Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College
Academic Council
Guidelines for the Development of New Programmes
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Guidelines for Developing Academic and or/Educational Programmes at the CFB College
Preamble
The purpose of this document is to provide guidelines and by extension establish a standardized framework for the development of
educational and or/academic programmes that are proposed for implementation within the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College.
The guidelines are intended for use, therefore, by Programme Coordinators, Department Heads, Course Instructors, Academic
Departments and faculty and staff who are desirous of revising and or developing new programme/courses with a view of
maintaining currency and relevance of the programmes offered within the institution.
The systematic delivery of instructional programmes should be planned in concert with the overall strategic plan of the CFB College
to include quality standards, structures and processes and policies and regulations that govern its operational functions. Such
planning may also involve strategizing with other units/departments to deliver collaboratively designed programmes.
To assist the aforementioned users in planning and developing effective academic programmes the following guidelines are
recommended.
Programme Development Guidelines:
Step 1
Identification of the Programme
The programme should be clearly identified by a title along with the name of the Unit/department/individual proposing the
Programme.
Guidelines used to identify programmes are as follows:
 Programme emanates from a needs analysis of the proposing body
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Programme is in alignment with the mission, goals or strategic plan of the Institution
Programme seeks to improve the overall range of products/services at the institution
Programme can be directly linked with enhancing main stake-holders’ satisfaction
Step 2
Aim and Objectives of Programme
State the aim and objectives of the Programme.
Step 3
Development of Mission, Vision, Philosophical and Value Statements
 Mission
The mission is a clear concise statement that defines/describes the reason the department from which the
programme originates/ exists and reflects how the programme fits within the overall goal of the mission of the
College. It embodies the Department’s philosophies, goals, ambitions, mores and vision. It is specific and realistic and
is written in the future tense.
Example: The mission of the Sustainable /Agriculture Department of the CFB College is to develop and share excellent,
science-based knowledge for the development of socially beneficial, economically successful and environmentally sound
systems for fuel, food and other renewable resources in a learner-centered institution.
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 Vision
The vision defines the desired or intended future state of a specific organization or enterprise in terms of its
fundamental objective and /or strategic direction. Unlike the mission statement, a vision statement is for you and the
other members of your organization, not for your customers or clients.
Example:
The Vision of the Sustainable /Agriculture Department of the CFB College is to produce skilled graduates who are
capable of delivering services and products that will sustain lives and economies based on current
societal/environmental needs without compromising the future.
 Philosophical Statements
Philosophical Statements reflect the personal values and beliefs of the department and those of the students. It
includes intent, process and outcomes as well as the core curricular concepts. Each belief has an extended description
and is generally written in the present tense.
Philosophical statements for an educational programme at the CFBC may include statements relating to the Teacher,
Teaching, the Learner, Teaching/learning Process, Research, Learning Institution and Community etc.
 Values
These express the norms and beliefs that are shared among the stakeholders of an organization. Values drive an
organization’s culture and priorities. Interwoven in the value statements are:
-Cultural beliefs
-Morals
-Principles
-Standards
-Ethics
-Ideals
Some core values of the department may be Excellence, Integrity and Commitment.
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Step 4
Develop Curricular Concepts and Conceptual/Guiding Framework of the Curriculum
The curricular concepts are operationally defined tenets that are used to guide the conceptual/guiding framework of the
curriculum. These concepts are integrated throughout the curriculum and guide the development of the learner in
accomplishing defined graduate competencies. The curricular concepts are interwoven within the courses, are
horizontally and vertically threaded, and give direction for all aspects of the teaching and learning process as well as the
competency requirement at every student level and throughout the span of the programme.
The conceptual framework provides a basic set of principles that govern interaction among and between faculty and
students as well as establishes the shared vision of a unit’s efforts in preparing educators for student outcomes. It
provides direction therefore for programmes, courses, teacher, students, performance, scholarship, service and unit’s
accountability. In other words the conceptual frame-work provides the basis that describes the unit’s intellectual
philosophy, which distinguishes graduates of one institution from those of another.
Examples of curricular concepts at the CFBC may be “transformative education, diversity and learner centered”.
Normally, it would be useful to provide a schematic diagram and accompanying descriptors that show the relationship
between the concepts of the framework identified.
The following is the “Alabama State University College of Education Conceptual Framework” that provides useful
illustration of a conceptual schema.
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Alabama State University
College of Education
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
EDUCATOR AS DECISION MAKER
Description of the Conceptual Model
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The Conceptual Framework of the College of Education, Educator as Decision Maker, provides coherence for the college’s professional education
programs. It guides the systematic design and delivery of curriculum, instruction, field experiences, clinical practice, assessment, and evaluation.
The Conceptual Model presents a graphic illustration of the development of decision makers through these multiple dimensions of the college’s
professional education programs.
The model consists of four interdependent, interrelated, and interacting components which the college faculty view as essential contexts for the
shaping of informed, skilled, and responsible decision makers. The first component, the outer circle, represents the assumption that candidates
bring to the university a prior context consisting of their own values and vision, knowledge and skills, and cultural and societal influences. This
prior context serves as the foundation for the learning that takes place in the university’s educational programs.
The second component, the large inner circle, represents the setting in which the university and the college provide the education and training
of prospective professional educators. This setting is the interactive context. It encompasses the general and professional areas in which the
development of competence is necessary for informed and effective decision making. These areas are knowledge and ability, application
through experience, and professional values and dispositions. This component provides opportunities for the candidates to weave new
learning into their existing knowledge base and thereby to broaden and deepen their understanding and experience.
The third component, indicated by the rotating arrows within the large inner circle, represents the decision making context which, in simplified
terms, embraces a continuous cycle of planning, predicting, implementing, reflecting, evaluating, and revising. The candidates develop and
refine their decision making ability within the context of their interactions with curricula, faculty, and other professionals.
The fourth component of the model, the center circle, represents the outcomes context. All of the other components lead to the achievement
of this one goal—the development of the educator who is an informed and responsible decision maker. The Educator as Decision Maker is a
Reflective Practitioner, a Change Agent, and a Lifelong Learner
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Step 5
Develop Graduate Competencies
The term competencies encompasses and or reflects a range of knowledge, skills, abilities, attitudes and expertise that are required
to be demonstrated by graduates on completion of a programme. In other words a competency-based programme outlines a set of
defined behaviours that provides a structured guide enabling the identification, evaluation and development of the behavior of
individual programme graduates.
While the core competencies, that is, of the programme been developed focus on individual mastery of the competencies and are
assessed at that level they must be in tandem with and support the broader general education goals of the College. The
competencies are therefore infused throughout the programme curricula and not just the general education courses. More
specifically then, the core competencies focus on the progress of the individual student toward the broad educational objectives,
whereas the general education goals focus on institutional progress toward a set of related, but more specific, course-imbedded
objectives.
Structure: the competencies should be stated in behavioral terms, include the curricular concepts and terminal behavior expected
after the graduate has completed the programme of study.
Example: The Learner will
Apply knowledge of best practices in food production, food safety and climate change to address society’s challenges/needs in agriculture/agroprocessing for the sustenance of the human species.
Devise viable technologies, products and services to strengthen the environment/ economy through renewable energy while enhancing human
health.
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Step 6
Outline Programme’s Structure, Courses and Credit load
Programmes will naturally vary among disciplines, departments and or/units and even across institutions of a similar nature.
However, some basic or universal standards apply that can serve as a bench-mark for planning and designing of programmes. In
addition, while each programme may be considered an entity of its own, it must fit within the wider ambit of the College’s broader
goals and objectives, general education principles, as well as demonstrate the programme’s relationship with professional
educational programmes, if applicable. Example: Nursing Profession, Teacher Education.
The proposal for a new programme should address and or consider the following key elements:
Universally accepted Credit Load by Programme:
 Associate degree
60 - 84 credits
 Baccalaureate degree
120 – 128 credits
 Graduate degree
36 credits
 Doctoral degree
60 credits
Break-down of Credits:
Theory Hours
 One hour teaching per week (x 15 wks.)
 3 hours of teaching per week (x 15 wks.)
 4 hours of teaching per week (x 15 wks.)
 3 credits average theory-based courses
Clinical/lab Hours:
 Lab hours = I hour credit for 2 hours
= 1 credit
= 45 hours or 3 credits
= 60 hours or 4 credits
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 2 skills lab hours + 3 clinical/practical hours per week = 1 credit
 1 (clinical) credit = 3, 4, or 5 hours per week
 25 – 50 % of clinical may be considered in the skills/simulation lab
 NB: Ratio for clinical credits determined by Institution
Semester Load
 Minimum number of credits per semester
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 Maximum number of credits per semester
15 -18
 Eighteen credits considered high
 Six courses per semester considered standard
 Minimum of six credits from general education courses
Programme Structures
 Design a clearly articulated structure/schema showing the correlation among components of the programme
 Integral relationship with Institutional curricula and initiative eg general education courses, elective options, core courses,
etc
 Diagrammatic schema (matrix) should include sequence of delivery of courses
 Semester/Year /period course will be delivered
 Identification of Course by Code and Title and credits allotted to each Course
 Yearly plan of study, if programme is more than a year
 Indicate total number of courses and credits for programme
Step 7
Develop the Course(s) for the Programme
Course Outline Format
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Programme (A syllabus or curriculum; delineates /identifies the particular programme)
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Course Title: (The common name for a course)
 Course Code: (The code or program code that uniquely refers to a program of study)
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Level of Student: (An indication of a student's level of progress toward a degree, diploma, or certificate, as defined by the
institution; may be denoted using a time frame, example year 1)
Semester: (A half-year term in a college or university, typically lasting for fifteen to eighteen week)
No. Credits: (A course credit (often credit hour, or just credit or "unit") is a unit that gives weighting to the value, level or
time requirements of an academic course taken at an educational institution)
Pre-requisites:(Requirements for enrolling in the course/programme)
Co-requisites: Formal course of study required to be taken simultaneously with identified course)
Rationale for Course: (Reason/justification for the undertaking of the course/programme)
Course Description: (A brief summary of the content of the course)
Learning Outcomes: (Objectives) (Speak to the expectation of the learner after engaging in the course and devised with
reference to verbs from Blooms Taxonomy)
Content: (The subject matter, activities, units of competency, etc. of a course of study)
Teaching/Learning Methodology: (The principles and methods of instruction)
Assessment: (A systematic, multi-step process of collecting evidence on student learning, understanding, and abilities and using that
information to inform instruction and provide feedback to the learner, thereby enhancing learning)
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Required Readings (A list of the books referred to in a scholarly work, necessary to facilitate learner success )
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Recommended Readings: (Supplementary readings to augment/enhance the success of the learner/course/programme )
Step 8
Develop Policies and Regulations for Management of the Programme
Central to programme development is the establishment of policies and regulations that will govern the management of the
curricula process. Regulations and policies for the programme should be linked to that of the accrediting institution. Such
policies/regulations would serve to maintain the academic integrity of academic programmes at the CFBC.
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The following are not limited to but include major policies and regulations that should be considered for directing implementation of
the programmes:
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Entry Requirements ( consider special additional admission requirements over and above standard institutional
requirements)
Registration ( sets out the timeframe for registration and the relationship between registration and examinations)
Exemptions (conditions under which exemptions for credit previously obtained are set out including the application process)
Inter-Intra faculty Transfers
Full Time/Part-time Programme
Progress through the Programme
Change of Status
Leave of Absence
Sick Leave
Examinations
Conditions for Supplemental examinations
Assessment of Clinical/Practical Skills
Code of Conduct on Practice Placement (particularly for professional programmes)
Step 9
Submit Proposal
A proposal shall be submitted to the Academic Council of the CFBC for review and approval before the programme can be
implemented. (See Guidelines for Writing Proposal).
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