301.1 CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT PROCEDURES
301.1.1 PURPOSE
1. The purpose of curriculum is to facilitate student learning though an integrated body of knowledge, principles, values, and skills. Curriculum standards, integrity, and clarity of both purpose and results are highly important outcomes in the process of curriculum development. Its purpose is to provide learning experiences that enable individuals to function effectively in school, workplace, home, and community. The curriculum expresses the essence of the College by reflecting, shaping and meeting the educational needs of its diverse, multicultural community.
2. The purpose is fulfilled through the following curriculum objectives consistent with the stated mission of the College.
A. To develop courses and programs that support the College’s vision of an educated person and a commitment to education as a lifelong process;
B. To provide educational experiences designed to facilitate the individual’s progress toward personal, academic, and work-based goals;
C. To encourage the development of individual ideas, insights, and the acquisition of knowledge and skills that together result in an appreciation of cultural diversity and a quest for further discovery.
D. To respond to the changing educational, societal, and technological needs of current and prospective students and community employers.
301.1.2 FUNCTIONS
1. The College manages a curriculum process with the following functions:
A. To facilitate the planning, development, delivery, and evaluation of the courses and programs offered by the College;
B. To ensure the integrity of the College curriculum by communicating its goals, purposes, and outcome measures with consistency, clarity, and efficiency;
C. To promote the continuous improvement and enhancement of the College curriculum through dialogue and collaboration with external and internal constituents of the College;
D. To provide faculty with a system that contributes to the effective and innovative delivery of skills, knowledge, values, and inspiration.
301.1.3 APPROVAL
1. Proposals are initiated and submitted to the Division Chair. Upon review and recommendation by the Division Chair, proposals are submitted to the Curriculum Committee for review and recommendation and routed to the Vice President for Academic Affairs for action.
2. All approved items are entered into the college course bank and included in the College catalog; all courses above 099 are submitted for inclusion in the Course Equivalency Guide.
301.1.4 CURRICULUM COMMITTEE
The purpose of the Curriculum Committee is to evaluate the standards, integrity, clarity, and purpose of curriculum, and certificate and degree programs as proposed by the initiators. The authority of the Committee is to act as a faculty screening committee to ensure all curriculum proposals conform to the mission of the College, are educationally sound, and meet the standards in accordance with the College policies and procedures.
301.1.5 CURRICULUM COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP
There will be ten voting members on the Committee: six full-time faculty from the Flagstaff campus with two members representing each division, one member from the Page campus, one a currently enrolled student of the College, one a counselor representing Student Services, and one member from NAU. The Vice President for Academic Affairs or his/her designee, the Dean of the Page Campus or his/her designee, the Dean of Continuing Education and his/her designee, the Articulation, Curriculum Coordinator will be ex-officio members of the Committee.
301.1.6 CURRICULUM MEMBERSHIP SELECTION PROCEDURE
Full-time faculty members will be nominated or otherwise selected so that each division of the College has representation on the Committee. Nomination may be from the faculty and/or the Division Chair. Typically the nomination process will occur within a division in consultation with the Division Chair. If at all possible, an alternative nominee should be selected so that complete discipline representation on the Committee is maintained. Student membership will be solicited by appeal to the Student Leadership Council. Interested students may submit application for membership to the Chair of the Curriculum Committee. Applications will be reviewed and at least two members of the Committee will interview the selected applicant(s). Selection of the student representative will be by majority vote of the Committee. The selection of the student member for the Committee should be complete by the fifth week of the fall semester.
301.1.7 MEMBERSHIP CHANGE PROCEDURE
If any member of the Committee is no longer able to serve, nominations will be requested by the Chair from the full-time faculty for replacement of that member. The nominations will be presented to the Committee and the new member selected by simple majority vote.
301.1.8 TERMS OF MEMBERSHIP
Full time faculty and the student services representative will serve on the Committee for a period of two continuous academic years and the student member will serve for one academic year.
301.1.9 ELECTION AND TERMS OF THE CHAIR AND CO-CHAIR
The Chair will be elected by simple majority vote of the Committee on an annual basis. The election is to take place by the second meeting of the academic year. The term of the Chair will be one year but the same member may be elected by the Committee to serve as Chair for an indefinite period.
301.1.10 CURRICULUM POLICY AND PROCEDURES DEVELOPMENT
Faculty is principally responsible for initiating curriculum procedures. The administration is responsible for action and implementation. Procedures regarding the development, revision, and maintenance of the curriculum will be reviewed and recommended by the Curriculum Committee annually. Proposed procedures and changes will be submitted to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and the President’s Advisory Council for review and are subject to approval by the College President. Curriculum procedures will be included in the Coconino Community College Curriculum Policy and Procedures Handbook.