New Course Proposals

Instructions for proposing new courses and course revisions

Proposals for new courses and course revisions are considered by the WCAS Curricular Review Committee. Proposals come from department chairs or program directors after having gone through appropriate departmental or program review. The Committee meets at least once a quarter, more frequently as business warrants. All proposals should be sent to Mary Finn, Office of Undergraduate Studies, 1922 Sheridan Road (491-7560), mfinn@northwestern.edu. Materials should be sent electronically.

Please provide the following information. (Items updated September 2009)

Word document with list of items

1. Department or program proposing the course or revision; course number and title.

2. When the course will be offered for the first time.

3. How frequently the course will be offered.

4. Likely instructor(s).

5 Anticipated enrollment.

6. Catalog entry. New one-quarter courses should be described in no more than 30 words (exclusive of prerequisite information). An example:

ECON 213-0 Economics of Gender
Analysis of gender differences in employment and earning. Family, labor market, discrimination, segregation, historical and international conditions, and anti-discrimination legislation.

7. Prerequisites for the course. (If included, please indicate by course equivalent, for example, rather than "some background in French," specify "FRENCH 102-3 or equivalent.")

8. Course goals. List approximately 4 to 6 statements indicating what students should accomplish through taking the course. Some examples:

Division 1: Apply quantitative reasoning to questions about animal physiology.
Division 2: Use concepts, language, and major theories of social psychology to develop possible explanations of human social behavior.  
Division 3: Become familiar with literary terms and concepts and use them to analyze literature written in French.

9. Required reading; field trips, laboratory experiences, and other activities outside of the classroom.

10. Number and length of papers required, number of quizzes, exams, class presentations, etc. How will these assessment techniques allow you to evaluate student progress on course goals identified in item 8 above?

11. Format and contact hours: e.g., seminar, lecture, lab, etc.; 3 one-hour meetings per week.

12. The reason for offering the course: its place in the major, service to non-majors, etc.

13. Reasons for 100, 200, or 300 level.

14. If this is a 300-level course, will it be presented to the Graduate School for approval for graduate credit? (WCAS approval does not constitute approval for graduate credit.)

15. In what distribution area should this course count? If it should not count for distribution credit, explain why. (See http://www.wcas.northwestern.edu/advising/curriculum/distribution_overview.pdf for descriptions of distribution areas and http://www.wcas.northwestern.edu/advising/curriculum/distribution_course_guidelines.pdf for important guidelines regarding eligibility for distribution credit.)

16. How does it differ from related courses in this and other departments and schools?

17. Does this course replace an existing course or courses? Does this course, or a course or courses it replaces, affect programs in other departments? Have other departments been consulted? Include documentation. (If this course is approved as a replacement for another course, you will need to clarify with the Registrar's Office whether current students may earn credit for both courses and/or count both toward requirements.)

18. Sample CTEC course description (full paragraph, longer than the catalog description).

19. Sample syllabus. This is a very important component. Even though the course has not yet been taught, an appropriate potential instructor will need to work out a fairly detailed syllabus, including a calendar of assignments and a reading list.

Note: WCAS does not approve courses for graduate credit. To carry graduate credit, 300-level courses must be presented separately to the Graduate School for approval. All new or revised 400- and 500-level courses must be submitted to the Graduate School, not to WCAS.


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