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What is an integrative course? |
An Integrative course is a course in the major, in which selected Carolina Core learning outcomes are integrated into the chosen major. Each undergraduate program must have an approved integrative course and require it as part of the major to ensure that all undergraduate students have had an integrative course in their major. It cannot just be an option in the major. Learn more on integrative courses. |
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How do Carolina Core Overlay courses work? |
Carolina Core overlay courses meet two Carolina Core learning outcomes in one course. Students may apply a maximum of two overlay courses to their Carolina Core hours. All students must have a minimum of 31 hours of Carolina Core. For a list of overlay-eligible courses, visit the Carolina Core website and sort by the Overlay column in the table. Learn more with the Carolina Core Overlay Training Module |
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Can I choose specific (prescribed) courses as part of the Carolina Core for my program? | Yes. Certain programs may require courses that are approved as Carolina Core foundational courses. It makes sense that those programs would “prescribe” those courses as required for the particular Carolina Core component that they fulfill. | |
When should I submit my proposal in order to be effective for the next Bulletin year? | All proposals must reach the Committee on Curricula and Courses 10 days prior to the November meeting in order to make the December Faculty Senate cutoff for curriculum changes. It depends on the type of proposal submitted how long it will take to reach the Committee on Curricula and Courses and if there are any external approvals required. Program actions may take between 6 months and 2 years for full review (ACAF 2.00). Review the various levels of approval needed for various types of curricular actions. | effective year, bulletin year, catalog year, propsoal, deadline |
When is the content in my proposal effective? | New courses, programs, and concentrations can be effective for the next term after all approvals and notifications. Course, program, and concentration changes or deletions will be effective for the next bulletin year if all approvals are received 10 days prior to the November Curricula and Courses Committee meeting and approved by Faculty Senate. | effective year, bulletin year, catalog year, propsoal, deadline |
What are the requirements for a cross-listed course? |
“A cross-listed course is a course that is offered under more than one course subject and is not appropriate for courses with the same course subject. Once a cross-listed course is approved, the courses are viewed as equivalent and identical and should ideally be able to be taken interchangeably within degree programs which require the course.” (ACAF 2.03) Cross-listed courses must have the exact same criteria as listed below:
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What are the requirements for a syllabus? |
All undergraduate and graduate courses must have a course syllabus that includes the following:
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How long will it take for my proposal to receive all levels of approval? |
It depends on the type of proposal submitted and if there are any external approvals required. Program actions may take between 6 months and 2 years for full review (ACAF 2.00). Review the various levels of approval needed for various types of curricular actions. See the APPS Approval Flow Chart for program actions. Also see the Academic Programs website for CHE Timelines and Bulletin Freeze Charts. |
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Will my proposal require any external approvals? |
Only programs require external approvals (the President, Board of Trustees (BoT), SACS, and CHE notification or approval), as outline in ACAF 2.00: "All new academic programs and program name changes across the entire USC system must be approved by the president. All new academic programs and program name changes across the entire USC system must be approved by the University Board of Trustees." CHE approval is required in the following cases:
CHE notification is required in the following cases:
SACSCOC approval is required six months before implementation in the following cases:
SACSCOC notification is required six months before implementation in the following cases:
The program percentages must be based on the total number of credits required to earn the degree, not on the number of required credits in the major, minor or course, or the number of contact hours. SACSCOC may also request more information or additional materials such as a prospectus for any action. |
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Will my proposal require a letter of concurrence? |
Under ACAF 2.00: Interdisciplinary or Interprofessional Programs: Each instance in which an interdisciplinary or interprofessional program is created, revised, or terminated requires letters of concurrence from all related academic units. Dual, Joint and Other Collaborative Degree Programs: The proposal requires the approval of the faculty and leadership in both or all collaborating programs, and letters of concurrence from all university units in closely related disciplines. Under ACAF 2.03: Course Actions: If a course action has the potential to impact the curriculum offering of other units or campuses, then the proponent is responsible for procuring concurrence from such units or campuses. Cross-listed course: If one course is new, and the other already exists, the unit introducing the new course shall include a statement of concurrence from the unit with the existing course. If all courses in a cross-listing are existing courses, one of the units shall submit the course action, indicating all other courses with which the course is cross-listed. All other units shall provide to the initiating unit statements of concurrence, indicating all other courses with which the initiated course is cross-listed. Common Reasons Proposals are Returned from the Curricula and Courses Committee: Pre-/Co-Requisites: Changes to Pre-/Co-requisites (either their addition or removal) require a letter of concurrence for the department offering the pre-/co-requisite course unless the impacted courses are in the same department as the subject course.
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When do cross-listed courses require additional proposals, and not just letters of concurrence? |
Common Reasons Proposals are Returned from the Curricula and Courses Committee:
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Do all changes to a cross-listed course affect any cross-listed course(s) as well? |
Common Reasons Proposals are Returned from the Curricula and Courses Committee: Getting approval for distributed learning for one cross-listed course does not automatically approve cross listed courses for distributed learning delivery. Separate submissions are required for each course. |
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When is a syllabus required for a proposal? |
Common Reasons Proposals are Returned from the Curricula and Courses Committee: A syllabus should only be included in a proposal when necessary. When a syllabus is included, it will be reviewed by the Committee on Curricula and Courses. Proposals that require a syllabus:
Proposals that do not require a syllabus:
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How do I change my program learning outcomes? |
Learning Outcomes are placed in the Academic Assessment Plan Composer. Please contact La Trice Ratcliff-Small in OIRAA with any questions regarding learning outcomes. |
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What is included in progression requirements? |
Progression requirements should inform students and advisors of any deadlines and minimum performance standards to continue in a program. They may include deadlines for course or application completion, minimum GPA requirements, minimum grade requirements, minimum number of credits earned, etc. Learn more with the Progression Requirements training module. |
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What is a concentration? |
"A Concentration is a series of courses that display a distinct curricular pattern within the major. They are often called options, emphases, tracks, areas, fields, or specializations. These are different from minors or cognates which are typically outside of the major. Concentrations are subject to faculty governance review, and appear on the transcripts but not the diplomas." (ACAF 2.00) |
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Can a program include more than one concentration? |
Yes, programs may have multiple concentrations within the major. |
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If my program has multiple concentrations, will a change to the program affect all of the concentrations? |
Concentrations are specific areas of study within the major. Anything outside of a concentration is part of the base program. If the change is to the Carolina Core, College Requirements, Program Requirements, or Major requirements (outside of the concentration), then the change will affect all concentrations. If the change is within a specific concentration itself, then it will not affect other concentrations in the program. |
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What is a cognate? |
"A cognate is series of courses that display a distinct curricular pattern in one or more disciplines different from the major. Undergraduate cognates require a minimum of 12 credit hours in advanced level courses related to, but outside the major. Graduate cognates range between 9 and 18 credit hours. Cognates are variable according to what is appropriate as determined by the student and the major advisor. Thus, cognates are not subject to faculty governance review, and do not appear on either the transcripts or the diplomas." (ACAF 2.00) |
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What are critical courses on the major maps? |
Courses may be marked as critical if there is a deadline for completion or if they may cause a delay in graduation because they serve as a prerequisite in a series of courses, have prescribed sequencing, or have limited offerings. There is a description of why courses are critical for a particular program in the first program note on the back of each major map. Critical courses are explained with examples in the Major Maps Training Module. |
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When is the new Bulletin published for the upcoming academic year? |
A new Bulletin is published each February 15th for the coming academic year. |
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How do I know if I need a curriculum change proposal to make a change in the Bulletin? |
A curriculum change proposal is required when substantive changes are needed. Changes that are non-substantive include typos, grammar errors, formatting changes, and other changes that do not affect the meaning or interpretation of curricular information. |
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Who should I contact if I have a correction for DegreeWorks? |
Please visit the DegreeWorks Edit Request website. |
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Who should I contact if there is an issue in Banner? |
Fill out the form on the Self Service Carolina Help website. |
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Who is the Academic Program Liaison (APL) for my college? |
Current APL’s are listed on the Planning and Assessment, Academic Program Liaison’s page of the Provost’s website. |
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Who can I contact in my college for assistance with curriculum actions? |
An Academic Program Liaison (APL) is designated for each college/school on the Columbia campus, for each comprehensive campus, and for the regional Palmetto College campuses. The APLs will serve as the main information resource on academic program actions and as the academic program liaison to the Provost’s Office for their respective units. The list of current Academic Program Liaisons can be found on the Planning and Assessment, Academic Program Liaison’s page of the Provost’s website. |
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How do I propose a course action? |
Course actions include proposing new courses, modifying or changing courses, terminating courses, and adding distributed learning to a course. Visit the Academic Programs website and scroll to the section for the action you’d like to take. |
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How do I propose a program action? |
Program actions include proposing new, modifications to, or terminating degree programs, minors, concentrations, and academic certificates. Visit the Academic Programs website and scroll to the section for the action you’d like to take. |
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What is the process for course actions? |
Internal Approvals:
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What is the process for program actions? |
Internal Approvals:
External Approvals: 8. Board of Trustees (if needed) 9. CHE (if needed) 10. SACSCOC notification and/or substantive change (if needed) See the APPS Approval Flow Chart for program actions. |
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What is the format for an undergraduate degree program? |
Program of Study:
For training on the Program of Study format: |
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What is the Carolina Core? | The Carolina Core provides the common core of knowledge, skill and academic experience
for all Carolina undergraduate students. It provides the foundation for subsequent
specialized study and for lifelong learning. Learn more about the Carolina Core.
Learn more with the Carolina Core training module. |
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Do prerequisites have to be enforced in Banner? |
Prerequisites do not have to be enforced in Banner. However, it is recommended that they be enforced, as they are published in the Bulletin. It creates inconsistency in University sources to list prerequisites on the Bulletin, but then not enforce them in Banner. |
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What is DegreeWorks? | DegreeWorks is the University’s degree audit system. DegreeWorks aids both students
and advisors in monitoring students’ progress toward degree and assist students in
choosing the most appropriate courses to fulfill degree requirements. Integrated with
students’ academic records in Banner, DegreeWorks matches student record data (courses,
hours grades) with degree requirements categorically to identify which courses meet
degree requirements and which courses need to be completed. Degree works also allows
users to run “what if” and “look ahead” scenarios to both show how project courses
will apply to a student’s major and apply a student’s course history to another program
of study. (Office of the University Registrar)
Learn more with the DegreeWorks Overview training module. |
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Why do Faculty need to know about DegreeWorks? |
Every undergraduate student has access to his/her personal degree audit. This in important because students monitor their own progress. Degree audits are especially important for athletes, veterans, and OSP (Opportunity Scholars Program) students, who must have an accurate degree audit for compliance (NCAA, GI Bill, Federal Funding). Faculty need to be aware of this because curricular decisions must be accurately reflected in DegreeWorks. |
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What are major maps? | A major map is a layout of required courses in a given program of study, including
critical courses and suggested course sequence to ensure a clear path to graduation.
Major maps include universal terminology, a standard program of study, and a common
8-semester template.
Access the Major Map Repository Learn more about major maps with the Major Map Training Module |
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What is CourseLeaf? | CourseLeaf is the new curriculum management software that includes curriculum inventory management (curriculum change process) and catalog management (bulletin). | |
What is EAB Navigate? |
The EAB Advising Platform (known as Navigate on the Columbia campus), populated by a nightly feed of student data from Banner, provides a simple overview of key student information; success marker notifications; risk scoring for early intervention; a full transcript view and incoming student test and placement scores; easy list development based on hundreds of student attributes (GPA ranges; credit completion percentages; specific courses; participation in certain groups such as Honors, athletics, or sorority/fraternity; transfers; etc); a major matcher feature integrated with hiring and salary data provided by O-Net; easy referrals to support offices across campus who will reach out to the student and then close the loop with the advisor who made the referral. Learn more with the EAB Navigate Overview training module. |
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What is Banner/Self-Service Carolina? |
Self-Service Carolina allows students, faculty, and advisors to access student information via the web. Students may use Self Service Carolina to:
Faculty may use Self Service Carolina to:
Academic Advisors may use Self Service Carolina to:
Learn more with the Self Service Carolina Overview training module. For helpful tutorials and how to videos, visit the Self-Service Carolina Upgrade page. |
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What is the difference between prerequisites and restrictions? |
What is the difference between prerequisites and restrictions? Prerequisites are courses (successfully completed with a minimum grade of D, unless otherwise defined) that identify the skills and knowledge needed before enrollment in certain courses. Restrictions are conditions that limit the enrollment in certain courses to a select group of students. Restrictions may include:
Note: Restrictions referring to students who have completed a specific number of credit hours and students with a certain minimum GPA cannot be enforced in Banner. |