Policies & Procedures

Courses

Guidelines for Submission of Experimental Courses and Experimental Programs - 1C8

A. Guidelines

1. All experimental offerings shall be approved and monitored by the academic department of origination. If originated by an individual who is not affiliated with an academic department, the originator shall include in the proposal a plan for academic approval and monitoring which shall have been accomplished prior to submission to the Curriculum Council of the Faculty Senate.
2. All experimental offerings shall be submitted to the Curriculum Council for informational and guideline confirmation purposes.
3. Each submission shall include:
   
   1. A statement covering the educational rationale for such an offering.
   2. A statement describing possible or probable student clientele.
   3. A fiscal support statement from the appropriate fiscal officer involved.
   4. A statement rationalizing the adjectival use of "experimental" in labeling the offering.
   5. A detailed statement of the evaluative methodology to be employed. Upon completion of the Experimental course, the Curriculum Council should be supplied with a report based on this statement of evaluative methodology.
4. The appropriate committee shall report the status of all campus experimental offerings to the Curriculum Council from time to time but at least twice each year.

Procedure for Initiating Experimental Courses

1. All experimental courses will carry the same number across all department lines. It is intended that an experimental course could be offered at the 100, 200, and 300 level. (The numbers 199, 299, and 399 are recommended, but their availability will need guarantee by the Registrar.)
2. A department cannot offer more than one course at a time at each of the three levels. Normally, the experimental period would cover one full year.
3. In addition to the material required in the Guidelines above, certain identifying information will be required to be submitted on a form to be developed by Academic Affairs. These forms, upon approval, must then be submitted to Academic Affairs. A copy of this form will then be submitted to the Registrar and other appropriate offices for information. Appropriate monitoring of the time limitation on these courses will occur by the Registrar and Academic Affairs.
4. An experimental course cannot be offered for more than one year unless special consent is given by the Curriculum Council. Following the one year experimental period, if a course is to be continued, it must be submitted for approval on form 90's through regular academic review channels.
5. An experimental course must be processed no later than one full term before it is offered, e.g., a course to be offered the fall term must be processed no later than the end of the spring term.
6. Before the request for a new course is submitted to the Curriculum Council, it must be submitted to Academic Affairs for checking of appropriate title, numbers, etc. The request for an experimental course will then be forwarded by Academic Affairs to the Curriculum Council no later than one week after receiving it.
7. Before the request for an experimental course is submitted to the Curriculum Council, it must be submitted to Academic Affairs for checking to ascertain if appropriate University policies are followed governing the use of titles, whether the submitting department has another course extant, etc. If all procedures are proper, the course request will be submitted to the Curriculum Council no later than one week following receipt from the submitting academic unit.

Approved by Chancellor effective 4/10/91
This policy was issued on February 1, 1996, replacing the August 15, 1991 version.
Document Reference: 1C8
Origin: CC 11-70/71; OP 4/10/91