should be proposed using the appropriate forms and
instructions available elsewhere in the Curriculum Policies and Procedures Handbook. For courses offered in multiple
formats, the nontraditional format must be approved through this mechanism.

The form for a nontraditional course is (REQUEST FOR NONTRADITIONAL COURSE) is contained in Appendix C
of these procedures. The nontraditional delivery method should have no adverse outcome on the course quality or
student learning outcomes relative to a traditional form of the same or similar course.

Developers are encouraged to consider the following when developing and submitting a nontraditional course. Some
of these items must be specifically addressed in the material submitted for review, but all of these items may bear on
the successful development of a nontraditional course.

1. How is the student experience comparable to a traditional course? How does the proposed course fit within
other courses and curricula at CSU? Is this a new course or a modification of an existing course as a
nontraditional offering?

2. How is the content to be delivered? WebCT? Other Web-based methodology? Combination of remote and on-
campus activities? Video or audiotapes? Written materials? Combination of materials? How is the material
apportioned among different delivery formats if multiple formats are used?

3. How does the proposed course provide on-going interaction between instructor and students? Traditional
courses imply direct interaction in the context of a classroom/laboratory. How will this interaction be
accomplished in the proposed course? Traditional courses assume 3 hours of student effort per week per credit
for a 15-week semester. Be prepared to show the student effort distribution to complete this nontraditional
course against this same standard of expectation.

4. How will the proposed course deal with student performance evaluation and assessment? How does the
instructor deal with security concerns and identification issues during testing or assessment? (NOTE: Primary
sources of information for these matters would be DEO, OIS, and the Center for Teaching and Learning.)

5. For whom is this course intended? Will the course be a part of an existing degree/certificate program or is it
intended to be a stand-alone offering for a defined purpose/audience?

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6. How will the intellectual property rights of the faculty member, department, and University, as well as those of
authors whose materials will be used in this course, be preserved/protected in an offering that may be widely
broadcast on the World Wide Web or some other new or evolving medium?

The UCC recommends that the offering department should plan regular review of content, internal pedagogy,
delivery, and assessment. The evolution of nontraditional courses can be very rapid; thus this level of plasticity will
likely mandate timely re-review of the course. Curriculum committees of offering departments and colleges are best
positioned to recommend and conduct appropriate curricular review processes.

ORIENTATION COURSES

The following policy was approved by the UCC to provide a distinction between orientation activities and
introductory courses.

Introductory courses are those that present to students an overview of a particular field of study, whether
disciplinary or interdisciplinary. These introductory courses are clearly an introduction to the knowledge domain,
techniques of professional practice, skills, or methods of acquiring knowledge unique to the fields(s) in question.

In fields of study which are connected to specific professional careers, presentations of professional issues related
to the specific field are a normal and integrated part of an introductory course for academic content. In some
instances, learning assignments related to these issues may involve activities such as meeting certain members of a
department or exploration of career options related to various specializations or subfields. The focus of these
assignments, however, is to support and provide essential information for the learning of principles and concepts
which are generalizable beyond the immediate experience, and the activities are ways to illustrate, define, and depict
the more abstract academic principles and concepts in domains of knowledge. (For examples, refer to introductions
to occupational therapy, social work, music therapy, civil engineering principles I, fundamentals of forestry).

On the other hand, activities which deal principally with professional and academic career orientation should not be
offered for academic credit. In these instances, activities and experiences are not used to teach academic material.
There are also resources available throughout the University through specialized carer and academic counselors and
through informal/advising contact with faculty.

General orientation topics for new students (examples: orientation to faculty, department; how to use University
resources, e.g., the library; general administrative structure and philosophy of the University; life on campus as a
student) should only be part of an academic course as accessory content and reflected in the course content in
relationship to and supportive of the primary knowledge and skill content taught in the specific course.

The usefulness of orienting information especially for new students or students through special access programs is
recognized. Orientation programs should be offered, wherever not in existence yet and when needed, through
cocurricular programs to prepare for academic course work. They may be offered as volunteer or mandatory
programs depending on the needs of the students.

SEMESTER/YEAR STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS

Objectives

International education is an important part of the mission of Colorado State University.

The University maintains programs to contribute to interpersonal, intercultural, and international understanding.
Study Abroad at Colorado State University is one such program which encourages its students to undertake a
semester or full academic year of study outside the United States to broaden their perspectives and increase their
awareness and understanding of other cultures and international issues. The semester and year study abroad

23
programs under direct supervision of Colorado State faculty have been conducted for several years and have been
successful in accomplishing these objectives.

Guidelines and Procedures

The following guidelines and procedures are provided to aid college and University Curriculum Committees in
reviewing the requests for these programs.

Initial Considerations

Any Colorado State faculty member may initiate a semester or year-long program of study abroad by first submitting
the study program to the College unit for approval. The nonacademic elements of the program must then be
reviewed by the Office of International Programs before submission to the college curriculum committee for
evaluation of the educational merit of the course.

General qualifications of a faculty director should include: interest in international education, familiarity with the
language and culture of the host country (if appropriate), ability to work with undergraduates, and some
organizational skills. The faculty director will be responsible for proposing a management plan, including provisions
for the organization, administration, and on-site direction of the program. Furthermore, the faculty director must act
in accordance with professional ethics and responsibilities as described in the Academic Faculty and
Administrative Professional Manual of Colorado State University.

Mechanism for Approval of Study Abroad Programs

A. No courses will be advertised until they are approved by the UCC.

B. The Office of International Programs will initially review and approve the nonacademic aspects of the course
and prepare a statement indicating which unit on campus at Colorado State will assume responsibility for overall
administration of the program. Program administration will include: arrangements of the flight, ground
accommodations, classroom facilities, registration of students, handling of finances, medical insurance,
orientation, and trouble-shooting, both before departure and while the program is underway.

C. Course requests will then be submitted to the unit’s college curriculum committee. In addition to standard
University forms for course approval, the following additional information must be provided:

1. A statement of approval by the unit’s director indicating the unit’s commitment to the proposed program
and arrangements for assuming teaching/advising responsibilities of the faculty on leave.

2. A description of the program (courses, lectures, seminars, tours). This must include a statement of
instructional objectives and methods, credits allowed, and the manner of evaluation of students’
performance based on the existing grading system.

3. The extent and manner of participation of Colorado state faculty and students in the educational program of
the host institution.

4. The minimum number of students required to conduct the program.

5. The Office of International Programs report concerning the nonacademic aspects of the program.

D. Proponents should provide examples of comparable programs as models upon which the proposed program is
based or they should explain how the proposed program differs from existing or previously offered programs.

E. Requests for semester/year programs must be submitted for college curriculum committee, UCC, and FC
approval in time for inclusion in the applicable class schedule(s) prior to registration.

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Mechanism for Course Offering, Acceptance of Credits, and Grades

Courses may be offered through Colorado State or the participating host institution. Courses that have been
successfully offered for credit at least twice may be changed to permanent status upon application to the UCC from
the department chair.

Courses to be offered through the Division of Educational Outreach as well as courses to be offered in cooperation
with the Colorado Association of International Education or with other educational institutions are subject to these
procedures and guidelines.

Acceptance of credits towards a student’s major requirement should receive prior departmental approval.

Students on Financial Aid

Colorado State students who are eligible for financial aid may receive it while participating in approved semester/year
study abroad programs.

Course Evaluation

At the completion of the study abroad program, Office of International Programs will solicit written evaluations from
the participating students, faculty director, and representative of the host institution. These evaluations will be used
in the development of future programs and will be available for review by interested parties within the University.

STUDENT ASSISTANTS IN INSTRUCTION

A. Undergraduate Assistants (384, 484)

The FC has approved the principle of involvement of undergraduate assistants in the instructional process of
the University as well as guidelines for credit and/or remuneration and grading. Departments who wish to
award credit to undergraduate assistants should submit a request for a new course (-84, Supervised College
Teaching), through the regular curricular channels. (See New Course Request-Traditional and Nontraditional,
pp. 4-14.)

Guidelines for Credit and/or Remuneration:

1. Undergraduate assistants who participate in approved programs shall be given academic credit and/or pay
for their services.

2. The number of credits granted during a semester shall not exceed the number of credits approved for the
course in which the student is assisting.

3. The maximum credit allowed during a single semester is five credits.

4. The maximum credit permitted for this course (-84) is 10 semester credits.

5. Written consent of department head is required for any student to register for a course with a -84
designation.

Guidelines for Grading:

1. Each course request must specify the grading system to be used (either S/U or letter grades) and must
include specific criteria for assigning grades. When letter grading is to be used, these criteria must include
a basis for differentiating between grade levels.

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 2. It is suggested that undergraduate assistants normally be graded on an S/U basis.

B. Graduate Assistants (584, 684, 784)

The FC has approved the concept that graduate students who are interested in becoming teachers should have
the opportunity to gain teaching experience while pursuing their degree. Guidelines for awarding credit to
graduate teaching assistants are set by the individual departments.

TRAVEL COURSES

Colorado State University recognizes that off-campus travel experiences may, for some students, be an important
supplement to their educational experience. Off-campus travel experiences under direct supervision of Colorado
State faculty may be made available to students for course credit. These experiences differ from already existing
off-campus travel associated with field trips.

Any Colorado State University course which involves travel to another country for more than one student
participating in the same set of experiences is a travel abroad course. All travel abroad courses, both permanent and
experimental, require approval by the Office of International Programs for nonacademic aspects each time the course
is offered. Courses numbered -82 require approval by the UCC each time they are offered.

Experiences that are custom designed for an individual student for which Colorado State University gives academic
credit, e.g., internship or independent study, where the student makes travel and other arrangements do not need the
approval of the Office of International Programs. However, it is strongly recommended that the student check with
the Office of International Programs to get current safety, travel, and health information. Faculty should encourage
students to visit the Office of International Programs to determine the student’s liability when traveling abroad.

Although not typically conducted as most classroom courses, the travel experiences referred to here would conform
to the same academic criteria of established instructional objectives, appropriate instructional exposure associated
with the travel itinerary, and a plan for evaluation converted to conventional grades.

The following procedures and guidelines have been adopted for requesting off-campus travel experiences:

Travel Courses (-82, -83)

A. Travel courses shall be designated by the number -82 for travel abroad and -83 for U.S. travel. Travel
experiences may be offered at the 100 through 500 levels. Credit allowed for travel experience is limited to one
credit per calendar (seven-day) week (40 hours) to a maximum of five credits. A maximum of one additional
credit (as defined for standard courses) may be allowed for assignments, including readings, projects, or any
other related academic endeavor before and/or after the travel. Thus, the maximum number of credits a student
can earn for a travel course is six credits. Special study credit may not be given in conjunction with travel
courses.

B. Until attaining permanent status, requests for courses involving off-campus travel experiences must be
submitted to the UCC on the standard form (Request for New Course/Major or Minor Change in Course-
Traditional) for requesting new courses each time the course is to be offered. If the course is being offered for
a third time the offering unit may apply for permanent status (see Permanent Travel Courses below). The
following additional information must be attached to the course request form:

1. Detailed description of the travel experience including a tentative itinerary

2. Specific requirements for the travel course (required readings, projects, reports, journals, etc.)
3. Statement of instructional objectives
4. Statement regarding number of credits to be earned and grading procedures
5. Student’s costs and financial arrangements (refunds, cancellation policy, dates for payment, etc.)
6. Source and amount of remuneration for the faculty member(s)
7. Minimum number of students required to conduct the course and final date for course cancellation

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 8. Statement from the Office of International Programs indicating its review of the nonacademic aspects of the
travel course. (This should be secured prior to presenting the proposed course to the college curriculum
committee.)

C. Each time a unit plans to offer a travel course the Office of International Programs must review the nonacademic
aspects of the plans prior to submitting the course request to the unit’s college curriculum committee. The UCC
must approve the travel course prior to the release of any publicity. Copy for any brochures advertising travel
courses must be submitted and approved by the Curriculum Administration Office before they are submitted to
the printer.

D. Requests for off-campus travel courses must be submitted in a timely manner to allow for college curriculum
committee, UCC, and FC approval in time for inclusion in the addendum to the class schedule prior to
registration for the term involved.

E. Off-campus travel courses (unless they have permanent status) will not be listed in the General Catalog but
will be included on the student’s academic record.

F. Faculty members in charge of travel courses are responsible for informing student participants of the importance
of having accident, death, dismemberment, and other insurance to cover the various contingencies involved in
travel. Information on individual travel insurance may be obtained through the Colorado State Insurance Office.

G. Courses to be offered through the Division of Educational Outreach as well as courses to be offered in
cooperation with the Colorado Association of International Education or with another educational institution
are subject to these policies and procedures.

Permanent Travel Courses

A. Instructors of travel courses that have been successfully offered at least two times may request permanent
status for their course. A successfully offered course is one that has been offered during two of the last five
years in essentially the same format and in which students have earned Colorado State credit.

B. A permanent status travel course must use “Travel Abroad” or “U.S. Travel” in the title.

C. To apply for permanent status, a unit need only complete the information under Travel Courses, item B, use an
available number within the course prefix, and document when the course was offered during the last five years
and the number of students who received Colorado State credit.

D. If the objectives, itinerary, credit, tour length, or other key facets are altered, appropriate course changes must
be submitted to the UCC.

E. Each time a permanent travel course is offered the Office of International Programs must review the nonacadem-
ic aspects of the plans prior to the release of any publicity. Copy for any brochures advertising travel courses
must be submitted and approved by the Curriculum Administration Office before they are submitted to the
printer.

F. Faculty members in charge of travel courses are responsible for informing student participants of the importance
of having accident, death, dismemberment, and other insurance to cover the various contingencies involved in
travel. Information on individual travel insurance may be obtained through the Colorado State Insurance Office.

G. Permanent travel courses will be listed in the General Catalog and will be included on the student’s academic
record.

Noncredit Travel Courses

A. Noncredit travel courses are to be approved each time they are offered by the initiating department or
administrative unit and then reviewed by the Office of International Programs.

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B. Noncredit travel courses must then be submitted to the Provost/Academic Vice President for consideration and
approval.

UNIQUE-TITLED COURSES

Unique-titled courses may be offered through the Division of Educational Outreach. This provides the Division the
opportunity to respond to business, industry, and other organizations’ requests for specific types of educational
experiences and their desire to have the title appear on a student’s academic record (transcript). Unique titles may be
used for workshops, seminars, and independent and group studies. The numbers 289, 489, 589, and 689 have been
designated for use by any department for unique-titled courses offered through the Division of Educational
Outreach only.

A. A unique-titled course that has not been offered previously should be requested as an experimental course for
the first two times it is to be offered. After the course has been offered twice, a request can be submitted for a
permanent -89 number.

1. To request an experimental number, the department will submit a Experimental Course Request form and
course outline through the channels for approval as indicated on the form, and then to the Curriculum
Administration Office, where it will be checked and then forwarded to the Vice Provost for Undergraduate
Studies.

2. To request a permanent number, the department will submit a Request for New Course/Major or Minor
Change in Course-Traditional form and course outline through the channels for approval as indicated on
the form and then to the UCC for approval. The numbers available for unique-titled courses are 289, 489,
589, or 689.

B. After the course has been entered on the computer system, a copy of the approved course request form and
accompanying course outline (whether experimental or permanent) will then be sent to the Credit Coordinator,
Division of Educational Outreach.

The Division of Educational Outreach will assign course reference number, section number, and section title.

C. No course may be advertised or listed in any bulletin or brochure until final course approval has been received
at the Division of Educational Outreach. Courses may be advertised with the statement “Credit pending from
Colorado State University” after the college curriculum committee has approved the course.

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 UNIVERSITY POLICIES REGARDING DEGREES AND PROGRAMS OF STUDY

UNDERGRADUATE

A bachelor’s degree requires a minimum of 120 semester credits and a minimum of 42 semester credits in
upper-division courses (300-400 level).

Although 500-level or higher courses cannot be required in undergraduate programs of study, elective credits taken
at the 500 level may be used to fulfill the upper-division requirement. 500-level courses cannot be listed in
undergraduate programs of study in the General Catalog.

Credits completed in a minor or an interdisciplinary studies program may be used in meeting requirements for
bachelor’s degree programs.

Departments or colleges may limit the number of credits earned in independent study courses which may be used in
meeting requirements for bachelor’s degree programs.

A. Definition of Major

A major is a sequence of courses in a subject-matter area or academic discipline which, when accompanied by
appropriate supporting courses, leads to an undergraduate degree. An academic department may offer more
than one major.

The sequence of courses comprising a major should be a minimum of 27 semester credits.

The name of the major is recorded on the student’s academic record (transcript) and appears on the diploma.

All approved majors are described in the General Catalog along with specific courses required in the program
of study by year or in group requirements.

B. Definition of Concentration

A concentration is a sequence of at least 12 semester credits of designated courses within a major designed to
accommodate specific interests of students. These credits may be considered as part of, or in addition to the 27
credits required for a major.

Concentrations are used where the subject-matter area of the major is especially broad. In instances where
concentrations are designated, more than one concentration within a major must be identified.

Concentrations are displayed in the catalog to assist the student in identifying courses related to his/her
specific interest.

Names of concentrations are recorded on the student’s academic record (transcript) but do not appear on the
diploma. Concentrations which have the same name as the major will not appear on the student’s academic
record.

C. Definition of Option

An option is a sequence of courses within a major or concentration of either guided electives or electives
selected from areas of interest as approved by the department.

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D. Definition of Minor

A minor is a sequence of related courses which, upon completion, provides a student with limited competency
in the designated field of study. Minor programs of study are optional and are offered only at the
undergraduate level.

A minor program of study consists of a minimum of 21 semester credits of required course work outside the
academic discipline which constitutes the student’s program of study (major). Students may take minors in their
department which are outside their major. A minimum of 12 of the 21 credits must be course work at the
upper-division level (300-400) and a minimum of 12 credits must be from course work within the department
offering the minor.

Upon completion of the degree requirements in the major field of study and minor field of study, the minor will
be recorded on the student’s academic record (transcript).

Approved minor programs of study are described in the General Catalog along with course requirements.

All courses in a minor program of study with a prerequisite not listed in the requirements must be identified with
an asterisk (*). The following statement will follow each minor program of study in the catalog: “*Additional
course work may be required because of prerequisites.”

Students will be allowed to enroll in and complete the requirements for as many minors as they can
accommodate within their programs of study, as long as all other rules and regulations concerning minors are
respected.

E. Definition of Interdisciplinary Studies Program - Graduate and Undergraduate

Interdisciplinary studies programs are intra-college (within one college) or intra-University (programs which
cross disciplines of several colleges). Most programs have a faculty advisory board which is responsible for
development of the program requirements and advising function, but programs must be the academic
responsibility of a college-wide or University-wide coordinator located within a specific academic unit.
Students are admitted to an interdisciplinary studies program by the coordinator.

An interdisciplinary studies program is a series of courses focused upon a particular problem or area of concern
providing a variety of disciplinary perspectives.

Although completion of courses in an interdisciplinary studies program does not lead to a degree, credits
earned in these courses can be used in meeting the requirements for a degree.

An interdisciplinary studies program includes a core of required courses, with some selectivity, and also a wide
choice from supporting courses.

Interdisciplinary studies are designated in the General Catalog to assist the student in identifying logically
related course work in a broad subject-matter area.

Completion of requirements for an interdisciplinary studies program is noted on the student’s academic record
(transcript) but not on the diploma. The minimum number of credits in an undergraduate interdisciplinary
studies program is 20. No minimum number of credits is specified at the graduate level.

NOTE: All changes to interdisciplinary studies programs must be submitted through regular curricular
channels. Merely changing the listing of courses in a flyer or brochure will not change the requirements in the
program.

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 Proposed changes to approved programs that are truly interdisciplinary, i.e., those with course work that cannot
be identified with a particular college or colleges, will be forwarded directly to the Office of the Provost/
Academic Vice President for review and then to the UCC. Programs that can be identified as involving two or
more specific colleges must have simultaneous review by all appropriate college curriculum committees before
forwarding to the UCC.

Proposed changes to graduate-level programs must be approved by the Committee on Scholarship, Research,
and Graduate Education before being submitted to the UCC for consideration.

F. Request for Minimum Grade Requirement for Programs of Study

1. Colleges and departments may require, with the approval of the University Curriculum Committee and the
Faculty Council, either:

a. that students maintain a minimum grade point average in a designated set of two or more courses critical
to a designated undergraduate program of study, e.g., major, minor, interdisciplinary studies program,
certificate program; or

b. that students earn a minimum grade in a single course or in each of a designated set of courses critical to
that undergraduate program of study.

2. Departments requiring such performance shall:

a. publish such information in the General Catalog and advising materials made available to students
considering or within the major, minor, interdisciplinary studies program, or certificate program; and

b. deal with requests for waivers of such policy in the same manner as any other major, minor,
interdisciplinary, or certificate program requirement.

Initial requests for such grade requirements should clearly demonstrate the need that cannot be achieved
through general adherence to the University minimum academic performance standard.

Requests for minimum grade requirements must be submitted to the Curriculum Administration Office, for
inclusion on an agenda for the UCC.

G. Request to Designate Review Courses in Programs of Study

Academic departments may, with the approval of the UCC and the FC, exclude review courses from being
counted toward the satisfaction of graduation requirements for an approved undergraduate program of study,
either specifically or as electives. However, departments receiving approval to exclude such courses must
identify the courses in the General Catalog and indicate whether the excluded courses can be counted as
electives to satisfy graduation requirements.

Requests to designate review courses in programs of study must be submitted to the Curriculum Administration
Office, for inclusion on an agenda for the UCC.

GRADUATE

Graduate programs of study are to be designed by the student and his/her committee to meet the student’s
individual needs. Emphasis is placed on quality and breadth of study rather than on simply accumulating credits
and fulfilling requirements.

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The Committee on Scholarship, Research, and Graduate Education is responsible for reviewing all new graduate
programs and specializations and changes to existing programs and specializations before forwarding the requests to
the UCC. Questions regarding requirements for plan C master’s programs should be directed to the Graduate School.

Requirements may be found in the Graduate and Professional Bulletin.

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 NEW PROGRAMS OF STUDY

(See Appendix H - Samples of the New/Major/Minor Programs of Study-Curricular Requests Form. See pp. 27-29 for
definitions of major, concentration, option, minor, and interdisciplinary studies program.)

A. General Guidelines

1. A bachelor’s degree requires a minimum of 120 semester credits.

2. All prerequisite courses must be listed as curriculum requirements. Academic departments may, with the
approval of the UCC and the FC, exclude review courses from being counted toward the satisfaction of
graduation requirements for an approved undergraduate program of study, either specifically or as electives
(see p. 30).

3. Programs of study must include the All-University Core Curriculum (AUCC) requirements.

4. Any college requirements must be listed in the program of study.

5. Courses numbered 500 and above cannot appear as curriculum requirements for bachelor’s degree programs
(see p. 6).

6. Experimental courses may not be required in programs of study.

B. Establishment of New Departments and Intercollege Transfers of Existing Departments

1. To establish a new department, the college curriculum committee of the college in which the new department
is to be located will consider the proposal. In making a recommendation to the UCC, the college curriculum
committee should consider:

a. The curricular impact(s), if any, of the proposal.

b. The programmatic impact(s) if any, of the proposal.

2. To transfer an existing department, the college curriculum committees of the two or more colleges involved
will consider the proposed transfer and make recommendations to the UCC. The college curriculum
committees should consider:

a. The curricular impact(s), if any, of the proposed transfer.

b. The programmatic impact(s), if any, of the proposed transfer.

3. The college curriculum committees will consider the proposed establishment or transfer of a department
initially on the basis of the written statement provided by the unit requesting departmental status or the
department requesting transfer, but may call for additional information, oral or written, and formal
presentations.

4. The recommendation(s) of the college curriculum committee(s) will be considered by the UCC together with
the written statement provided by the unit proposed for departmental status or the department requesting
transfer and the recommendation of the Council of Deans. (The Council of Deans review will take place
after the college curriculum committee(s) review and before the UCC review.) The UCC may call for
additional information, oral or written, and formal presentations.

5. The UCC examination of the proposed establishment or transfer will be reported as a separate agenda item
to the FC for action.

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C. Effective Date

A new degree must be approved through all University channels, the State Board of Agriculture, and the
Colorado Commission on Higher Education before it can be offered, listed in University publications, or listed
on students’ academic records (transcripts).

D. Justification for Request

The statement of justification should include at least the following items: current trends in the major field, needs
fulfilled for students majoring in this discipline, various occupational outlets for students completing the
curriculum, relationship to other similar existing degrees and majors, and any recognition which might be
received from an accrediting association.

E. Channel for Approval (See Appendix F for procedures.)

F. Listing of Curricular Requirements

Curricular requirements should be submitted as they would appear in the General Catalog. The UCC requests
that departments list the specific courses to be taken each year during the freshman through senior years
instead of listing courses as group requirements.

Curricular displays that show only group requirements and no specific listing of courses by years make
advising and schedule planning difficult. Listing of specific courses by years, particularly for the freshman and
sophomore years, is vital to students planning to transfer to Colorado State. This information is helpful also to
high school counselors and prospective students in considering career choices. Curricular displays for minor
programs of study should be shown as lower- and upper-division requirements.

Course listings must include course number, full title, prerequisites, and credits. List required courses in
alphabetical order by prefix within each year. List elective credits or group requirements at the end of the course
listing for each year. Course titles must not be abbreviated. Free electives, i.e., those credits which may be taken
at the total discretion of the student, are listed as “Electives” as the final entry within each year.

34
 MAJOR CHANGES IN PROGRAMS OF STUDY

See New Programs of Study for general guidelines. The same forms are used for major changes as are used for new
program requests. (See Appendix H which includes a sample of a completed form.)

A. Definitions

1. Changing the name of an existing department and/or college. NOTE: When a department name is being
changed, an indication must be made if it also involves a change in the name of the graduate degree
program(s). Unless specifically requested, the name of the graduate program will not change. In order to
save time in the approval process, department and degree name changes should be submitted
simultaneously.

2. Changing the name of a degree, major, concentration, option, minor, or interdisciplinary studies program.

3. Changing the curriculum requirements of an approved major, concentration, option, minor, or

interdisciplinary studies program involving a sum total of seven or more credits. For example, adding a four
credit course and dropping a three credit course is a sum total of seven credits, and is, therefore, a major
change. Changes within a selection group, e.g., “Select four credits from the following:” which does not
change the number of credits required for the selection, may be treated as a minor change provided no other
changes are made.

4. Dropping a degree, major, concentration, option, minor, or interdisciplinary studies program.

B. Effective Date

The effective date will be the beginning of the first term after which changes have been approved by the FC,
unless a later date has been requested.

For name changes or drops of majors, concentrations, options, minors, or interdisciplinary studies programs,
the time allowed students to remain and graduate in the program under the original name or before it is dropped
must be stated. For example, if a major is dropped, current students are usually allowed to graduate in the
program, but no new students are admitted to the program. A cutoff date needs to be established beyond
which no students may graduate in that program. The cutoff date should be no later than five years after the
program has been dropped or the program name changed.

C. Channel for Approval (See Appendix F for procedures.)

D. Listing of Curricular Requirements

List the current requirements in Section III, Column A. (This can best be accomplished by photocopying the
page(s) from the General Catalog on which the program of study appears and attaching it to the form.) In
Column B, list only the adds, drops, and changes being requested. In addition, a separate sheet that reflects the
entire curriculum incorporating the proposed changes should be submitted.

E. Changes to Teaching Endorsement Programs

Changes to programs of study which lead to a teaching endorsement must receive joint approval from the
college curriculum committee in the college offering the program of study and the curriculum committee in the
College of Applied Human Sciences which is responsible for the Teacher Licensure Program.

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 MINOR CHANGES IN PROGRAMS OF STUDY

See New Programs of Study (p. 31) for general guidelines. The same form is used for minor changes as is used for
new program requests. (See Appendix H which includes a sample of a completed form.) Minor curricular changes
are included on the same minor change lists that are prepared for minor changes in courses, and the challenge
procedure is the same as for courses (see p. 16).

A. Definitions

1. Changing the curriculum requirements of an approved major, concentration, option, minor, or

interdisciplinary studies program involving a sum total of less than seven credits. (see p. 34, A. 3.)

2. Changing courses and/or group requirements from freshman/sophomore years to junior/senior years or vice
versa in an approved major, concentration, option, minor, or interdisciplinary studies program.

B. Effective Date

The effective date is the beginning of the first term after which the minor change list has been distributed unless
a later date has been requested.

C. Channel for Approval (See Appendix F for procedures.)

D. Listing of Curricular Requirements

List the current requirements in Section III, Column A. (This can best be accomplished by photocopying the
page(s) from the General Catalog on which the program of study appears and attaching it to the form.) In
Column B, list only the adds, drops, and changes being requested.

36