/Institutions/Cumberland-University/json/current-catalog/University-Policy-local.json

/Institutions/Cumberland-University/json/current-catalog/University-Policy.json

Policy > Committees > Course and Curriculum Changes

Course and Curriculum Changes

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Document Number: ACAD--178

Date Last Updated: 10/31/2025

Date Originally Created: 05/02/2012

Revised: 12/7/2017

Revised: 09/02/2019

Revised : 10/31/2025

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General Description
Description: Information about course and curriculum changes relative to Academic Affairs policy.
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I. Policy Statement

All changes that occur in course content, course offerings, programs of study, and other aspects of the academic curriculum (hereafter: “curriculum changes”) at Cumberland University should be initiated and implemented solely for the purpose of providing a superior learning experience for its students. The content of the academic curriculum at Cumberland is the domain of its faculty, and changes will be driven by the faculty and approved by both the faculty and administration. 

Curriculum changes are normally initiated by full-time faculty. These proposals are presented to the responsible school dean that will submit the proposal to the respective school’s faculty body for review. The proposal for a curriculum change must be appropriately documented on the university’s Curriculum Change Forms, which are available from the schools’ administrative assistants or from the chairperson of the University Curriculum Committee (UCC). With a two-third majority vote by the school’s faculty, the curriculum change will be submitted to the UCC for consideration and approval.

Publication of all changes is the responsibility of the Office of Academic Affairs.

II. Procedure for curriculum changes

1.1 School-level consideration. Changes to the curriculum should normally be initiated by full-time faculty within the school in which the program to be affected by the proposed change is housed. All proposed curriculum changes must be presented on the “Curriculum Change Form.”  All documentation requested on the form should accompany the proposal when submitted to the school faculty. With the school dean’s support, the curriculum change will be presented to the full-time faculty of the school for review. Decisions of approval and rejection are made based upon a two-third majority vote of the school faculty. 

1.2 Curriculum Committee consideration. Any proposal that is approved by the faculty will be forwarded to the UCC for review. The UCC shall be composed of full-time academic faculty representing each of the schools, with additional at-large members (see by-laws). School minutes documenting the faculty’s approval, and all documentation required on the form (e.g. peer comparisons, learning outcomes, etc.) should accompany the submission to the UCC. After careful consideration of the impact on the University and the benefits to its students, the UCC will approve or reject the proposal with a simple majority vote. The UCC’s review and final decision will be communicated directly to the school dean, proposal initiator, and Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

1.3 Deans’ Council consideration. The Deans’ Council represents the third level of review for curriculum change proposals. The School Dean will present the proposal to the council for review once approved by the UCC. Proposal approval or rejection is determined with a simple majority vote of the Deans’ Council. If approved, the proposal will be submitted to the Office of Academic Affairs and University Registrar for documentation and publication. Note that at each level of review all other review bodies are notified of the decisions made to facilitate effective communication.

1.3.1 Expedited Review. Under certain instances an expedited curriculum change process may be more appropriate to utilize than the three-level review process. This process is to be utilized only in situations where the proposed curriculum change does not change the nature, scope, mission, or relationship of the entity to the University Mission. Examples for which the use of this process are appropriate include, minor wording revisions of a School’s and/or Program’s Mission, Goals, Learning Outcomes, and/or Objectives, as well as minor wording revisions of course descriptions. This process should not be used for changes in Missions, Goals, Learning Outcomes, Objectives, or Course descriptions that change the content/scope of the entity. Neither should it be used to introduce or delete courses or curriculum and/or to change credit hours for a course or program of study.

The Expedited Curriculum change should be submitted to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. The chair of the UCC committee serves on the Dean's Council and should review the expedited change request on behalf of the UCC. If a proposal is deemed a significant change in scope or a conflict to the University Mission, it will be returned to the submitting school for submission through the “regular” curriculum change proposal route of approval (school, UCC, Deans’ Council, and Office of Academic Affairs).