Course Proposals

• Please see either Proposing a GE Course on the General Education website or
• the GE Course Revision: Step by Step instructions on Canvas
• If you are revising an FLC, please see the section, First Year Learning Communities on the Resources page of the GE web page.

Overview

Course revision proposals need to be submitted on a Course Revision Form within Curriculog. Follow these step-by-step directions in the Curriculog tutorials on Canvas. Revisions to GE or Graduate courses must be reviewed by the GE Subcommittee or the Graduate Studies Subcommittee respectively.

Making Substantive Changes

Any proposal for change of title or substantive change of course content will be reviewed as though it were a new course. The Educational Policies Committee (EPC) will review those changes which might result in duplication or proliferation.

Proposals for substantive changes in courses which are used to satisfy requirements for other departments should be discussed with those departments prior to submission of the proposal; the results of those discussions should be noted on the Course Change Form.

Collaboration on Curriculum

Being a liberal arts and sciences institution, we support collaboration on curriculum as a general rule. Cross-listing is one possible way to collaborate. Other strategies may be more appropriate for your needs. Please contact the Chair of EPC or the AVP of Academic Programs for assistance.

Cross-listed Courses

A cross-listed course is one course that is offered in two or more departments. The student receives credit in the discipline in which they register for the course; the department whose faculty member is teaching the course receives all the workload credit and FTE/S. Cross-listed courses appear in both the catalog and the Schedule of Classes under the various departments which offer them.

Advantages of Cross-Listing Courses:

• Cross-listing offers possibilities for creating flexible interdisciplinary programs that can be responsive to changing needs.
• Cross-listing makes a wider variety of courses available to students within a particular program.

Guidelines for Cross-Listing:

• Every course must appear in the catalog with a course description under the listing of the department which initiated the course.
• Any department cross-listing a course needs to show a matching number, title, units, CS number, and a reference to the initiating department's course description.
• A department or program approved to cross-list a course offered by another department uses its own prefix, but must use the exact title and course number used by the initiating department.
• The course appears in the Schedule of Classes under the prefix of each department cross-listing the course and on the student's transcript with the prefix of the department under which the student registers for the course.
• Cross-listing additions or changes should be made using a Course Revision Form in Curriculog. See How to Submit a Proposal for a Cross-listed Course for step-by-step instructions.
• Proposals for cross-listing courses must also include a Cross-listing MOU:
• Document:FINAL Fillable PDF Fall 2024 Cross Listing MOU .pdf (70.56 KB)
• Adobe eSign Directions for Cross-listing MOU
• Cross-listing is permissible only at the same level. No cross-listing can be done between lower-division and upper-division courses, or between upper-division and graduate courses.

Proposals need to be submitted in Curriculog using the Course Discontinuation Form. Proposals for discontinuation of courses should consider the effect upon the major, minor, General Education, and related departments. Proposals for discontinuance of courses which are used to satisfy requirements in other departments should be discussed with those departments prior to submission of the proposal. The results of those discussions should be noted on the Course Change Form. 

Proposals for discontinuance of General Education courses should be reviewed by the General Education Subcommittee before submission to EPC. Courses which have not been offered for two years will be reviewed by the Academic Planning, Assessment, and Resources Committee and EPC and will be inactivated in the Catalog unless departmental justification warrants continued inclusion.

Service-learning is a pedagogy that utilizes community service projects within the context of an academic course. Academic service-learning distinguishes itself from internships and other credit-bearing community experiences in several ways.

First, the community experience is a component of an academic course, used as a "text" for student learning. Second, service-learning projects are designed in partnership with community to meet an expressed community need. Third, a structured reflection activity is utilized to help students understand how their community experiences link with the academic and civic learning objectives of the course. Courses at Sonoma State University that seek to bear a service-learning designation should adhere to the following guidelines:

• The service shall be connected to and support the academic learning objectives of the course.
• The service shall address a need identified or developed in partnership with the greater community.
• Participation in community service is a core component of the course.
• Service-learning activities and requirements are described in the course syllabus or independent study contract.
• Faculty shall provide structured activities for critical reflection linking the service and academic study.
• Service sites are evaluated and approved by the course instructor. Students shall be appropriately supervised and supported by faculty or staff, in collaboration with site personnel.
• The opportunity shall be distinct from an internship, field experience, practicum or volunteer activity, unless these experiences meet the above criteria.

In the spirit of service-learning best practice, faculty are strongly encouraged to:

• Design the service-learning component to address an off-campus community need, except when intentionally addressing sustainability, peer education, campus activism, etc...
• Evaluate students on their ability to draw connections between the community service and course content, not just on completion of service.
• Visit service sites to assess their appropriateness to learning outcomes.