SAN JACINTO COLLEGE DISTRICT
Curriculum Development Manual
2008-2009
Developed and Compiled by the Curriculum Process Task Force
Catherine O'Brien (Chair), Amy Ammerman, John Anderson, Sherrin Frances, Gary Friery,
Judy Harrison, Merrily Hoffman, Pam Maack, Gail Mason, Bonnie Shipferling, James Steen,
Van Wigginton, and Jay Yeager
Adopted May, 1999
Revised August, 2004
Revised December, 2005
Revised December, 2007
Revised August, 2008
This manual has been developed to assist individuals participating in the curriculum review process. It is meant
to be a resource that faculty and staff can use to efficiently and effectively develop new courses and programs
within the San Jacinto College District, review existing courses and programs, and to propose curriculum
revisions.
Table of Contents
Mission Statement
San Jacinto College Values
Code of Ethics
General Information
Roles and Responsibilities
Faculty
Department Chair
Curriculum Proposal Task Force
Curriculum Task Force Chair
Instructional Deans (General responsibilities)
Dean of Technical Education (Central, North, South), Dean of Allied Health (District)
Academic Dean (Central, North and South), Dean of College Preparatory
Dean of Enrollment Services
Dean of Teaching and Learning
Instructional Affairs Committee
Vice President of Instruction
District Instructional Affairs Council
Vice Chancellor of Instructional Programs and Services
Chancellor's Cabinet
Chancellor
Board of Trustees
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Steps in the Curriculum Process
Academic Courses:
Development of Multi-campus Academic Courses
Revisions of Multi-campus Academic Courses
Development of Two-Semester Pilot Courses
Development of Unique Need Courses
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Technical Programs:
Development of New Technical Programs
WECM-mandated Revisions for Technical Programs
Revisions for Technical Programs
Technical courses
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Distance Learning Conversion
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Appendix A
Considerations for Curriculum Proposals
Resources for Curriculum Proposals
Resource Persons
Resource Manuals
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Additional Resources
Curriculum Documents
Course Syllabus
First-day handouts
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Glossary of Acronyms and Terms
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MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of San Jacinto Community College District is to deliver accessible,
affordable, high-quality post-secondary education programs designed to meet the needs of the
citizens of Southeast Harris County. The primary focus of the College is helping students to
achieve their personal and professional goals, create seamless transitions among educational
levels, and to prepare students to enter the job market or transfer to senior institutions.
Through its programs and services, and partnerships with industry, the College supports the
economic growth of the community and the region.
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SAN JACINTO COLLEGE VALUES
Integrity: Ethical and Professional
“We act in ways which instills confidence and trust”
Excellence: In Everything We Do
“We achieve quality results in everything we do”
Accountability: It’s Up to Us
“We take responsibility for our commitments and outcomes”
Innovation: Lead the Way
“We apply our knowledge, skill, insight, and imagination to recognize opportunities, solve
problems, and recommend new solutions”
Sense of Community: Caring for Those We Serve and Ourselves
“We demonstrate genuine concern for the well-being of our students, our community and
ourselves”
Student Success: Our Ultimate Measure
“We enable students to achieve their goals”
Diversity: Celebrate the Differences
“We celebrate the diversity of ideas and cultures”
Collaboration: We work Together
“We work together for the benefit of the college”
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CODE OF ETHICS STATEMENT
The curriculum teams, district curriculum facilitator, campus instructional affairs
committees, and district instructional affairs council are responsible for maintaining and
enhancing the quality of the curricula within the San Jacinto College District, its extensions
and learning centers. All other employees are responsible for supporting faculty,
administrators and staff in those efforts.
Guided by a belief of dignity and worth in the pursuit of truth and knowledge, committee
members will recognize the special responsibilities placed upon them. They will serve
conscientiously and carry out their duties to the best of their abilities. The primary
responsibility of all participants in the curriculum process is to the students who seek
knowledge and training within the San Jacinto College District.
In the exchange of ideas and criticism, all employees participating in curriculum review
will show due respect for the opinions of others.
Committee members have obligations that derive from common membership in a
community of scholars. Their role is to encourage and facilitate differing views, opinions and
approaches to curriculum issues. The focus will always be on ideas. They will respect and
defend the free inquiry of associates as they exercise critical and professional judgment of
ideas.
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GENERAL INFORMATION
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GENERAL INFORMATION
This manual is intended to provide the faculty, administrators and staff with processes,
information, and strategies that they need to adequately and effectively serve San Jacinto
Community College District’s (SJCCD) diverse learning communities and to provide quality
education. The focus is directed towards traditional academic credit courses, new technical
programs and technical program revisions. Curriculum teams and individuals proposing
changes should consider all other college programs and services in making recommendations.
The curriculum review process outlined in this manual embraces, incorporates and promotes
the innovation and flexibility required by education for today's global society. This manual is
available in print for members of the curriculum teams, the campus Instructional Affairs
Committees, the district Instructional Affairs Council, and other employees interested in the
curriculum review process. It is electronically available on the G:\drive and on Blackboard.
Before a curriculum proposal is submitted to the campus Instructional Affairs Committee,
it should be complete. The department chair, the instructional dean and the dean of
enrollment services should review the proposal. They will provide the information that is
needed for the completion of forms.
Communication is an essential element in curriculum development. The curriculum
proposal must be signed by the department chair and deans. The routing slips must be
signed by the appropriate people on the campus on which the proposal is initiated. It
does not have to be signed by administrators on other campuses, but they must be made
aware of proposals that impact their areas. All pages of the curriculum proposal must
be numbered. This helps the committees refer to specific pages in the proposal. It is not the
responsibility of the campus and district committees to edit a work in progress. Their
responsibility is to debate the merits of a complete proposal.
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ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
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ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
An outline of the roles and responsibilities of each entity involved in the curriculum review
process is found in this section.
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Faculty
Department Chair
Curriculum Proposal Task Force
Curriculum Task Force Chair
Instructional Deans (General responsibilities)
Dean of Technical Education (Central, North, South), Dean of Allied Health (District)
Academic Dean (Central, North and South), Dean of College Preparatory
Dean of Enrollment Services
Dean of Teaching and Learning
Instructional Affairs Committee
Vice President of Instruction
District Instructional Affairs Council
Vice Chancellor of Instructional Programs and Services
Chancellor's Cabinet
Chancellor
Board of Trustees
Faculty
Faculty play central roles in both assessing and improving the college's curriculum
through course and program design and revision and through membership on curriculum
planning committees. Faculty is responsible for maintaining the quality of the
curriculum.
Serve as members of the curriculum proposal task force and as the curriculum proposal
task force chair
Select and support their curriculum proposal task force members
Provide input and needed documentation to their curriculum proposal task force members
regarding proposed academic course additions, deletions, or revisions, or technical
program development or revisions
Discuss any proposed curriculum ideas or revisions with their department chairs, deans,
and colleagues across the district
Participate in informal and/or formal meetings with colleagues regarding proposed or
needed revisions in their curricular area
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Participate in regularly scheduled multi-campus program or discipline meetings to
provide input to curriculum proposal teams
Use Blackboard curriculum site to promote and disseminate curriculum proposals,
minutes
Assist in selecting curriculum proposal task force members
Technical faculty meet with advisory committees
Department Chair
May serve on curriculum proposal task force or as curriculum task force chair in the same
capacity as any faculty member
Serves on campus instructional affairs committee
May serve as chair of instructional affairs committee and in that capacity serve on the
instructional affairs (IA) council
Participates in discipline meetings with colleagues from other campuses to provide input
to curriculum proposal task force
If not serving as curriculum proposal task force chair, consults with, supports and serves
as resource to curriculum proposal task force chair in the curriculum process
Disseminates information to faculty and schedules formal and/or informal meetings for
consideration of program-related issues, concerns, and trends. A minimum of one multicampus college discipline or program meeting annually should be convened to ensure
faculty input and involvement
Reviews proposals for appropriateness, completeness, accuracy, format and content
For technical programs, works with the technical dean to complete documentation for
WECM mandated changes to the program
Signs curriculum proposal form
Curriculum Proposal Task Force
The primary role of the curriculum proposal task force is to originate and develop
curriculum proposals and revisions. Each curriculum proposal task force is composed of
at least one faculty member of that program or discipline from each campus offering the
program (i.e., multi-campus program and disciplines). Programs or disciplines that serve
only one campus will have representation from that single campus, although faculty
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members from related disciplines on other campuses may be invited to serve.
Interdisciplinary courses will be comprised of representation from those disciplines
involved. The faculty names the curriculum proposal task force. For the development of
a new program where full-time faculty has not been hired, the dean of technical education
and consultants hired for the program’s development may compose the curriculum
proposal task force. Under these circumstances, the dean of technical education names
the curriculum proposal task force.
The curriculum proposal task force selects their curriculum proposal task force chair.
Each campus is responsible for developing its own selection process. A curriculum
proposal task force is formed on an as need basis. The curriculum proposal task force
members are selected on an ad hoc basis and will serve until the project is completed.
The curriculum proposal task force:
Reviews student learning outcomes, syllabi, texts, and other curricular materials
Conducts needs assessment and feasibility study
Reviews prioritization of new program development
Collects curriculum materials needed to prepare the proposal, including THECB and
SACS guidelines, the Curriculum Development Manual, including Guidelines for
Instructional Programs in Workforce Education (GIPWE), Workforce Education Course
Manual (WECM), and Academic Course Guide Manual (ACGM). A more complete list
of resources materials can be found in Resources for Curriculum Proposals (Appendix
A).
Serves as campus representatives for their respective discipline or program
Meets regularly and collaborates on the proposal throughout the process
Participates in any called college staff development meetings related to curricular issues
Meets with faculty colleagues as needed to review and proposes revisions to program
curricula or to address other related issues identified by the vice presidents of instruction
Meets with appropriate deans to review proposal
Reviews formal proposals for appropriateness, completeness, accuracy, format and
content
Supports and participates with curriculum proposal task force chair in all aspects of
curriculum review
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Completes the tasks outlined in the annual prioritization of new program development
Uses Blackboard to promote and disseminate curriculum proposals
Monitors best practices and current trends and exchanges professional development
Curriculum Proposal Task Force Chair
Moves the curriculum proposal through the curriculum development process
Serves as curriculum leader for the curriculum proposal task force and attends staff
development meetings related to the curriculum review and revision process (e.g.,
advisory committee meetings)
Convenes and organizes curriculum proposal task force meetings in accordance with
curriculum review and revision timelines
Keeps department chair, deans, vice president of instruction, and curriculum proposal
task force on all campuses where the program exists informed on the progress of the
curriculum proposal
Provides input and needed documentation to the curriculum proposal task force members
regarding proposed course additions, deletions or revisions, curriculum pattern changes,
and course outcomes. Revisions should be made from verified need (i.e., valid survey,
other research) and/or input from such sources as accrediting agencies, advisory
committees, business and industry, or district directives, professional organizations, state
agencies, task analysis (DACUM)
Keeps all resource materials needed by the curriculum team
Submits curriculum proposal to the office of the dean of teaching and learning after
approval by the instructional affair committee(s)
Facilitates dialogue and assures that concurring and opposing views are presented
For technical programs, attends advisory committee meetings, makes curriculum proposal
and revisions presentation, ensures an advisory committee vote is taken on each
recommendation, and obtains signed advisory committee minutes to submit with
curriculum proposals
Obtains necessary signatures on documents
Completes and submits signed curriculum proposal and forms to the vice president(s) of
instruction for placement on campus instructional affairs team(s) agenda. That includes
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forms for all campuses on which a program exists. (Proposals should ideally reflect
curriculum proposal task force consensus)
Meets with campus instructional affairs committee to review and discuss curriculum
proposals
If necessary, makes presentations to district instructional affairs council (if there are no
issues with the proposal, the dean of teaching and learning usually presents the proposals
to the IA council as information items)
Provides feedback to curriculum task force and information to the campus instructional
affairs committee
Ensures that the curriculum proposal task force has met its responsibilities as outlined in
this manual
Discusses any proposed curriculum ideas or revisions with department chairs and/or
deans
Participates in informal and/or formal meetings with colleagues on respective campuses
regarding proposed or needed changes in their curricular area
Instructional Deans (General responsibilities)
Stay abreast of trends and changes in appropriate guidelines, such as THECB, SACS,
SJCD, Guidelines for Instructional Programs in Workforce Education (GIPWE),
Workforce Education Course Manual (WECM), and Academic Course Guide Manual
(ACGM)
Convene faculty to assess or develop curriculum proposals
Participate in the processes and/or tasks that evolve from the annual curriculum charges
such as review and approval of learning outcomes, review of GENERAL EDUCATION
and program competencies, and the review of articulation agreements
Evaluate curriculum proposals received from curriculum proposal task force and provides
feedback
Review proposal for appropriateness, completeness, accuracy, format and content
Sign off on curriculum proposal forms before submission of proposals to campus
instructional affairs committee
Encourage faculty to meet with other faculty across the district to discuss curriculum
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issues and trends
Participate in professional development sessions related to curriculum
Attend campus instructional affairs committee meetings
Foster and encourage faculty involvement in the curriculum revision process through
professional development activities
Ensure the accuracy and completeness of THECB forms and internal forms
Communicate proposed revisions with department chairs s on other campuses
Collectively, with other deans, update the catalog based on approved curriculum changes,
including course descriptions, technical outlines, and fees
Compile course descriptions for catalog revisions
Dean of Technical Education (Central, North, South), Dean of Allied Health (District)
Evaluates technical curriculum proposals
Provides feedback and makes recommendations on items that need to be
changed/completed to meet THECB guidelines (GIPWE)
Provides information for the accurate completion of THECB forms
Provides information and training to department chairs and faculty on completion of
curriculum proposals and THECB forms
Provides professional development workshops related to technical education curriculum
processes and compliance with THECB guidelines (GIPWE)
Works with the department chairs to complete documentation for WECM mandated
changes to the program
Serves as a resource to the vice president of instruction regarding THECB guidelines
(GIPWE) and technical education curriculum matters
Assures that all final technical education campus curriculum proposals adhere to THECB
guidelines (GIPWE)
Submits completed curriculum revisions packages and new program applications to
THECB for approval
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Serves as campus THECB contact person for questions regarding new program
applications and program curriculum revisions
Serves as a resource on THECB guidelines (GIPWE) and curriculum matters to the
campus curriculum instructional affairs team and instructional affairs committees
Makes recommendations on future proposal developments
Coordinates with registrar in the maintenance of the Technical Program Inventory
Maintains THECB Technical Program Inventory
Attends respective campus instructional affairs committee meetings and advisory
committee meetings
Assure that advisory committee minutes are approved and signed for technical programs
May serve on district instructional affairs council
Academic Dean (Central, North and South), Dean of College Preparatory
Evaluates academic curriculum proposals
Provides feedback and makes recommendations on items that need to be
changed/completed to meet THECB guidelines or conform to other regulations.
Provides professional development workshops for department chairs and related to the
curriculum revision processes and compliance with THECB guidelines
May serve on district instructional affairs council
Dean of Enrollment Services
Stays abreast of change in the Academic Course Guide Manual, the Guidelines of
Instructional Programs in Workforce Education, the Workforce Education Course Guide
Manual and in the courses in the Texas Common Course Numbering System
Verifies completeness of course inventory maintenance forms and signs off on routing
slip and course inventory maintenance form
Serves as a resource to the various constituent bodies in the curriculum development
process
Coordinates with the instructional deans
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Coordinates with the registrar to make all necessary additions, deletions, and revisions to
the campus inventory
Seeks to ensure that curriculum proposal task force considers and provides information
regarding lab fees, incidental fees, and repeated courses
Raises questions when necessary regarding compliance with the criteria in the Academic
Course Guide Manual, the Guidelines of Instructional Programs in Workforce
Education, the Workforce Education Course Guide Manual
Develops files for all programs to allow for determination of completion of courses on
degree plan check sheets Registrar
Registrar
Informs the vice president of instruction when the institution has allowed courses to be
offered which are out of compliance with the rules and regulations from THECB for
which the institution is losing funding
Provides Information Technology Services (ITS) with courses to be included in various
certificate programs and oversees entry such data into the database
Dean of Teaching and Learning
Stays abreast of change in the Academic Course Guide Manual, the Guidelines of
Instructional Programs in Workforce Education, the Workforce Education Course Guide
Manual and in the courses in the Texas Common Course Numbering System
Revises Curriculum Development Manual as recommended by the IA Council
Serves as resource for curriculum development
Serves as facilitator of joint IA curriculum team meetings
Serves on IA Council and presents proposals to that body
Houses approved curriculum proposals on G:/Curriculum Proposals, where they are
available to faculty, department chairs, registrars, instructional deans, vice presidents of
instruction and Banner data specialist
Forwards curriculum results to student instructional specialist, who enters data into
Banner, the libraries, the bookstores, research office, counselors and marketing, and, if
necessary, the business office after curriculum proposals have been approved by the IA
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council
Makes curriculum changes in College Catalog
Maintains original copies of approved curriculum proposals
Instructional Affairs Committee
The IA committee approves unconditionally, approves conditionally, disapproves or
requests modifications of curriculum proposals. The IA committee includes the vice
president of instruction, academic and technical deans, health science dean and
developmental education deans (as needed), student development representative
(counselor), dean of enrollment services, and all department chairs. For academic course
proposals, the IA committees on all three campuses will meet attempt to meet jointly via
ITV. For technical programs that exist on more than one campus, the IA teams will
attempt meet jointly via ITV. For technical programs that exist on only one campus, the
committee will meet separately. The individual campus IA committees shall choose its
chair from among the department chairs (faculty representatives) who serve on the
committee.
If the IA committee chooses or sees a need, it may develop a subcommittee to deal
with curriculum issues.
Reviews formal proposals for completeness, accuracy, format and content
Ensures that the impact of proposed curriculum changes upon academic and technical
education courses and programs is considered
Ensures proposal compliments the College mission and values, curriculum and program
goals and objectives
Ensures that SACS and THECB requirements have been met
Ensures that SJCD curriculum guidelines have been met
Serves as a resource on curriculum matters to the campus community
Reviews and discusses the impact of proposed curriculum changes upon academic and
technical education courses and programs
Attaches comments to the curriculum proposal for consideration by the IA Council
Discusses budgetary issues/consequences as they impact the campus
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Discusses issues, ideas, and trends for future proposal development
Proposes recommendations on future proposal development
Vice President of Instruction
Informs faculty and instructional deans of changes in state guidelines, accreditation
standards, etc.
Serves on the (campus) Instructional Affairs Committee and (district) IA Council
Provides professional development related to curriculum processes
Schedules Campus Instructional Affairs Committee meetings through his/her office
Ensures that his/her campus adheres to curriculum revision timelines and process
Provides input regarding curriculum proposals
Ensures that his/her campus president is kept informed throughout the curriculum process
Monitors the curriculum revisions process and provides timely guidance to curriculum
proposal task force chairs, curriculum proposal teams, and department chairs
Makes final determination regarding which courses in the maintenance inventory will be
offered by an individual campus
Discusses issues, ideas, and trends for future proposal development with campus
leadership
Proposes recommendations on future proposal development to vice chancellor of
instruction and student services
District Instructional Affairs Council
The district Instructional Affairs (IA) Council will include the vice chancellor of
instructional programs and services, three vice presidents of instruction, the three faculty
members chair the Instructional Affairs committees, the dean of teaching and learning,
the honors director, dean of college preparatory, dean of the eLearning and dean of health
sciences and a technical and/or academic dean from each campus. The district
Instructional Affairs Council will review and affirm the curriculum proposal
recommendations from the campus IA committees as presented by the dean of teaching
and learning. New technical programs, new transfer courses, and detailed technical
program revisions proceed to the district curriculum committee as an action item.
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WECM-mandated technical program revisions proceed as information items.
Meets as needed to review curriculum proposals from the campus IA committees
Reviews curriculum proposals that duplicate existing programs, program options, and/or
courses
Ensures that proposal fits overall district mission, values, and curriculum and program
goals and objectives
Ensures that SACS requirements, THECB and SJCD guidelines have been met
Discusses issues, ideas, and trends for future proposal development of curriculum
Proposes recommendations on future proposal development of courses and programs
Vice Chancellor of Instructional Programs and Services
Coordinates professional development activities for curriculum development
Prepares and submits curriculum reports to the chancellor's cabinet and the board of
regents
Summarizes and presents new program prioritization to chancellor's cabinet
Chairs Instructional Affairs Council
Chancellor's Cabinet
Approves prioritization of new program development
Chancellor
Serves as official representative for San Jacinto College District to outside accrediting
associations and authorizing agencies
Approves new programs for development
Submits new programs to the board of trustees
Notifies THECB of new programs for development
Board of Trustees
Reviews curriculum reports disseminated during board of trustees’ meetings
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Approves new associate degree and certificate programs
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STEPS IN THE CURRICULUM
REVIEW PROCESS
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III. Steps in the Curriculum Review Process
This section of the manual describes the steps in the curriculum review process for
academic courses and revisions, new technical programs, technical revisions, and technical
courses. The proposal is submitted on the curriculum proposal forms found on Blackboard.
Resources for proposal development are available in Appendix A.
Curriculum development is a year-round process. However, on or before September 15,
curriculum task forces, department chairs and instructional deans should have notified the
vice president of instruction’s office of curriculum proposals that are forthcoming for that
school year. That is to assist the vice president of instruction’s office to schedule campus
Instructional Affairs Committees and district Instructional Affairs Council meetings and give
curriculum proposals a hearing. The deadline for completing proposal paperwork and
submitting it to the office of vice president of instruction is at least two weeks prior to the
presentation to the IA committee.
Presentations during the fall semester are strongly recommended for academic
course/technical program revisions that will be reflected in the next catalog and fall Schedule
of Classes. The Campus Instructional Affairs Committees consider proposals beginning in
October of each academic year.
This section of the manual contains steps to follow to:
Academic Courses:
Development of Multi-campus Academic Courses
Revisions of Multi-campus Academic Courses
Development of Two-Semester Pilot Courses
Development of Unique Need Courses
Technical Programs
Development of New Technical Programs
WECM-mandated Revisions for Technical Programs
Revisions for Technical Programs
Technical courses
Distance Learning Conversion
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ACADEMIC COURSES
Development of Multi-campus Academic Courses
An academic course may be developed on one or more campuses in the district. Any
faculty, adjunct faculty and/or administrator can initiate a curriculum idea1. The idea could
be to develop a new academic (transfer) course or revise an existing course. The person
initializing the idea should check the Lower-Division Academic Course Guide Manual
(ACGM). Courses that are transferrable to colleges and universities can be found in that
manual. Transfer courses that are not in the manual are considered Unique Need Courses.
Formalizing the process begins by discussing the idea with the department chair, and
other faculty in the department/discipline as well as faculty colleagues throughout the district.
The idea may also be posted on the Blackboard curriculum site for dialogue and an e-mail
notification is sent to all district faculty and administrators via DL-Curriculum. The initiating
campus must send an e-mail to the faculty within their discipline on other campuses, inviting
them to participate in development of the course. The curriculum proposal task force must
include one faculty member from each campus.
As early as possible and before the proposal is submitted to the Instructional Affairs
Committee, cost/benefits of the course should be discussed with the appropriate department
chairs, deans and vice president of instruction.
Any faculty member may serve on the curriculum proposal task force. Proposal-initiating
faculty make up the curriculum proposal task force. The curriculum proposal task force
selects curriculum proposal task force chair. An explanation of curriculum proposal task
force membership and the responsibilities of the curriculum proposal task force chair can be
found in “Roles and Responsibilities.”
The curriculum proposal task force addresses the “Considerations for Curriculum
Proposals” (Appendix A) and keeps minutes of the meetings. “Resources for Curriculum
Proposals” (Appendix A) provides a list of materials to be used in preparing a proposal and a
format of the curriculum proposal packet. Academic Course Forms are located on
Blackboard, and on the G:/Curriculum Development.
The curriculum proposal task force will decide whether to proceed with a formal
curriculum proposal2. The curriculum proposal task force will, complete the curriculum
proposal packet.
1
An idea is an informal proposal or suggestion for a course in the discussion stage. It may or may not continue
through the process.
2
A proposal is a fully defined recommendation. It has entered the formal process leading to review by the
campus curriculum teams, Instructional Affairs committees, and/or Instructional Affairs council.
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When the curriculum proposal task force completes the proposal, it should be reviewed
by the department chair(s), the appropriate instructional deans, and the dean of enrollment
services on the originating campus. The department chair and deans will indicate that the
proposal has been reviewed by signing the appropriate forms.3 The curriculum proposal task
force chair will post the signed proposal to the Blackboard curriculum site, forward the
proposal to the vice presidents of instruction, and the dean of teaching and learning for
distribution to the IA committee4. The same proposal should be presented to the IA
committees5. The IA committees will discuss the proposal and vote to approve
unconditionally, approve conditionally, disapprove or return to the curriculum proposal task
force with recommendations for modification. Courses go to the IA committee as an action
item. Minutes of the meeting will be posted on Blackboard. Minutes should include the
name of the curriculum proposal task force chair, the proposal, the motion and action.
Changes to the proposal should be collected and incorporated into the final proposal that will
be sent to the IA committees.
When possible, IA committees should make an effort to hold joint meetings via ITV to
hear and discuss multi-campus curriculum proposals.
Proposals should be submitted to the office of vice president of instruction at least two
weeks and no less than one week before the scheduled proposal presentation to the IA
committee. The office of vice president of instruction, in conjunction with the chair of the IA
committee, places the proposal on the campus IA committee agenda for review. The
curriculum proposal task force chair presents the proposal to the members of the IA
committee(s).
San Jacinto College District has one inventory. Once an academic course has been
approved via the curriculum development process, it is placed into the inventory and may be
taught on any or all campuses. For this reason, each campus should participate in the review
and approval of an academic transfer course proposal. Selecting a course from the inventory
and placing it in the Schedule of Classes is at the discretion of each campus.
A summary of the final proposal should be submitted to the office of the dean of teaching
and learning. The dean of teaching and learning will post the proposal to G:/Curriculum
Proposals folder, where it will be made available to members of the IA council. The dean of
teaching and learning will present the proposal to the IA council as an action item. Minutes
of the IA committee meetings will be posted on Blackboard curriculum site.
Following affirmation by the IA council, the office of dean of teaching and learning will
mark copies as “approved” and store them on G:/Curriculum Proposals for future reference.
3
Signatures on the routing slips are not an approval. They are simply used to verify that the proposal has been
reviewed for completeness and accuracy.
4
Some IA committees prefer to distribute hardcopies while others post scan them into a .pdf file for distribution.
5
The instructional affairs committee could be an individual campus team or joint team of two or more
campuses. For academic courses, they are joint teams with representation from all three campuses.
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Paperwork will be distributed to student instructional specialist, who enters data into Banner,
the libraries, the bookstores, research and institutional effectiveness office, counselors and
marketing, and, if necessary, the business office after curriculum proposals have been
approved by the IA council.
For academic courses, if recommendations from the IA committees differ, the curriculum
proposal task force will work out the differences and submit one proposal6 for review. The
IA council will have the final voice on consolidating proposals.
Revisions of Multi-campus Academic Courses
Changes in course rubric, course number, course title, course description, course content,
or student learning outcomes, credit lecture/lab hours, lab or incidental fees, and
prerequisite(s)/co-requisites(s) necessitate review through the curriculum process, including a
curriculum task force, IA committees and IA council as an action item. Follow the process
for developing a new academic course.
Development of Two-Semester Pilot Courses
Two-semester pilot courses may be approved by the vice chancellor of instruction and
student services. Pilot courses can be academic transfer or technical courses, but must meet
Lower Division Academic Course Guide Manual (ACGM), or Workforce Education Course
Guide Manual (WECM) and Guidelines of Instructional Programs in Workforce Education,
(GIPWE) guidelines. The two-semester pilot courses process is intended for creative and
innovative curricular ideas. Pilot courses are not to be included in the core curriculum. They
may be taught for two semesters.
At the end of the first semester, a report explaining why the course should continue must
be presented to the vice chancellor of instruction and student services. At the end of the
second semester, a second report with updated curriculum forms must be presented to the
vice chancellor of instruction and student services. At this time, the course will be presented
through the multi-campus academic course curriculum development process for full approval.
The minimum paperwork for a pilot course includes: Routing slip, Curriculum Proposal
Form, and Course Inventory Maintenance Form. It will be placed in the inventory, but not be
included in the Catalog. The course will be placed on the IA council meeting as an
information item.
6
Campuses may only submit one proposal.
20
Two-Semester Pilot Course Forms are located on Blackboard and on the G:/Curriculum
Development.
21
Development of Unique Need Courses
Approval for a course that is not available under an approval number in the Academic
Course Guide Manual (ACGM) or a course with credit and/or contact hours in excess of the
limits prescribed in ACGM must be approved by THECB according to THECB Rules and
Regulations, which can be found in ACGM and should be reviewed prior to developing a
unique need course. Courses that transfer only as elective credit, courses that receive no
funding from the state (e.g., Bible, military science courses), or courses designated for
upper division colleges and universities are not eligible for Unique Need status.
When applying for a unique need course, the dean of teaching and learning will need to
submit a Request For Approval Form and a Unique Need Course Request Form. The dean of
teaching and learning provides the required signatures on the forms. A FICE code and a
password are required to enter the site.
Central
North
South
FICE
003609
012713
000090
PASSWORD
WENFH4
58FGHB
LBRXF5
Prior to development of a unique need course, the idea should be discussed with the
department chair, academic dean and vice president of instruction.
The steps in the curriculum process for unique need courses are the same as those used in
the development of a new academic (transfer) course, with one exception: Because a unique
need course requires THECB approval, it goes to the IA committee(s) and IA council as an
action item.
22
TECHNICAL PROGRAMS
Development of New Technical Programs
In order to assure that new program decisions are based on analysis of district-wide
employment data and trends and that staff and resources are available to conduct needs
assessments, the new program development process is to be followed.
Departments generate the ideas7 for new programs and communicate ideas to the campus.
Each year, the appropriate instructional dean summarizes and prepares a prioritization of new
program development.8 The appropriate dean is identified as the technical dean or the dean
of allied health. Technical programs are those that appear to meet major workforce demands
of the service area.
The appropriate dean presents the list to the campus executive council. The vice
president of instruction presents the list to the vice chancellor of instruction and student
services, who presents it to the chancellor’s cabinet. The chancellor’s cabinet approves or
modifies the plan, depending upon college interest, level of potential support for the program,
and fit with other campus programs. In a letter of intent, the chancellor notifies THECB of
the programs under development.
Before a new program begins, there must be a full-time faculty member in the program
area. However, the lack of a faculty member should not preclude a campus from exploring
new programs. Therefore, the president may assign the proposed program to a dean of
technical education for development. The dean identifies either existing faculty or
consultants to serve on curriculum proposal task force. An explanation of curriculum
proposal task force membership and the responsibilities of the curriculum proposal task force
chair can be found in “Roles and Responsibilities.”
The curriculum proposal task force selects its chair and addresses the “Considerations for
Curriculum Proposals” (Appendix A), keeps minutes of the meetings. If data support
implementation at more than one campus, the selected campuses will share responsibility for
curriculum development and the proposal will be reviewed by a joint curriculum proposal
task force.
“Resources for Curriculum Proposals” (Appendix A) provides a list of materials to be
used in preparing a proposal and a format of the curriculum proposal packet. New Technical
Program Forms are located on Blackboard, on the G:/Curriculum Development, and on the
7
An idea is an informal proposal or suggestion for a course in the discussion stage. It may or may not continue
through the process.
8
Prioritization of new program development is an annually updated list of programs that merit exploration to
meet the demands of workforce development.
23
THECB website at http://www.thecb.state.tx.us/AAR/UndergraduateEd/WorkforceEd/. A
FICE code and a password are required to enter the THECB site.
Central
North
South
FICE
003609
012713
000090
PASSWORD
WENFH4
58FGHB
LBRXF5
The technical instructional dean(s) will conduct needs assessments and feasibility study.
This will involve researching regional labor force data, job/occupation task analysis,
conducting surveys of employers, convening representative advisory committees, and costs of
additional faculty or professional development for existing faculty. The curriculum proposal
task force must have advisory committee input and include minutes from at least two
advisory committee meetings in the proposal.
The curriculum proposal task force will decide whether to proceed with a curriculum
proposal. The curriculum proposal task force formalizes the proposal by completing the
curriculum proposal packet.9 The curriculum proposal task force chair will disseminate
information and will be responsible for responses to expressed recommendations.
When the curriculum proposal task force completes the proposal packet, it should be
reviewed by the department chair in which the program will be located, the appropriate
instructional dean(s), and dean of enrollment services. They will indicate that the proposal
has been reviewed by signing the necessary forms.10 The dean will forward the proposal
packet to the campus executive council. The campus executive council reviews the needs
assessment and feasibility study. The executive council can decide whether to proceed with
new program development.
Following the agreement of the executive council to continue exploration of the program,
the curriculum proposal task force chair submits the curriculum proposal packet with signed
forms (i.e., THECB and internal forms, including course inventory maintenance forms) to the
vice president of instruction and to the chair(s) of the campus IA committee or committees, if
it is to exist on more than one campus. The vice president of instruction places the proposal
on the IA committee agenda11. The chair of the campus IA committee schedules proposal
presentations. Proposals should be submitted to the IA committee members preferably two
weeks, but no less than one week, before the scheduled proposal presentation.
9
A proposal is a fully defined recommendation. It has entered the formal process leading to review by the
campus and/or district curriculum committees.
10
Signatures on routing slips are not an approval. They are simply used to verify that the proposal has been
reviewed for completeness.
11
Some IA committees prefer to distribute hardcopies while others post scan them into a .pdf file for
distribution.
24
The IA committees will discuss the proposal and vote to approve unconditionally,
approve conditionally, disapprove or return to the curriculum proposal task force with
recommendations for modification. New programs go to the IA committee as an action item.
Minutes of the meeting will be posted on Blackboard. Minutes should include the name of
the curriculum proposal task force chair, the proposal, the motion and action. Changes to the
proposal should be collected and incorporated into the final proposal that will be sent to the
IA committees.
When possible, IA committees should make an effort to hold joint meetings via ITV to
hear and discuss new multi-campus program proposals.
Any IA council recommendations are reflected in the minutes and posted on Blackboard.
Curriculum recommendations expressed by the IA committee are directed to the curriculum
proposal task force chair for response and possible modification. Recommendations are
reflected in the minutes. The minutes should include the name of the curriculum proposal
task force chair, the proposal, the motion and action. The minutes are posted to the
Blackboard curriculum site.
A summary of the final proposal should be submitted to the office of the dean of teaching
and learning. The dean of teaching and learning will post the proposal to G:/Curriculum
Proposals folder, where it will be made available to members of the IA council. The dean of
teaching and learning will present the proposal to the IA council as an action item. Minutes
of the IA committee meetings will be posted on Blackboard curriculum site.
Following affirmation by the IA council, the office of dean of teaching and learning will
mark copies as “approved” and store them on G:/Curriculum Proposals for future reference.
Paperwork will be distributed to student instructional specialist, who enters data into Banner,
the libraries, the bookstores, research and institutional effectiveness office, counselors and
marketing, and, if necessary, the business office after curriculum proposals have been
approved by the IA council.
After the IA council approves the new program proposal, subject to the chancellor’s
approval, the chancellor submits the program to the board of regents. Simultaneously, the
appropriate dean of technical education for the campus or campuses on which the program
will be located submits the proposal to the THECB. The dean of technical education is
responsible for addressing questions and recommendations from THECB. Following
approval by THECB, the proposal is returned to the technical dean.
Following affirmation by the IA council, the office of dean of teaching and learning will
distribute the approved proposal to the vice presidents of instruction, registrar, instructional
deans, and the department chairs. Paperwork will be distributed to Banner data entry, the
catalog, the library, the bookstore, and the office of research and institutional effectiveness.
Copies of approved curriculum proposals are stored on G:/Curriculum Proposals for future
reference.
25
Assumptions
1. All appropriate college personnel (presidents, vice presidents of instruction, appropriate
instructional deans, department chairs, and faculty) will have an opportunity for input into
the new program development process.
2. Program proposals that are not on the prioritization of new program development may be
brought to the chancellor’s cabinet by campus presidents. If the proposal is approved, the
campus may proceed with curriculum development. The need for such a program could
occur as a result of a specific industry request that could not be anticipated.
3. The prioritization of new program development will be reviewed each year by the
chancellor’s cabinet and adjusted in accordance with emerging employment and market
trends.
4. The program development process may result in recommendation of either credit or noncredit delivery of training. If determined to be a non-credit or CEU delivery of training,
the curriculum proposal task force works with the office of continuing and professional
development to implement the program.
26
WECM-mandated Revisions for Technical Programs
Revisions mandated as the result of WECM Revision Workshops are not required to go
through the curriculum process. WECM Revisions generally include: an addition of or
change in a rubric, course number and title, course description, credit lecture/lab hours, and
learning outcomes. Department chairs of technical programs in conjunction with technical
faculty, deans of technical education, dean of health sciences (if necessary), and deans of
enrollment services will be responsible for completing the curriculum proposal packet. It is
submitted to the office of the dean of teaching and learning and a summary is submitted to
the IA committee(s) and IA council as an information item.
In advance of WECM Revision Workshops, the technical programs should meet with
advisory committees (i.e., a spring meeting) and ask for their input regarding industry
changes. The advisory committees should review the program learning outcomes (e.g., those
found in a Program Competency Profile form). If a faculty member is nominated and attends
a WECM Revision Workshop, he/she should share upcoming changes with program faculty
colleagues and begin preparations for fall curriculum changes. WECM revisions have to be
made before August 31 of the next year. For WECM Revisions workshops, refer to
http://www.thecb.state.tx.us/AAR/UndergraduateEd/WorkforceEd/wecm2000/aboutnew.htm
.
Revisions to Technical Programs
Revisions that include laboratory or incidental fees, course sequence changes in
programs, changes in general education courses, revisions of prerequisite or co-requisite
courses within the program, and editorial changes that impact student advisement must be
reviewed by the curriculum task force, the IA committee(s) and the IA council prior to
submission to THECB.
Faculty, adjunct faculty, administrators, advisory committees or THECB (i.e., WECM
Revision Workshops) may initiate curriculum changes to technical programs. The proposed
revisions are submitted to those responsible for the specific program. The initiator must have
the revisions reviewed by the department chair(s), appropriate instructional dean(s), and dean
of enrollment services on the campus(es) where the program is located. The appropriate dean
is identified as the technical dean or the dean of allied health.
Once the department chair(s) and appropriate instructional dean(s) agree to the revisions,
the department faculty names the curriculum proposal task force. If the program exists on
more than one campus, the membership of the curriculum proposal task force will include at
least one representative from each affected campus.
The curriculum proposal task force selects its chair. The curriculum task force chair leads
the curriculum proposal task force. An explanation of curriculum proposal task force
27
membership and the responsibilities of the curriculum task force and its chair can be found in
“Roles and Responsibilities”.
The curriculum task force chair and curriculum proposal task force convene to review the
revision(s) and keeps minutes of the meetings. The curriculum task force addresses the
“Considerations for Curriculum Proposals” (Appendix A). “Resources for Curriculum
Proposals” (Appendix A) provides a list of materials to be used in preparing a proposal and a
format for development of the proposal. Technical Program Revision Forms are located in
on Blackboard, in G:/Curriculum Development, and on the THECB website at
http://www.thecb.state.tx.us/AAR/UndergraduateEd/WorkforceEd/. A FICE code and a
password are required to enter the site.
Central
North
South
FICE
003609
012713
000090
PASSWORD
WENFH4
58FGHB
LBRXF5
If deemed necessary, the curriculum proposal task force may update the needs assessment
and feasibility study. Technical education program revisions must include advisory
committee input.
The curriculum task force completes the curriculum proposal packet.
When the curriculum proposal task force completes the proposal, it should be reviewed
by the department chair(s), the appropriate instructional dean(s), and the dean of enrollment
services on the originating campus. The department chair and deans will indicate that the
proposal has been reviewed by signing the appropriate forms.12 The curriculum proposal task
force chair will forward the proposal to the vice presidents of instruction for distribution.13
Proposals should be submitted to the IA committee members preferably two weeks, but no
less than one week, before the scheduled proposal presentation.
The chair of the IA committee places campus-only proposals on the agenda (i.e.,
proposals for single campus programs, such as physical therapist assistant on South only).
When possible, IA committees should make an effort to hold joint meetings via ITV to hear
and discuss multi-campus program proposals.
The curriculum proposal task force chair presents the proposal to the members of the IA
committee.
12
Signatures on the routing slips are not an approval. They are simply used to verify that the proposal has been
reviewed for completeness and accuracy.
13
Some IA committees prefer to distribute hardcopies while others post scan them into a .pdf file for
distribution.
28
The IA committee will discuss the proposal and vote to approve unconditionally, approve
conditionally, disapprove or return to the curriculum proposal task force with
recommendations for modification. Curriculum recommendations expressed by the IA
committee are directed to the curriculum task force chair for modification. Minutes of the
meeting will be posted on Blackboard. The minutes should include the name of the
curriculum proposal task force chair, the proposal, the motion and action. Changes to the
proposal should be collected and incorporated into the final.
The dean of teaching and learning places the proposal on the joint campus IA curriculum
team agenda for review.
A summary of the final proposal should be submitted to the office of the dean of teaching
and learning. The dean of teaching and learning will post the proposal to G:/Curriculum
Proposals folder, where it will be made available to members of the IA council. The dean of
teaching and learning will present the proposal to the IA council as an action item. Minutes
of the IA committee meetings will be posted on Blackboard curriculum site.
Following affirmation by the IA council, the office of dean of teaching and learning will
mark copies as “approved” and store them on G:/Curriculum Proposals for future reference.
Paperwork will be distributed to student instructional specialist, who enters data into Banner,
the libraries, the bookstores, research and institutional effectiveness office, counselors and
marketing, and, if necessary, the business office after curriculum proposals have been
approved by the IA council.
For multi-campus programs, if recommendations from the campus curriculum
committees differ, the curriculum proposal task force will work out the differences and
submit one proposal14 for review. If a joint IA committee did not previously hear the
proposal, then a joint IA committee will meet to consolidate recommendations.
The IA council will have the final voice on consolidating proposals. The district IA
council must review revisions prior to submission to THECB.
After the IA council affirms the proposal, each technical dean on a campus where the
program is located submits the proposal to the THECB. The technical dean is responsible for
addressing questions and recommendations from the THECB.
14
Campuses may only submit one proposal.
29
Technical Courses
With some variations, the development of a technical course is similar to the
development of an academic course. See “Development of Multi-campus Academic
Courses.” Technical courses must be reported to THECB
In response to local need, colleges may offer a select number of individual SCH courses
that are available in the WECM even if the college does not have an approved program in the
same CIP code. However, the linking of WECM courses to develop a program without
obtaining THECB program approval is not permitted. For each academic year and within any
program CIP Code, a college may offer a maximum of 14 SCH of courses in an area where
no approved program exists provided the following requirements are met:
 No more than two courses or eight SCH (whichever is greater) are offered in any one
semester, and no more than 14 SCH are offered in any one year.
 Courses may be WECM courses, including SCH Special Topics and/or Local Need
courses, but must not be external learning courses.
 Faculty teaching the courses must meet all SACS requirements.
30
Distance Learning Conversion
Because of the increase of multiple delivery systems for courses, special focus and review
will be needed to assure standards are met and the quality of courses is maintained.
Flexibility in delivery of curricula is desirable. San Jacinto College offers distance learning
(DL) and hybrid courses, as well as face-to-face courses. A course must have been approved
through the Curriculum Development process before being taught on-line. However, when a
course is developed, the IA Committees and IA Council determine the merit of the course or
program and do not determine the mode by which a course will b e taught. Faculty will work
through the office dean of eLearning, participate in training and professional development
prior to teaching DL and/or hybrid courses. Guidelines are available on-line or through the
eLearning office.
31
Appendix
32
Appendix A
Considerations for Curriculum Proposals
Resources for Curriculum Proposals
Curriculum Documents
Course Syllabus
First-day Handouts
33
Considerations for Curriculum Proposals
Among the considerations that are to be weighed by the curriculum task force in acting on
proposals are the following:
General Questions
Are the proposals consistent with the college’s stated or implied mission and goals?
Are the courses suitable for a community college credit course? Is this course in WECM?
Is this course in ACGM?
Have the proposals been duly considered and debated at the campus level and districtwide? What steps have been taken to assure that this has been accomplished?
Are they supported by suitable or required documentation (e.g., advisory committee
minutes, enrollment trends)?
Is the content of the proposed courses of college-level rigor?
Has the curriculum task force determined which methods(s) of delivery are appropriate
for this course (e.g., distance learning, hybrid, face-to-face)?
What is the projected enrollment?
Will the new courses result in an unjustified spreading of enrollment among more classes
than would otherwise be neededwith an attendant increase in cost?
Will the new courses constitute course duplication? If “yes,” what is the
value/justification for this course?
Have all applicable regulationsand especially those from the Texas Higher Education
Coordinating Boardbeen reviewed? Are the proposals consistent with those
regulations?
Are there lab fees or incidental fees? Are they appropriate?
Is the short title for the course appropriate and descriptive?
Questions specific to Academic Courses:
Will the proposed courses transfer as core curriculum or elective courses?
Questions specific to Technical Programs:
Is the academic course the appropriate selection for the technical program?
34
Is the proposed course part of a program located on another campus?
For technical programs, has regional labor force data been collected? Have potential
employers been surveyed? Has an advisory committee been convened? Has the advisory
committee approved this proposal?
For Unique Need courses:
Will it transfer and count toward the general education or major requirements for a degree
at two regional universities? (Courses that transfer only as elective credit are not eligible
for Unique Need status).
Is justification of need provided?
Is transferability fully documented by a letter from each institution accepting the course
for transfer credit? (Each letter must specify course prefixes, titles, semester hours, and
how the course will apply toward a specific degree).
Is the course part of a 2+2 or other special transfer agreement? (If so, please include the
agreement in the proposal).
Is it a lower-division course—that is, less than a junior or senior level course?
Is it an academic course or a community service, leisure or vocational course?
(Community service, leisure and vocational courses do not qualify as Unique Need
courses).
Have student learning outcomes, course description, and course syllabi including course
outline been provided?
Questions specific to IA Committee(s) and IA Council
Will additional facilities be required for the proposed course (e.g., new or additional labs
or classroom space?
Will additional faculty or staff be required for the proposed course?
What will the start-up costs be?
What will the on-going costs be?
Will outside funding be made available for additional costs?
Will this course/program impact other courses/programs? If so, how?
35
Will this course/program be offered on all campuses?
36
Resources for Curriculum Proposals
The proposal and routing slips must be signed and all pages of the curriculum
proposal must be numbered.
In reviewing preliminary proposals or developing final proposals, curriculum proposal
teams and campus curriculum committees have a variety of resources available. Links are
provided for websites and e-mail addresses, when they exist.
Resource persons:
Department Chairs for Central:
Barbara Brown
Peggy Barron
Clara Campbell
Ann Cartwright
Billie George
Joe Hamilton
Veronica Jammer
Thi Lam
Eric Late
Becky Lidoph
LeeAnn Morris
David Norman
James Sells
Debbie Simpson-Smith
Michael Speegle
Bryan Suarez
Van Wigginton
Karen Malloy
Department Chairs for North
Brenda Blue
Alana Curry
Eddie Forster
Karen Hattaway
Judy Hendley
Ray Marak
Gail Mason
Kevin Morris
Bret Nelson
Darla Rocha
Shawn Silman
Randy Snyder
Michael Varnell
Communications
Cosmetology and Culinary Arts
Information Technology
Science
Business
EMT (District)
Nursing
Behavioral Sciences
Fine and Performing Arts
Physical Education
College Prep
Automotive
Mathematics
Education
Process Technology
Welding
Social Sciences
Allied Health
College Prep
Health Sciences
Industrial Technology
Communications
Consumer Services
Science
Information Technology & Criminal Justice
Business and Real Estate (District)
Social Sciences
Behavioral Sciences
Kinesiology
Fine Arts and Education
Drafting and Engineer Design Graphics (District)
37
Jan Wilson
Department Chairs for South
JP Anderson
David Baisden
Cecil Dorsey
Karen Duston
Cheryl Fasullo
Bill Gaffey
Collin Hutchison
Mary Lindsay
Linda Roberts
Jim Meeks
Danielle Morgan
Cindy Stevens
Sherry Swim
Mathematics
Mathematics
Service Technology
Social Science
Science
Behavioral Science
Business
Language Arts
Cosmetology
Health Science
Information Technology
College Prep
Visual and Performing Arts
Physical Education
Faculty Resources: Gustavo Cei (S), Bill Gaffey (S), Billie George (C), Judy Harrison
(S), Karen Malloy (C), Gail Mason (N), Deanna Robinson (N), Jay Yeager (C).
Instructional Deans:
Kathryn Roosa
Lou Brock
James Braswell
Gary Friery
Rebecca Goosen
Steven Horton
Sarah Janes
Catherine O’Brien
Barbara Taplin
Academic Dean, South
Technical Dean, South
eLearning, District
Academic Dean, Central
Technical Dean, North
College Prep, District
Technical Dean, Central
Academic Dean, North
Teaching and Learning, District
Allied Health, District
Deans of Enrollment Services
Amy Ammerman
Earl Godfrey
Kevin McKisson
North
South
Central
Vice Presidents of Instruction
Richard Bailey
Joseph Kirkland
Toni Pendergrass
North
Central
South
Vice Chancellor of Instruction and Student Services
Laurel Williamson
38
Resource manuals
Policy Manual – San Jacinto College Policy Manual
Curriculum Development Manual – G:/Curriculum Development or Blackboard
CIP/Rubric index – CIP-Rubric Index and Funding Table
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board guidelines for academic courses:
Academic curriculum proposal teams should use the Lower Division Academic
Course Guide Manual – ACGM
Texas Higher Coordinating Board guidelines for technical courses/programs:
Guidelines for Instructional Programs in Workforce Education – GIPWE
New technical programs refer to GIPWE; see Chapter 5
Program revisions refer to GIPWE; see Chapter 6
Workforce Education Course Manual  Search WECM
Additional sources:
Texas Workforce Commission – http://www.twc.state.tx.us
Occupational Information Coordinating Committee (SOICC) – http://www.cdr.state.tx.us/
Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor – http://stats.bls.gov
Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills – http://wdr.doleta.gov/SCANS/
39
Curriculum Documents
In the San Jacinto College District, a course syllabus is the document by which a
department’s faculty delineates the course content, structure, and proposed outcomes of a
course. Each faculty member has a central role in designing, reviewing and revising the
appropriate syllabi for courses within his/her discipline. Every course taught at the college
has a district syllabus to which the department faculty has agreed. A syllabus approved
during the curriculum process does not require signatures in addition to the approval.
Course Syllabus Information Required for Proposal
At a minimum, when a new course is being presented to the campus curriculum
committee, it must contain the following:



















Course rubric & number
Course title
Course description
Prerequisites or co-requisites
(Student credit hour: lecture contact hours—lab contact hours)
Student learning outcomes
General education outcomes
Grade range
Grade formula
Homework/Test make-up policy
Attendance Policy
Class participation policy (optional)
Classroom etiquette
Withdrawal policy
Repeat rule
Honest code
Emergency closure
Disability statement
Textbooks/materials
The information will be included in a syllabus that is consistent across the district.
Faculty can personalize the document for their individual classes. The course syllabus
template is available on G:/Curriculum Development and Blackboard.
40
First-Day Handouts for Students
The course syllabus is the controlling document for faculty who teach a particular course.
In much the same way, an instructor’s first-day handouts define the course for the students.
Instructors may prepare additional first-day handouts for each course they teach. The
instructor may add other information that the instructor wishes to be included (e.g.,
tentative schedule).
41
Glossary of Acronyms and Terms
Academic course – Those courses included in the Academic Course Guide Manual. The
development of an academic course does not require THECB approval.
Academic Course Guide Manual (ACGM) is the manual maintained by THECB. It contains
all courses approved in the state of Texas. If a course is not listed in ACGM, unique need
forms must be submitted to the state.
Associate degree – A type of degree designed for students who plan to transfer to a four-year
or upper -level college or university. The term refers to the associate of arts, associate of
science, or the associate of arts in teaching degrees. The absence of the term “Applied” in the
degree indicates that it is an transfer degree program.
Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree program – A program of study designed for
immediate employment and/or career advancement that are composed of an orderly,
identifiable sequence of courses designed to meet specific occupational competencies and
outcomes. The degree program is composed of technical courses, general education courses,
related instruction, and as appropriate, elective courses to prepare students for employment as
technicians or professionals.
Associate of Arts (AA) degree program – A program of study designed for students who plan
to transfer to a four-year of upper-level college or university. The degree program is
composed of general education courses such as English, mathematics, history and
government which are considered to be core requirements for most baccalaureate degree
programs.
Associate of Science (AS) degree program – A program of study designed for students who
plan to transfer to a four-year or upper-level college o university and major in mathematics,
one of the sciences (biology, chemistry, geology, physics, or related field) engineering,
computer science, or a baccalaureate degree in nursing. The associate of science degree
differs from an associate of arts degree in the amount or level of mathematics and science
required for degree completion.
Associate of Arts in Teaching (AAT) degree – A program of study of lower-division courses
intended for transfer to baccalaureate programs that lead to initial Texas teacher certification.
The AAT is a Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board-approved collegiate degree
program. This specialized academic associate degree program is designed to transfer in its
entirety and consists only of Board-approved curriculum.
Capstone experience – A learning experience that results in a consolidation of a student’s
educational experience and certifies mastery of entry-level workplace competencies. It must
occur during the last semester of the program.
42
Certificate – Awarded for a certificate program. It should constitute a building block towards
an Associate of applied science (AAS) degree.
Certificate program – A technical program designed for entry-level employment or for
upgrading skills and knowledge within an occupation. Certificate programs serve as building
blocks and exit points for AAS degree programs. This award is approved by the
Coordinating Board at one of three levels, appears on the Workforce Program Clearinghouse
Inventory, and is the subject of the Coordinating Board program evaluation process. Refer to
Guidelines for Instructional Programs in Workforce Education. The development of a
certificate program requires THECB approval.
Certificate of Technology – A credit program of 18–59 semester credit hours (SCH), roughly
two semesters of full-time coursework, that prepares students entry-level employment in a
particular field. These courses may be applied to an associate of applied science (AAS)
degree in the same field. Certificates of technology consisting of 42 or fewer semester credit
hours will be reported as Level One certificates. Certificates of technology consisting of 43
ore more semester credit hours will be reported as Level Two certificates.
Committee – A standing group at the campus level, such as the instructional affairs
committee on each campus.
CIP – Classification of Instructional Program codes used by the U.S. Department of
Education.
Continuing Education Certificate – A THECB-approved workforce education certificate
containing a coherent sequence of continuing education courses totaling 360 or more contact
hours and listed on the college’s approved of programs.
Continuing Education Unit (CEU) – One continuing education unit is 10 contact hours of
participation in an organized continuing education experience under responsible sponsorship,
capable direction, and qualified instruction. Refer to The Continuing Education Unit:
Guidelines of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
Core Curriculum – A 43-hour bock of courses that will automatically transfer to all Texas
public colleges and universities. Embedded within the 42-hour state-mandated core
curriculum leading to an AA or AS degree are the general education requirements.
Embedded within technical programs leading to an AAS degree are the 15-hours of general
education.
Council – A district-wide standing committee, such as the instructional affairs council that
reviews, among other issues, curriculum proposals.
Credential exam – A licensure, certification, or registration exam provided by state or
national agencies or by professional organizations appropriate to the discipline.
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Curriculum Proposal Team – The faculty committee responsible for academic course
proposals, technical program proposals and technical program revisions
Curriculum Facilitator – The chair of the curriculum proposal team
DACUM – An acronym for Developing a Curriculum, a DACUM is a process of identifying
specific duties and associated tasks required by a particular job or occupation.
Discipline – a subject or field of activity, generally used to refer to academic transfer courses
(e.g., English, mathematics)
External Learning Experience – A competency-based learning experience, paid or unpaid,
that enhances lecture and laboratory instruction, and is provided at work sites appropriate to
the discipline.
Feasibility Study – The process of choosing from among the alternatives that arise as the
result of the needs assessment. The selected alternative must be consistent with the mission
statement and goals of the institution.
FICE – An acronym for Federal Interagency Committee on Education Code. It is a code used
for identification. Each campus in the SJCD has a separate FICE code. Central is 003609;
North is 012713; South is 000090.
General Education – General education student learning outcomes represent the basic
intellectual competencies outlined by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. They
include:
READING: Reading at the college level means the ability to analyze and interpret a
variety of printed materials;
WRITING: Competency/outcome in writing is the ability to produce clear, correct and
coherent prose adapted to purpose, occasion, and audience.
SPEAKING: Competence in speaking is the ability to communicate orally in clear,
coherent, and persuasive language appropriate to purpose, occasion, and audience;
LISTENING: Listening at the college level means the ability to analyze and interpret
various forms of spoken communication;
CRITICAL THINKING: Critical thinking embraces methods for applying both
qualitative and quantitative skills analytically and creatively to subject matter in order to
evaluate arguments and to construct alternative strategies; and
COMPUTER LITERACY: Computer literacy at the college level means the ability to
use computer-based technology in communicating, solving programs, and acquiring
information.
GIPWE – An acronym for Guidelines for Instructional Programs in Workforce Education
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Marketable Skills Achievement Award – A credit program of 9-14 semester credit hours or a
continuing and professional development education program of 144-359 contact hours, which
provide students with specific, career-related, marketable skills.
Needs assessment – A data collection process. The data is used to make curriculum
decisions.
Occupational Certificate of Technology – A credit program of student of 15-18 semester
credit hours, roughly one semester of full-time coursework, that prepares students with entrylevel job skills. These courses may be applied to certificates of technology or associate of
applied science degrees in the same field.
Prioritization of new program development – The schedule of programs proposed by the vice
chancellor of instructional and student services in collaboration with the campuses
Program – An organized unit of instruction directly related to the acquisition and/or
upgrading of technical skills for which a Coordinating Board-approved certificate or an
applied associate of science degree is awarded. Refer to Guidelines for Instructional
Programs in Workforce Education. The development of a certificate program requires
THECB approval.
Program competencies profile – A matrix or checklist of competencies matched against
learning modules or courses in which the competencies will be developed.
SACS – An acronym for Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
SCANS skills – Skills identified by the Secretary’s Commission of Achieving Necessary
Skills as needed by American workers entry-level employment. Guidelines for Instructional
Programs in Workforce Education.
SJCD  An acronym for San Jacinto College District
Task Force – An ad hoc group such as a departmental, programmatic, or discipline specific
committee that comes together to develop a curriculum proposal.
THECB – An acronym for Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
Transfer courses – Those courses from the ACGM that can be transcripted for upper level
colleges and universities
Verification of Workplace Competencies – To verify entry-level workplace competencies, the
college must provide a capstone experience, eligibility for a credentialing exam, or an
external learning experience.
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WECM – An acronym for Workforce Education Course Manual
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