General Course and Curriculum FAQs
Program name changes or changes in degree code (CIP) require approval of faculty governance and the Chancellor’s Office. These changes can be done using the Program Revision form in Curriculog. Additional documentation required can be found here.
The Signature Assignment reflection prompt should be included directly on the GE paperwork. It should also be a specific prompt. For UD GE courses, there must be a reflection that includes lower division coursework in that GE area.
A course is checked in Curriculog as repeatable only if the course can be taken multiple times for additional credit (units) counted towards the degree. Repeating courses to earn a better grade falls under the Course Repeat Policy and any additional departmental requirements and does not count for checking the box.
Any course number between 300-499 is considered upper division. In 2019, a new GE program was implemented that had significant changes to upper division GE classifications. Rather than overlapping with other GE subareas, all upper division GE courses now reside in their own categories: UD 3, UD 4, or UD 5. You should choose the appropriate category for your upper division course from these three options.
To ensure timely progress of your proposal, make sure you have fully completed the entire Curriculog form and uploaded any required supplemental information as indicated. In addition, when you put any proposal into Curriculog, you don’t need to wait until it progresses to the school curriculum committee and dean before you contact them. Keep them in the loop early. For example, if your school curriculum committee reviews the proposal before it gets to them in Curriculog, when it does get there, they can just sign it and move it on! You can also track your proposal through Curriculog approvals and if you find it gets “stuck,” reach out!
No. UD 3 courses must meet the content area criteria for Arts OR Humanities. You do not have to fill out boxes related to both.
Deadlines by which course and program revisions need to be approved are provided each semester by EPC. These deadlines are set to ensure approval prior to release of the next semester's schedule and proposers should include time for two readings as each committee review step to determine when the proposal should be launched in Curriculog. Extensive program revisions, degree title changes, and new programs require additional approval by the Chancellor’s Office and sometimes WASC. New programs also require addition of the degree to the campus Academic Master Plan in the year prior to submission of the proposal. Click here for specific information on additional approval requirements.
An online course, as defined by WASC, as one in which 50% or more of the course is delivered in an online format. An online program is one in which 50% or more of the courses that count towards the major are online.
These are the GE learning outcomes for your course. Search for the GELOs that your course meets and select the language describing the GELO for each one.
The title of the curriculog form dictates which catalog it routes too. For example, a form with 2021-2022 in the title is directing that curriculum into the 2021-2022 catalog. The catalog is published every year on March 1. At that time, we also launch new forms for the following year's catalog. At that time, we also add a Z to the title of the approval process and inactivate it. When choosing your form to launch a proposal in Curriculog:
- Use the curricular deadlines provided by EPC and Academic Programs to think through the time of your approval process. If it can be completed by end of February then use the form for the upcoming calendar year. If it’s cutting it close or definitely won’t be approved, start your paperwork but wait until the new Curriculog forms are released in March to start your approval process in Curriculog.
The Sonoma State Curriculum Guide is the go-to resource for requirements and resources. The site also includes additional links to CSU templates and checklists for new programs and elevating concentrations to full degrees.
Per the approved GE curriculum, all UD GE courses have the following prerequisites: Completion of GE Golden Four (1A, 1B, 1C, 2) with a C- or better and completion of lower division (2, 3, 4 or 5) coursework and at least 45 units. Choice of lower division 2, 3, 4 or 5 course work should match the UD area proposed. Additional prerequisites require a unique circumstance justification based on similar courses taught at other CSUs, community colleges, or in the discipline. Data supporting the justification must be provided.
In the justification box you should include clear reasons for all revisions related to that course or proposal. This includes changes in modality, units, etc.
Per the GE Subcommittee, notification that signature assignments will be collected and submitted to the campus for GE assessment should be placed directly on the signature assignment. The GE learning outcomes addressed by the signature assignment should also be included. Click here for additional signature assignment requirements and tips
Concentrations are transcripted meaning that when a student earns their degree they also receive a concentration that prints on the diploma and transcript. A track (pathway, emphasis, option) provides students with a specific set of coursework that aligns with their interests, but are not reflected on the diploma or transcript. A subplan is any subprogram (track or concentration) that a student declares in pursuit of their degree. Check out this CSU document which describes the three options and provides additional information about requirements for each.
A curriculum revision on Curriculog refers to changes in a program (major, masters, certificate, credential, or minor). If the courses you are adding, deleting, or revising are part of a change to a program, then you check the box “Is this part of a curriculum revision?” on the Curriculog course form. A course revision is any change to a specific course.
Attached syllabi should meet all of the requirements of the SSU Syllabus Policy. For GE courses, a description or link to the GE mission must be included as must the GE learning outcomes covered. For GE courses, the GE Subcommittee requests that language indicating the signature assignment will be collected and submitted for SSU assessment and also be included for student notification. The signature assignment should also be clearly indicated on the course syllabus
All boxes on the GE paperwork must be completed. At least one example of how each learning outcome or content area criteria is met should be provided directly on the paperwork. On their own, references to the syllabus are not detailed enough and will require additional modification and slow your proposal down.