Faculty are the guardians of the curriculum and, as such, the Curriculum Committee has the responsibility to oversee curricular requests not just from our departments/centers, but from every other unit at the University. Every curricular proposal begins and ends with faculty oversight. There are opportunities for experimental courses and valuable resources to support curriculum development.

Curriculum Process

  • Beginning the Curricular Process

    The process begins with faculty wishing to modify the current curriculum in some manner.

    The first step is for curriculum forms to be completed by the department and submitted to the Curriculum Committee.

    Curriculum forms and information are available at the Faculty Senate website.

  • Continuing the Curricular Process

    Once the committee approves a submission:

    • The Associate Dean, who acts as a liaison to the Committee, reviews the submissions, makes any necessary changes, approves them on the Dean’s behalf, and forwards them to the Faculty Senate.
    • The Faculty Senate prepares the submissions for publication in the University Curriculum Committee Bulletin.
    • The Graduate and Undergraduate Councils review program submissions.
    • The University Curriculum Committee reviews new course proposals, course change/deletions, and program proposals. Some program requests require a hearing.
    • Approved submissions are forwarded to the Faculty Senate.
    • The chairs of the University Curriculum Committee and the two councils sign the forms.
    • On the floor of the Faculty Senate, the chair of the University Curriculum Committee presents a motion to approve all items on a specific bulletin. Although usually the Senate approves the bulletin as a whole, senators may question any item being presented.
    • After the senators approve the motion, the chair of the Faculty Senate signs the forms on behalf of the Senate.


    The forms are reviewed by the Provost’s Office. Those approved are sent to the Registrar’s Office for processing:

    • The new course proposals are sent to Tallahassee where they are forwarded to the faculty discipline representative who will assign the course a number. Once we receive a new number, a copy of the course proposal with the new number written in is sent to the department.
    • Course change/deletions are processed internally.
    • Program changes are recorded.
    • When the new programs are assigned a code, the Registrar’s Office notifies the dean’s office and the department chair.
    • All changes are made to catalog.
  • Hearings

    All proposals will go through one or more hearings during the Curriculum and Faculty Senate (FS) process prior to final approval.  Please refer to the grids below to find out which hearings will be required for your proposal. Note exempt cases listed below the grids.

    UNDERGRADUATE
    Curriculum Council (FS)Undergrad Council (FS)Grad Council (FS)GLCOC (FS)UCCOC (FS)
    New MinorsX
    New Undergraduate TracksXX
    New Undergraduate DegreesXX
    New Undergraduate PoliciesX
    New Undergraduate MajorsXX
    GRADUATE
    Curriculum Council (FS)Undergrad Council (FS)Grad Council (FS)GLCOC (FS)UCCOC (FS)
    New Graduate Degree Tracks
    XX
    New Graduate Degrees
    XX
    New Graduate Policies
    X
    New Graduate Major
    XX
    Unit Specific Admission Requirement
    X

     

    OTHER
    Curriculum Council (FS)Undergrad Council (FS)Grad Council (FS)GLCOC (FS)UCCOC (FS)
    Global Learning Designation
    X
    University Core Curriculum
    X

     

    The following proposals DO NOT require Curriculum, Undergrad, Grad, GLCOC, or UCCOC Council hearings:  Accelerated Degrees (Bachelors, Masters, 4+1); Changes to Programs; Combined Degrees; New Certificates/Changes to Certificates; Course Changes; New Courses; and, New Degree Designations.  Please note that the Faculty Senate may request a hearing for any proposal if more information is required.

CASE Curriculum Committee

  • Curriculum Committee 2023-2024

    CASE Curriculum Committee 2022-2023

    DepartmentCommittee Member
    BiologyAlain Duran
    ChemistryJeff Joens
    Counseling, Recreation and School PsychologyHyejin Bang
    Earth and EnvironmentPatricia Houle
    Educational Policy StudiesAmy Li
    EnglishMichael Creeden
    Liberal StudiesWanda Raiford
    Math and StatisticsMirroslav Yotov
    PhilosophyKenton Harris 
    PhysicsRajamani Narayanan
    PsychologyRachel Ritchie
    Teaching and LearningJennifer Mirabal
    Women’s StudiesMichaela Moura-Kocoglu
  • Committee Responsibilities

    The College of Arts, Sciences, and Education Curriculum Committee (CASE CC) meets six times a year from September to April.  CASE Curriculum Committee Representatives will elect a chair and a vice chair at the first meeting of the academic year in September.  The chair will also serve as the College representative to the University Curriculum Committee, while the vice chair serves as acting chair whenever the chair is absent.  The term of a chair and vice chair is for one year from the date of appointment, usually the start of the academic year.  Chair and Vice Chair may also represent their department as a curriculum representative, if necessary.  

    Currently, there are 13 CASE Curriculum Committee Representatives representing each department within the college.  Representatives are chosen by the chair and/or elected by faculty of their respective departments to act as a liaison between the college and the department for all matters concerning curriculum.  Unlike the Curriculum Chair and Vice Chair, there are no term limits for representatives. 

    The primary role of the CASE Curriculum Committee Representatives is to advise their department and faculty of the university curriculum process.  Representatives should also assist faculty in creating proposals needed by the department and faculty, ensuring that they follow all guidelines and complete requirements for their submissions as mandated by the Faculty Senate.

    The most effective Curriculum Committee Representative is the one who works closely with the appropriate members of the department in the process of creating the submission. That way, the representative, armed with information about the process learned from the meetings, can make sure that submission is ready for review by the CASE Curriculum Committee.  

    The Curriculum Committee Representative and/or Faculty Contact must submit proposals to the Office of the Dean via email before the proposal submission deadline (see CASE Curriculum Committee Meeting Calendar below for more info).  The Office of the Dean will review submissions and send them back for revision if there are any errors and/or inconsistencies with the proposal(s).  We encourage all representatives and Faculty Contacts to submit their proposals early to give ample time to provide feedback, if needed.

    Proposal are due approximately one week before the CASE Curriculum Meeting (Friday) and distributed to all Curriculum Committee Representatives, along with the meeting agenda, shortly after the deadline (NOTE: Proposals will not be accepted after the deadline).  At this time, it is highly recommended that all representatives review all agenda proposals, particularly those of their own departments, and report any errors or inconsistencies they may find prior to/or during the meeting.  The representative and/or the Faculty Contact for the proposal are advised to attend the meeting.  If the Faculty Contact cannot attend the meeting, the representative may take his/her place and should be ready to answer any questions the committee may have concerning the proposal.  Proposals will be tabled to the next meeting if there is no Faculty Contact or representative at the meeting.  

    The representative and/or the Faculty Contact will present their proposal(s) the day of the meeting.  Committee members will have the opportunity to ask questions, make suggestions, and/or raise objections with regards to the proposal(s).  After a short discussion period, a vote will be taken for approval.  If the submission passes by a simple majority it will be considered approved.

    If the committee finds that a proposal will need a minor revision prior to moving on to the Faculty Senate, they may approve the submission pending requested revisions or additional information.  The Curriculum Committee Representative is responsible to convey that information to the appropriate Faculty Contact so that the revisions required by the committee are made immediately.  Any changes or additional information required must be submitted to the Dean’s Office by the Wednesday following the CASE Curriculum Committee Meeting.  The Dean’s Office will not review any submissions that do not meet the conditions set by the CASE Curriculum Committee.

    Here are some of the recurring questions with submissions:

    1. Overlap – the material overlaps with that studied in another discipline. At the meeting, the representative of the other notices that overlap and the lack of consultation (there is no letter from the chair) and requests such a letter
    2. Incomplete submissions – important information is missing. Submissions should be checked to ensure that all the required information is included.

    If a Curriculum Committee Representative decides not to continue as a departmental curriculum representative during (or at the end of) the academic year, he or she should notify the Office of the Dean about the change immediately.  The outgoing representative or department will need to provide the name of the new representative as soon as it is available.  The outgoing representative should brief the new representative with information about the committee, curricular process and any pending curricular issues the department may have.

  • Curriculum Committee Meetings 2023-2024
    Bulletin 

    Materials Due in Dean's Office

    (Wednesdays)

    Meeting Date

    (Fridays)

    Agenda Approved ProposalsCurriculum Proposal Effective Date
    #1September 6, 2023September 15, 2023TBATBAFall 2024
    #2October 11, 2023October 20, 2023TBATBAFall 2024
    #3*November 22, 2023December 1, 2023TBATBAFall 2024
    #4January 10, 2024January 19, 2024TBATBAFall 2024

    Additional Information

    2023-2024 CASE Curriculum Committee Meeting Calendar

    NEW FOR 2023-2024! - With the implementation of a new catalog and electronic curriculum system, the effective date for all 2023-2024 curriculum proposals will be Fall 2024.  For this year, Bulletin #4 will be the deadline for materials to be submitted and approved for inclusion in the 2024-2025 catalogs and the 2024-2025 Undergraduate Major Maps.

    While these changes may have little impact on how we organize our curriculum committee meetings, the process of creating and submitting a curriculum proposal to the Curriculum Committee/Faculty Senate will change greatly between now and Fall 2024.  We hope to test the new catalog/curriculum system next spring at the end of Bulletin 4.  Once we receive more information concerning the new curriculum system and how it works, we will let you know.

    As a reminder, no proposals are effective for summer semesters, so please plan your proposals accordingly.

    To track the progress of a CASE CC approved curriculum proposal, please visit the Faculty Senate Curriculum SharePoint site here.  

    Course Proposals

    Changes to a course prefix, number, credit hours, title description, or prerequisite, MUST have a current syllabus attached to justify the change. New course proposals MUST be submitted with a proposed syllabus which includes learning outcomes, major topics and textbooks.

    Experimental courses must be submitted to the Dean's Office for experimental course numbering, Dean's signature and approval.  The Registrar’s Office will not repeat an experimental course unless there are extenuating circumstances, e.g., a permanent number for the previously submitted and approved non-experimental course has not been received.

    All Other Proposals

    Proposals MUST include a completed proposal checklist available from the curriculum forms page on the Faculty Senate webpage. Please note the faculty contact submitting the proposal MUST be present at the hearing for the respective bulletin, if applicable.

    The listing of applicable hearings and respective additional parties required are as follows: Joint Hearings is defined as Undergraduate Council & University Curriculum Committee and/or Graduate Council & University Curriculum Committee. The proposals that require joint hearings are: NEW Undergraduate Degree Programs, NEW Majors, NEW Tracks, NEW Graduate Degree Programs. NEW Undergraduate Minors only require the presence of Undergraduate Council. NEW Certificate programs, CHANGES to any program/major/track, etc., and Course Proposals do not require a hearing.

     

    If you have any questions concerning Grad/Undergrad Councils or the Faculty Senate, please email Mary Cossio.

Courses

  • Online Courses

    FIU Online provides pedagogical and technological tools as well as training for online professors to make curriculum accessible, engaging and effective for your students.

    New Courses

    The process of a course proposal, approval and implementation take about 2-3 business weeks. In the request form, be sure to include your department chair's email in the Supervisor Email space, so that they can get a copy of the request.

    1. Faculty submits online course proposal
    2. CASE conducts enrollment analysis
    3. CASE conducts pedagogical assessment
    4. FIU Online assigns Instructional Designer (ID)
    5. Faculty and ID Designer design course shell and content


    Here are resources that will help guide you through the process.


    If you have any questions, please contact Wendy Sanchez in the CASE Dean's Office.

  • Experimental Courses

    Experimental courses are those that are offered on a trial basis, often prior to submitting the course for permanent status. Courses may be offered as experimental only once. Offering an experimental course more than once requires permission from the Graduate or Undergraduate Dean.

    Procedure for Requesting an Experimental Course

    • Requests for experimental courses require that the completion of a New Course Proposal Form. On the top right-hand corner, write in EXPERIMENTAL and the semester and the year when the course will be offered (e.g. FALL 2008).
    • Department must submit the original and 2 copies as well as a copy of the syllabus to the Dean’s Office. The College will assign a number and forward the form to the Registrar’s Office. Until the number has been added to the master catalog by the Registrar, the course may not be added to the schedule. If the screens are open, then the course may be inputted by the department; if they are closed, then a request to add a course must be submitted.

    Submission Guidelines

    • Department may offer no more than 3 experimental courses each semester. Requests to offer an experimental course a second time must be accompanied by “Memorandum of Justification”.
    • Submission is due at least 2 weeks prior to the opening of the scheduling screens. If the request is to offer the course a second time, the request should arrive in the Dean’s Office 4-6 weeks prior to the opening of the screens.
  • Global Learning Courses

    Global Learning courses are interdisciplinary and part of undergraduate education. 

  • Gordon Rule Courses

    The Gordon Rule aims to improve the critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication of students, especially through writing.