Issued: December 3, 2012
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Purpose:
The purposes of this policy and procedures are the following:
- to identify numbering criteria by which proposals for new or modified courses will be reviewed and evaluated;
- to ensure appropriateness of assigned course alpha, number, and title;
Background:
Until 2002, the UH Community College (UHCC) System had a series of policies entitled Chancellor for Community Colleges Memoranda (CCCM). CCCM 6100, Policies and Procedures for Approval of New and Modified Courses, provided the UH community colleges with the foundation for determining the curriculum review process at each college. The Office of the Chancellor for Community Colleges was eliminated in 2002 and a new system, University ofHawai'i Community Colleges Policies (UHCCP), was developed.
In Fall 2011, HawCC's Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs (VCAA), as the College's chief academic officer, requested the development of a policy to replace CCCM 6100 and ensure that the college's curriculum processes aligned with the UH System's Executive Policy E 5.209, which specifies that system colleges follow consistent course-number criteria. The Educational Policy Committee reviewed the draft policy and made recommendations, and on November 30, 2012, HawCC's Academic Senate approved the policy.
Policy and procedures:
- New Course
For purposes of this policy, a new course is defined as any regular or experimental course which is not part of the current course list for the college, as indicated by the University of Hawai'i Master Course List. Experimental courses are subject to this policy both at the time of initial introduction and when they are made part of the permanent curriculum. - Course Modification
For purposes of this policy, course modification includes changes in a course's alpha, number, number of credit hours, title, catalog description, prerequisites, recommended preparation, content, or anything that would affect its potential articulation status.
A course may be subject to modification as a result of its having been reviewed under HAW 5.250, Course Review Policy and Procedure, which requires an annual review of 20 percent of HawCC's courses. - Criteria/or Course Numbering
UH Executive Policy E 5.209, University of Hawai'i System Student Transfer and Inter-campus Articulation, specifies the following criteria for course numbering:- Courses numbered 1 - 99: Generally within the UH system, credit for courses numbered 1 - 99 are not transferable to a baccalaureate-level program unless such credit is specifically applicable to a degree. Should a student subsequently transfer into another program where such courses are not applicable, course credit will not count toward that program and degree. (E 5.209, Sect.III.B.5.)
- Courses numbered 100 - 499: Within the UH system, credit for courses numbered 100 - 499 will transfer as baccalaureate-level credit. However, the credit may not always be applicable to specific degree or program requirements. (E 5.209, Sect.III.B.6.)
- Course Approval Certification
By approving the addition or modification of a course, the Chancellor certifies that course numbering is appropriate and meets the following requirements:- If the course is comparable to any course taught by any other UH system community college, identical course identification (alpha, number, and title) as indicated in the Master Course List must be used unless there is a compelling reason for deviation. Deviation from existing practices must be approved by the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Chancellor before being published in the campus schedule of classes or the catalog.
- If the course is unique within the system, a number not in use within the system is used.
- If the course is numbered 100 or above, it presents baccalaureate-level coursework, for example, in terms of pacing, mathematical/analytical or reading level, and amount of reading or required independent work.
- The decision to number a course at the 200 level is based on a graduation of rigor above the 100 level and is justified by specifying associated prerequisite coursework.