Subject and Catalog #: Title: Department/Program: Proposed by: Date:
Please contact Andrew Marx to assign a catalog number at the beginning of the approval process
Course Description (as it will appear in the online catalog):
Limited to 40 words
Course Information : Please attach a narrative addressing the factors that prompted you to design the course, the curricular need it is designed to fill, its position within the curriculum, the primary and the secondary audiences it is expected to serve, and the pedagogical methods you intend to employ. A syllabus/reading list must also be attached . See page 3-4 for Syllabus Checklist.
Approval Process : This form and accompanying documents must be submitted to the appropriate committees and approved by the Dean before being added to the University Bulletin and the Schedule of
Classes . Approved courses (along with all documentation) are forwarded to the Office of the University
Registrar by the Dean’s Office.

Step 1: Approval at the department/program level. The department or program chair must sign.

Step 2: Approval at the School Council level is required for all undergraduate courses (courses numbered 199 and lower). The Chair of the School Council must sign. A course may be approved by more than one School Council. The respective Dean of the graduate schools must sign for IBS, Heller, and GSAS courses (numbered 200 and above).

Step 3: The Dean of Arts and Sciences must sign for all undergraduate and GSAS courses.
The Registrar’s Office will notify departments/programs if additional information is required to process the course approval. The Registrar’s Office reserves to the right to edit the course description for clarification, length and consistency with standard verbiage.
Required Signatures:
1: Department or Program Chair:
2: School Council Chair(s) or Grad School Dean:
School Council (check all that apply):
Creative Arts
Science
Humanities
Social Science
3: Signature of the Dean:
General deadlines for new course approvals to be finalized in order for courses to be included in the Schedule of Classes for the appropriate registration period:
To be included in: Obtain approval on or before:
April early registration for fall term
Summer registration
November early registration for spring term
February 1
May 1
October 1
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR THE COURSE CATALOG AND SCHEDULE OF CLASSES
The standard semester course is four (4) credits. If the course you are submitting is not 4 credits, please include a justification in the course materials.
Type of Course:
large lecture small lecture seminar studio lab
Course Restrictions and Other Stipulations:
Prerequisites:
Laboratory/Studio/Materials fee: $
Corequisites:
Limited access ( you may choose one or both methods) :
Enrollment limited to Signature of instructor required
Proposed Frequency: ( do not leave blank ; if uncertain, indicate most likely possibility):
Every semester Every year
Every second year
Every fourth year starting
Every third year starting
Special one-time offering; not to be offered again
Previous History:
Has this course been offered before? Yes No
Has a course similar to this course been offered before? Yes No
If the answer to either question is yes, indicate the course identification number and title of the previously offered course and the most recent academic year in which it was offered. (Please attach a copy of the course description as it appeared in the University Bulletin .)
Course Schedule Data: (subject to the approval of the University Registrar):
Proposed to be first offered: Spring 20 Fall 20 Summer 20
Instructor (check one): Ms. Mr.
Requested Block:
Department/Program
Requested Hours:
Room Resources Request:
Degree Audit:
Specify which requirements this class fulfills toward the major/minor or graduate degree for coding on the
Degree Audit.
University Requirements:
The instructor is responsible for submitting all courses to be approved by the committees governing the particular requirements which the course fulfills. The committees notify the Registrar’s Office directly when a course has been approved. Check all University Requirements for which you intend to seek approval:
Foreign Language
Physical Education
Non-Western and Comparative Studies
Quantitative Reasoning
Oral Communication
Writing Intensive
Cross-Listing/Elective Approval:
Subject area(s) to cross-list or add as an elective for this course:
Degree audit information for a cross-listing or elective is required. Please contact the department or program to obtain this information.
The Registr ar’s Office will notify departments/programs if additional information is required to add the course to the Course Catalog, the Schedule of Classes, or the Degree Audit.
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Curriculum Details:
1) Please list appropriate key words related to the proposed course that would assist others in finding the course through class search:
2) Please articulate the learning goals for this course:
3) Please identify other courses offered at the University that overlap content, subject matter or title with the proposed course.
To search for courses offered this academic year, please use the class search Keywords search feature in the public schedule of classes http://www.brandeis.edu/registrar/schedule/search?strm=1143&view=UGRD . You may select the Fall and Spring term and include either Undergraduate or Graduate courses or All.
The University Bulletin also lists classes by subject area http://www.brandeis.edu/registrar/bulletin/provisional/courses/subjects/index.html
and may assist you in identifying courses with content overlap.
Recommended Guidelines: Syllabus Checklist
1. Contact Details and Office Hours : instructo r’s office telephone number, e-mail address, website, office address and office hours.
2. Course Description and Objectives : short description of the course and the context in which it is taught.
Address teaching methodology and general expectations of students, including the expectation that students will expend three hours of out of class effort (e.g., reading, writing papers, completing problem sets, studying for exams, etc.) for each hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction.
3. Learning Goals : describe the knowledge, skills, and/or outlooks which you would like the students to learn or be able to demonstrate as a result of this course. Consider using action verbs.
4. Prerequisites : explanation of the level at which the course is pitched, list of courses that are formal prerequisites (must correspond to official list; consult department office or Brandeis University Bulletin if in doubt): This section might also mention topics or skills with which students should be familiar.
5. Course Plan : this is the heart of the syllabus —a detailed list of topics for the semester, perhaps accompanied by a statement that these topics may be amended with student input during the term. Consider including an entry for each class session with projected topics and readings. The Academic Calendar is online on the Registrar’s website; please remember “Brandeis Mondays,” etc. Some instructors also choose to include in this section brief objectives for sessions and/or questions for study and discussion.
6. Evaluation : explanation of grading, including percentages allocated to elements such as class participation, exams, homework, papers, projects. Normally, these percentages should not change once the course starts.
All students in a course must be evaluated the same way (this may include giving all students the same option, e.g., paper vs. exam). It is useful to also announce your policy for missed exams or deadlines (e.g., do you require documentation of the excuse?). If you are going to penalize students who do not attend a certain number of classes, this should be stated explicitly here.
7. Disabilities : every syllabus must contain the following paragraph: “If you are a student with a documented disability on record at Brandeis University and wish to have a reasonable accommodation made for you in this class, please see me immediately.”
8. Academic Integrity : The Director of Academic Integrity advises that every syllabus include a paragraph on academic integrity, such as the following: “You are expected to be familiar with, and to follow, the University’s policies on academic integrity. Please consult Brandeis University Rights and Responsibilities for all policies and procedures. All policies related to academic integrity apply to in-class and take home projects, assignments, exams, and quizzes. Students may only collaborate on assignments with permission from the instructor. Allegations of alleged academic dishonesty will be forwarded to the Director of Academic Integrity.
Sanctions for academic dishonesty can include failing grades and/or suspension from the university.”
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9. Privacy : If you are using online tools that would expose student coursework to parties outside the class, then you must include a statement like the following and provide appropriate safeguards: "This class requires the use of tools that may disclose your coursework and identity to parties outside the class. To protect your privacy you may choose to use a pseudonym/alias rather than your name in submitting such work. You must share the pseudonym/alias with me and any teaching assistants as needed. Alternatively, with prior consultation, you may submit such work directly to me."
10. Communications : details of class mailing lists, class websites and other links, if appropriate. Explain how syllabus changes will be communicated and how students should keep themselves informed.
11. Course Materials : materials recommended for purchase, including textbooks, case packets and online materials.
12. Critical Dates : the plan should include dates for exams, homework assignments, papers, projects and presentations. It is important to identify the date of the final exam, if any, which should be in the time slot the
University assigns for that block. Any mandatory exercises outside of scheduled times must also be listed.
The Undergraduate Curriculum Committee recommends that in-class graded exercises not be scheduled during the last week of classes. Whenever possible, final exams should be held during the official examination period, and other exams, take-home exams or quizzes should be completed before the last week of classes begins. In planning dates, faculty should be sensitive to the religious obligations of their students.
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