Chapter II: Quality Management for Courses

A. General Policy on Courses
B. Official Records of Courses
C. Course Proposals, Outlines, and Syllabi
D. Approvals of New Courses
E. Course Numbering
F. Course Changes
G. Inactivation of Courses
H. Reactivation of Courses


A. General Policy on Courses

All courses offered by the University of La Verne are approved by the appropriate academic department and the dean of the department’s school or college or the Associate Dean of La Verne College of Athens.  Cross-listed courses are approved by all departments and colleges involved.  Modifications that affect courses in any essential way (e.g., title, prerequisites, number, etc.) require the same approvals.  Course proposal procedures require that a complete course proposal be prepared and submitted by the proposer of every new course.  When the proposal is approved, it becomes the official course outline.

B. Official Records of Courses

Policy on Official Records of Courses:

Official files on ULV courses are maintained in the Office of Quality Management (QM).  QM also maintains files of courses inactivated since 1980.  The courses listed in the annual University Catalog represent a printed list of all the active courses (except 700-level courses) found in the QM files during the spring of the year of publication.

The Registrar maintains a separate electronic database of active and inactive courses based on information communicated by QM.  The Registrar’s Office is also the repository of information on pre-1980 courses.

Each department chair also keeps files on courses offered by his/her department, including current course outlines and recent syllabi.  Each campus/center/program director has similar files on courses taught through his/her campus/center/program.
 

Procedures on Official Records of Courses:

1. The official QM files on courses consist of individual files on each active course containing the course outline along with documentation on the origin of and modifications to the course.

2. When a new course is approved, a file for it is created, and the Registrar, department chair, originator, catalog director, and Director of Student Services, SCE, are notified.

3. When courses are altered, a signed approval is placed in the course file, and the Registrar, department chair, originator, catalog director, and Director of Academic and Student Services, SCE, are notified.

4. When courses are inactivated, their files are removed from the active drawers, marked "Inactive," and refiled by department in the inactive course drawers. The Registrar, department chair, originator, catalog director, and Director of Academic and Student Services, SCE, are notified.

5. In every case above it is the responsibility of the catalog director to see that the changes appear in the next issue of the catalog (except for 700-level courses which do not appear, and for courses which will only be offered once), the responsibility of the Director of Academic and Student Services, SCE, to see that appropriate SCE directors are informed, the responsibility of the Registrar to see that changes are enforced on future schedules, and the joint responsibility of QM and the Registrar to see that courses are properly listed in ULV's administrative computer system.

6. It is the responsibility of each department chair, including those at the Athens Campus, to maintain files on each course in the department, including current course outlines and recent syllabi. Departments are responsible for updating course outlines on a regular, systematic basis.

7. It is the responsibility of each campus/center/program director and the associate dean at Athens to obtain new course outlines of courses taught through his/her campus/center/program on a regular basis and to maintain these in course files.  It is also the director’s/associate dean’s responsibility to keep recent syllabi of courses taught at the campus/center/program on file.

C. Course Proposals, Outlines, and Syllabi

Policy on Course Proposals, Outlines, and Syllabi:

The University distinguishes two types of course documents in use in its Quality Management System:

1. Course Proposals/Outlines. Course proposals, which become course outlines once approved, are fully described by QMS45, "Guidelines for Writing Course Proposals." These guidelines must be followed in preparing proposals for new courses. The "Guidelines" require the following elements:

The course proposal/outline accompanies the "New Course Approval Form" form (QMS92) and becomes an integral part of the course file in the Office of Quality Management. Academic departments update course outlines at least every other year.

2. Term Syllabi. Every term the instructor in every class prepares a syllabus for the course based on the course outline but containing such additional items as reading and other assignments, an updated bibliography, attendance and grading policies, academic dishonesty information, and a schedule of meetings, exams, and other activities and deadlines. Each class syllabus must be consistent with the course outline as judged by the academic department. The class syllabus is a contract between the instructor and the students, and both students and instructor are expected to adhere to it.

For every approved ULV course, there is a course outline on file in the Office of Quality Management. Copies of term-by-term syllabi are stored in on-campus department offices, off-campus program offices, off-campus campus/center offices, and Athens.  In some academic departments and at Athens course syllabi are reviewed each term; in departments or locations where this is not possible, periodic reviews are made by department/program chairs, deans, and other academic visitors from the central campus.

Procedures on Course Proposals, Outlines, and Syllabi:

1. Course Proposals/Course Outlines. Procedures for preparing course proposals are covered in the section on Approvals of New Courses below. 2. Course Syllabi.

D. Approvals of New Courses

Policy on the Approval of New Courses:

All proposed courses must be approved by the regular contracted on-campus program chair or the subject area faculty specialist in the appropriate subject area faculty specialist in the appropriate subject area, the department chair, and the academic dean, or, in Athens, by the Athens department chair and the associate dean.  Courses proposed off campus other than at Athens must be recommended by the campus/center/program director of origin and approved by the off-campus department chair, if any, before being sent to QM for on-campus approval.  No course can be considered for approval unless a full course proposal/outline has been prepared and submitted by the proposer of the course.  No course can be considered for approval unless there is regular contracted faculty on campus or in Athens qualified to approve the course and qualified faculty to teach it.  Courses developed and approved at the Athens campus are sent to the appropriate on-campus department for information.  Determination of general education fulfillment for new courses is the exclusive prerogative of the on-campus department, or, in the case of CORE courses, of the General Education Committee.

Courses specific to proposed new programs may not be considered (and certainly never offered) until the program of which they are to be part has been fully approved by the Faculty Assembly and the appropriate administrators, and, where necessary, by the Board of Trustees and appropriate outside approving agencies.

Procedures for the Approval of New Courses:

1. Courses Proposed by a Regular Contracted Faculty Member On Campus or in Athens in the Departmentwhich Will Offer the Course. 2. Courses Proposed by Faculty Members Other than Regular Contracted On-Campus or Athens Facultyof the Department which Will Offer the Course.

E. Course Numbering

Policy on Course Numbering:

On-campus department chairs assign course numbers for new courses using guidelines established by the department.  Athens department chairs may propose a number, but before they can assign it, they must verify with the Office of Quality Management that the proposed number is available.  If no course number is assigned, the Director of Quality Management assigns a number using established department guidelines.

From time to time the entire system of course numbers must be changed. Most recently this was done in 1977 and again in 1990, the first at the inception of QA and the second during installation of the Banner student record system.

Procedures on Course Numbering:

1. The on-campus department chair (or Director of Quality Management) assigns numbers, or the Athens department chair proposes numbers, to new or modified courses based on the following guidelines: 2. The number assigned is recorded in the official and electronic files and communicated to the Registrar, originator, director of the catalog, and Director of Student Services, SCE.

3. If the Vice President for Academic Affairs determines that the entire course numbering system must be changed, the change is managed by the Office of QM. It requires the approval of all program and department chairs and the concurrence of affected center/program directors.

F. Course Changes

Policy on Course Changes:

No active course can be changed without the approval of the on-campus chair(s) of the department(s) responsible for the course and of the dean(s) of the appropriate college(s)/school(s) .  The only exceptions are courses developed in Athens and taught only in Athens.  These can be changed by the Athens chair of the department responsible for the course with the approval of the Athens associate dean.  The changes are sent to the appropriate on-campus dean for review.  When changes are proposed, every effort should be made to see that programs affected in other parts of the University are given time to comment on them before they are finalized. Changes to courses printed in the ULV catalog become effective on September 1 of the following year, the effective date of the next catalog. The only exceptions to this effective date are additions of general education fulfillment and additions of cross listings. These two can be added at any time.

Procedures on Course Changes:

1. Proposed changes must be made on QMS40a, "Course Change Request Form." If the content of the course is to be changed, a new course outline must be prepared to accompany QMS40a.

2. QMS40a must be signed by the on-campus department chairs of all departments responsible for the course and by all appropriate college/school deans.  Changes to curses which were developed in Athens and only taught there must be signed by the Athens department chairs of all departments responsible for the course and by the Athens associate dean.

3. It is the responsibility of the Director of Quality Management to try to see that all programs and departments, off campus as well as on campus, which might be effected by the change are informed of developments.

4. Once QMS40a is complete, it is forwarded to QM, which records the changes (effective the following September 1) and informs the Registrar, catalog director, initiator, and Director of Academic and Student Services, SCE.

G. Inactivation of Courses

Policy on Inactivation of Courses:

No active course can be inactivated without the approval of the on-campus chair(s) of the department(s) responsible for the course and of the dean(s) of the appropriate college/school(s).  The only exception is that courses which were developed in Athens and only taught there can be inactivated with the approval of the Athens chair(s) of the department(s) responsible and of the Athens associate dean.  When inactivations are proposed, every effort should be made to see that programs effected in other parts of the University, including SCE, are given time to comment on them before they are finalized. Course inactivations become effective the September 1 of the year following the publication of the last catalog in which the course appeared (i.e., with the effective date of the first catalog which appears without containing the course).

In general, courses (1) which have not been offered for two years or (2) which have not attracted enough students to "make" for three years will automatically be considered for inactivation. Courses which have not been offered for five years will automatically be inactivated.

Procedures on Course Inactivation:

1. Proposed inactivations must be made on QMS40a, "Course Change Request Form," which must be signed by the department chairs of all departments responsible for the course, by all appropriate college/school deans, and by the Director of Academic and Student Services, SCE.  QMS40a’s for courses developed and used only in Athens must  be signed by the Athens department chairs of all departments responsible and by the associate dean.

2. It is the responsibility of the Director of Quality Management to try to see that all programs and departments which might be effected, off campus as well as on campus, are informed of the proposed inactivation.

3. Once QMS40a is complete, it is forwarded to the Office of Quality Management which places the course file among the inactive courses (effective the following September 1). QM also informs the Registrar, catalog director, initiator, and Director of Academic and Student Services, SCE, of the change and works with the Registrar to see that the change is duly recorded in the computer system.

4. From time to time (e.g., when a new University catalog is being drafted or a program is being deleted) a department may wish to inactivate a number of courses at once. In such a case, the department chair may dispense with QMS40a, and merely communicate the inactivations with a rationale in a single memorandum to the appropriate dean/associate dean for approval. If the dean/associate dean approves, he/she will forward the memorandum with his/her signature to QM. QM will take the same precautions (including obtaining the signature of the Director of Academic and Student Services, SCE) and follow the same procedures as if the inactivations had been forwarded on individual QMS40a forms. A copy of the memorandum will be placed in the file of each course inactivated, and sent to inform the Registrar, catalog director, initiator, and Director of Academic and Student Services, SCE.

6. It is the responsibility of the Director of Quality Manage-ment, in the fall of each year, to determine which active courses have not been offered by ULV for over two years as well as those which have not attracted sufficient enrollment for over three years. The Director will compile a list of these courses and distribute it for comment to all interested deans, directors, and other individuals and departments. The Director will note in his covering memorandum that these courses will be inactivated unless there is sufficient reason to maintain the courses active. If it is decided that some or all of the courses on the list should be inactivated, QM will inactivate them using the covering memorandum along with any subsequent correspondence in lieu of a QMS40a as documentation. In all other respects, the same procedures will be followed for inactivation of courses as outlined above.

H. Reactivation of Courses

Policy on Reactivation of Courses:

The policy on reactivation of former courses is identical to the policy for the Approval of New Courses stated above.

Procedures for Reactivation of Courses:

Courses are reactivated in the same way that new courses are approved. The only exception is that copies of the former course's course outline and documentation should accompany the form QMS92, "New Course Approval Form," requesting reactivation when it is sent to the department and college/school for approval. If the request for reactivation does not involve a change in the course outline, a proposal for reactivation can be initiated simply by requesting QM to reactivate the course. The course cannot formally be reactivated, however, until the academic department and its dean have approved.  Courses developed and used only in Athens can be reactivated with the signatures of approval of the Athens department chairs of all departments responsible for the course and by the associate dean in consultation with the Director of QM to insure that the course number has not been reused.
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