The Baccalaureate Council (BC) and Graduate Council (GC) serve under the Faculty Senate and are the main bodies of decision-making for curriculum and policy matters. Faculty Senate are informed of developments of agenda items related to substantial changes to curriculum or academic policy. Individual items may move to full Faculty Senate review on occasion. The BC and GC minutes are posted to the Faculty Senate website for community review and public records.
Article 7.3 of the University Constitution establishes a Faculty Senate as the representative body of the faculty. Together with its related councils and committees, the Faculty Senate has the responsibility to establish, direct, and oversee academic matters.
The Faculty Senate shall serve the following purposes:
15.1 Principles Governing Consideration of Program Elimination
Whenever elimination of an academic program is under consideration, every effort shall be made to ensure that all discussions and deliberations regarding program elimination are as open and inclusive as possible. In particular, regardless of the specific mechanisms and procedures through which these deliberations occur consistent with established principles of "shared governance," all members of the university community, including Faculty Senate, shall be explicitly invited, in as timely a fashion as possible, to make their views known to those charged with making the recommendation regarding retention or elimination of an academic program.
15.2 Principles Governing Reassignment of Tenured Faculty
In the event that an academic program is eliminated:
15.2.1 The university shall make every effort to expedite reassignment of affected faculty to compatible units on the campus.
15.2.2 The faculty personnel advisor and the Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning shall be available to assist in making such reassignments as easy as possible for both individual faculty members and the academic units concerned.
15.2.3 The executive vice president and provost's office shall actively assist deans and chairs to help ensure that all such reassignments occur with a minimum of difficulty and disruption.
Proposed amendment approved by University Council on 04/30/2008.
Proposed amendments to the Faculty Senate Bylaws approved by Faculty Senate on 04/22/2020.
FS Bylaws, Article 4.5
4.5.1 Composition
4.5.1.1 Faculty Representation
(A) One faculty seat shall be apportioned to each undergraduate degree granting college and to the University Libraries.
(B) The remaining faculty seats shall be apportioned as follows:
(C) Faculty members representing the colleges shall be nominated by their respective college curriculum committees and elected by their respective college faculties. The university libraries faculty representative to the BC shall be elected by the faculty of the university libraries. The elections shall be conducted before the end of the spring semester to select those faculty members whose term begins on the following August 16. Those elected shall serve three-year staggered, renewable terms.
(D) If, in a given year, no member of the council is a voting member of the Faculty Senate, the Faculty Senate shall elect one Faculty Senate member to serve on the council as an ex officio nonvoting member for that year.
4.5.1.2 Student Representation
Student members shall be selected by the Baccalaureate Council from:
(A) There shall be one undergraduate student member from each college. This representative shall serve a one-year, renewable term beginning at the start of the fall semester and ending at the start of the succeeding fall semester. Each department granting undergraduate degrees shall nominate one undergraduate student from its department to the college student advisory committee (SAC), which shall select the college representative. An annual fall deadline will be set to facilitate the nomination from each college's SAC. If the SAC nomination deadline passes without reaching the maximum representation of seven students,
(B) Then the Baccalaureate Council may nominate students, from across undergraduate degree-granting colleges, to sit on the committee. If the Baccalaureate Council nominates a student from a college, the SAC from that college can no longer select a college representative.
(C) If the above selection procedures do not produce a minority student, or a non-traditional student, the president of the Student Government Association or Baccalaureate Council shall appoint such a student as a voting member.
(D) The total number of students to sit on the Baccalaureate Council shall not be greater than seven, one from each college and a student as defined by item C.
4.5.1.3 Administration Representation
(A) The vice provost responsible for undergraduate education shall serve ex officio as a member of the Baccalaureate Council.
(B) One advisor shall be elected by and from the persons with overall responsibility for undergraduate student advisement in each of the undergraduate degree-granting colleges and the Academic Advising Center. The person shall be a voting member.
(C) The following, or their designees, shall serve ex officio, nonvoting: associate vice president for student affairs; director of Admissions; Transfer Center coordinator; a representative of Educational Services and Programs appointed by the vice provost; a representative from the University Committee on Initial Educator Licensure (UCIEL).
4.5.2 Chair
4.5.2.1 The vice provost responsible for undergraduate education shall serve as chair of the council and shall vote when necessary to break a tie vote.
4.5.2.2 The faculty representatives on the council shall elect from among their members a person who shall serve as the assistant chair of the council. The assistant chair shall preside over council meetings in the absence of the chair, act as a liaison between the chair and council members between meetings of the council and perform such other duties as may be assigned by either the council or the council chair. The assistant chair shall be chosen annually at the first meeting of the council each fall semester and shall serve a renewable term of one year.
4.5.2.3 The Baccalaureate Council chair shall be responsible for transmitting curricular proposals approved by the council to the chair of the Graduate Council, the office of Registration and Records, and the editor of university catalogs for recording and publication.
4.5.3 Duties
4.5.3.1 To establish general policies for undergraduate studies and baccalaureate programs, including university requirements for undergraduate programs of study.
4.5.3.2 To review proposed new undergraduate programs of study.
4.5.3.3 In accordance with the policies defined by the Illinois Board of Higher Education, the Board of Trustees, and the Faculty Senate, to determine undergraduate policies, regulations, and standards dealing with:
4.5.3.4 To review college, school, and department policies regarding admission, retention, academic standards, and graduation requirements for their individual programs.
4.5.3.5 To review and approve decisions from the college curriculum committees regarding the substitution, alteration, addition, or deletion of undergraduate courses and programs not in the area of general education. Curriculum decisions involving course content, description, title and number shall only require Baccalaureate Council action or comment if they involve course duplication or overlap between colleges, cross-college concerns or university standards.
4.5.3.6 To coordinate the intercollegiate aspects of undergraduate education and encourage cooperation among units and colleges. This includes reviewing and resolving issues concerning course duplication or overlap between colleges, cross-college curricular concerns, or conflicts with university standards.
4.5.3.7 To serve as the curricular body for interdisciplinary undergraduate curricular material not located in an academic college or colleges such as UNIV and curricular offerings from the Division of International Programs and the Center for Black Studies. This responsibility includes usual curricular activity (new, revised, and deleted courses as well as other catalog changes), and review of these units' overall curricular offerings.
4.5.3.8 To receive reports from its subcommittees regarding their work.
4.5.4 Minutes and reports of the Baccalaureate Council shall be deposited in the university archives and distributed in a timely fashion to the executive president of the Faculty Senate, to the executive vice president and provost, to deans of the undergraduate degree-granting colleges and the dean of the University Libraries, and to such others as deemed appropriate by the council.
4.5.5 Substantive changes in policies under the jurisdiction of the Baccalaureate Council are subject to review and potential disapproval by the Faculty Senate. The Baccalaureate Council shall report to the Faculty Senate changes that the Baccalaureate Council considers to be substantive. The Faculty Senate may also determine that it considers an issue to be substantive and subject to Faculty Senate review. To do so, at its next regularly scheduled meeting after receipt of such a report, the Faculty Senate will have the opportunity to indicate (by a majority vote of those present and voting) an intention to review an action of the Baccalaureate Council that was not referred to it. Whether an item is referred to Faculty Senate or is voted by Faculty Senate as substantive, Faculty Senate shall act on the proposal within the next two subsequent meetings. If the Faculty Senate does not, on the timetable indicated, indicate its intention to review an action and then vote on that action, then the action of the Baccalaureate Council will be deemed to be approved.
The Baccalaureate Council typically meets virtually, monthly 12:30-3 p.m. Thursdays.
(FS Bylaws, 4.4)
4.4 The Graduate Council
4.4.1 Composition
4.4.1.1 Faculty Representation
(A) One seat shall be apportioned to each graduate degree-granting college.
(B) The remaining faculty seats shall be apportioned as follows:
(C) Faculty members shall be elected by and from the university faculty who are eligible to elect, or be elected as, members of the Faculty Senate, who are tenured, and who are also members of the graduate faculties of the college each represents, for three-year staggered terms to begin at the start of the fall semester.
(D) Three additional faculty representatives shall be appointed by the dean of the Graduate School. These positions shall be apportioned to ensure adequate representation of those graduate degree programs producing the largest number of graduates and those programs offering doctoral degrees. Appointed faculty representatives shall also serve three-year, staggered terms.
(E) If, in a given year, no voting member of the Faculty Senate has been elected or appointed to the Graduate Council under the provisions of sections 4.4.1.1 (C) and (D) of these bylaws, the Faculty Senate shall elect one Faculty Senate member to serve on the council as an ex officio nonvoting member for that year.
(F) There shall also be one representative of the College of Law who shall be entitled to vote only on matters pertaining to the College of Law, and who shall be elected by and from the faculty of that college to serve a three-year term.
4.4.1.2 Student Representation There shall be one graduate student member from each college. This representative shall serve a one-year, renewable term beginning at the start of the fall semester and ending at the start of the succeeding fall semester. Each department granting graduate degrees shall nominate one graduate student from its department to the college student advisory committee which shall select the college representative.
4.4.1.3 Administration Representation
(A) The dean of the Graduate School shall serve ex officio as a member of the Graduate Council.
(B) A representative of the University Libraries, appointed by the dean of the University Libraries, shall serve ex officio on the council, but shall vote only on matters pertaining to the libraries.
4.4.2 Chair
4.4.2.1 The dean of the Graduate School shall serve as the chair of the Graduate Council and shall vote when necessary to break a tie vote.
4.4.2.2 The faculty representatives on the Graduate Council shall elect from among their members a faculty representative who shall serve as the assistant chair of the council. The assistant chair shall preside over council meetings in the absence of the chair, act as a liaison between the chair and council members between meetings of the council and perform such other duties as may be assigned by either the council or the council chair. The assistant chair shall be chosen annually at the first meeting of the council each fall semester and shall serve a renewable term of one year.
4.4.2.3 The Graduate Council chair shall be responsible for transmitting to the chair of the Baccalaureate Council, the Office of Registration and Records, and the editor of the university catalogs curricular proposals approved by the Graduate Council for recording and publication.
4.4.3 Duties
4.4.3.1 Establish general policies for graduate study, including policies applicable to students-at-large.
4.4.3.2 Establish standards for admission, retention, and awarding graduate degrees by the Graduate School.
4.4.3.3 Promote scholarship, research, and artistic activities among faculty and graduate students, and create an environment on campus which is conducive to the pursuit of research and graduate studies.
4.4.3.4 Promote excellence in teaching among graduate faculty and encourage, where appropriate, the development of excellence in teaching among graduate students.
4.4.3.5 Promote, where appropriate, the integration of professional practice, teaching, and scholarly activity.
4.4.3.6 Approve graduate curricular proposals, including changes in graduate curriculum, submitted by departments and colleges; and approve and recommend all new graduate programs.
4.4.3.7 Subject to approval by referendum of the graduate faculty, the Graduate Council shall determine criteria for recommendations by departments and other instructional units of the university for appointments to the graduate faculty.
4.4.3.8 Request the college curriculum committees to report their decisions involving a duplication of courses for graduate credit to the chair of the council and to the executive vice president and provost.
4.4.4 Minutes and reports of the Graduate Council shall be deposited in the university archives and distributed in a timely fashion to all Faculty Senate members, and to such others as deemed appropriate by the Graduate Council.
4.4.5 Substantive changes in policies under the jurisdiction of the Graduate Council must be reported to the Faculty Senate. If it disapproves, the Faculty Senate shall report its disapproval, together with a written statement of its rationale, to the Graduate Council. The Graduate Council shall reconsider policy changes in question and either:
(i) agree with the Faculty Senate and rescind its prior action;
(ii) modify the policy change and notify the Faculty Senate of its action; or
(iii) reaffirm its policy decision. If the council reaffirms its policy position, it shall report that action to the Faculty Senate, together with a written statement of its rationale. The policy proposal shall take effect unless disapproved by a two-thirds vote of the total membership of the Faculty Senate. The Faculty Senate shall have no authority to alter, amend, or otherwise modify a policy decision of the Graduate Council. Policy changes reported by the Graduate Council to the Faculty Senate shall be considered approved by the Faculty Senate unless the Faculty Senate takes action to disapprove the proposed policy within six consecutive weeks of fall or spring semester classes after receipt of the proposal from the Graduate Council.
The Graduate Council meets monthly at 10 a.m. Mondays, hybrid modality.
Program changes affecting College, Department, Center or Institute, Degree, Major, Emphasis, Specialization, Concentration, Option, Minor, Certificate, Accelerated, or other pages of the academic catalog should be submitted through the Curriculum Approval System. Any faculty or staff can submit changes to these areas, but it is encouraged that the relevant areas submit changes to their own respective programs. This encompasses typical changes to a program, while also including instances where a department might want to add/remove emphasis/specializations.
As a rule of thumb, if you are changing an existing page in the catalog, the change program proposal is needed. If you are creating a new page in the catalog, then a new program proposal is needed. This does not apply when changing "miscellaneous" pages of the catalog, such as departmental front pages or policy/procedure pages; please use "Miscellaneous Catalog Changes" proposal. Miscellaneous Catalog Changes are straightforward, and instructions are listed on the form. For support on Miscellaneous Catalog Changes, please email curriculum@niu.edu.
The departments/units submitting changes to programs and the academic catalog will follow the below procedures:
Additional steps along the process may be warranted if it affects areas such as General Education, Teacher Licensure, or if it is more involved, such as a Center or Institute change, potentially needing presidential approval.
Fewer steps may be warranted if the program is college or institutionally administered, in which case the proposal would skip the department.
The proposal may stay on the "Final Step" in the Curriculum Approval System while the curricular coordinator/catalog editor reaches out to relevant approver levels for proposals and conducts final reviews of proposals.
New program proposals follow much of the same steps as program change proposals. Key differences are:
New courses/course changes follow similar procedures to program changes with a few distinctions on the forms. Any faculty or staff can submit changes to these areas, but it is encouraged that the relevant areas submit changes to their own respective courses. The departments/units submitting changes to programs and the academic catalog will follow the below procedures:
Originator: 0 - 1 week - This is where the person submitting the proposal (originator) gets to review the proposal before sending it off through the curricular process. This is a way for the originator to see what other reviewers will see.
Registrar Review: 0 - 4 days (programs only) – This is where the Office of Registrar staff review the proposal to check any Campus Solutions/course/program build-specific considerations. This will auto-approve after 4 days unless they approve it sooner.
Department Curriculum Committee Review (Optional): 1 – 4 weeks – This is where the department primarily reviews the proposals. Each department is different however, and each step at the department level may take different amounts of time depending on how large the committee is, if chairs primarily do the reviewing, among other considerations.
Department Curriculum Committee Chair Review (Optional): 0 – 1 weeks – This is primarily meant to allow the chair of the department curriculum committee to submit any edits to the proposal. If the proposal does not need to be edited, this step may be a formality where the chair just approves whatever was already approved in the committee.
Department Chair Review (Optional): 0 – 1 weeks – Department Chair review is for any final checks/notifications for the Department Chair so that the department is aware of the changes moving through the system.
Teacher Licensure Review (Optional): 0 – 2 days – This alerts the teacher licensure office so that they can be aware of relevant licensure changes/considerations. They will reach out separately about teacher licensure concerns. Because of this, the step auto-approves after two days to reduce any delays with proposals. Any questions about this step/process should be directed to Antoinette Jones at ajones27@niu.edu.
Assessment and Accreditation Review (Optional): 0 – 2 days – This alerts the assessment and accreditation office so that they can be aware of relevant licensure changes/considerations. They will reach out separately about assessment/accreditation concerns. Because of this, the step auto-approves after two days to reduce any delays with proposals. Any questions about this step/process should be directed to Amy Buhrow at abuhrow@niu.edu.
IBHE RME Step (Optional) – This alerts the Assessment and Accreditation Office early in the process to help facilitate any discussions with the department related to IBHE approval. This is mostly relevant for new programs and standalone certificate requests. Any questions about this step/process should be directed to Amy Buhrow at abuhrow@niu.edu.
Modality Review (Optional): 0 – 2 days - This alerts the online program office (Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning) so that they can be aware of relevant modality considerations. They will reach out separately about online modality considerations and concerns. Because of this, the step auto-approves after two days to reduce any delays with proposals. Any questions about this step/process should be directed to Jason Rhode at jrhode@niu.edu.
College Administrator Review: 1 – 4 weeks – This step is mostly a coordinating step to ensure the college administrators have full access to do what they need to do with the proposals. Proposals may sit on this step for most of the time at the college but will depend on individual college culture.
College Curriculum Committee Review: 0 – 1 weeks – This may be a formality step, but this is where the college committee reviews the proposals.
College Curriculum Committee Chair Review: 0 – 1 weeks – This may be a formality step, but this is where the college chair reviews proposals and submits any potential edits needed for the proposals.
Curriculum Coordinator Review: 1 – 4 weeks – This step is mostly a coordinating step to ensure the curriculum coordinator has full access to do what they need to do with the proposals. Proposals may sit on this step for most of the time at the BC/GC status but will depend on the individual cultures/training of the coordinator/BC/GC.
General Education Committee (courses only): 1 – 4 weeks – For courses only, this step is for courses requesting general education designation.
Baccalaureate/Graduate Council Member Review: 0 – 1 week – This may be a formality step, but this is where the BC/GC committee reviews proposals.
Baccalaureate/Graduate Council Chair Review: 0 – 1 weeks – This may be a formality step, but this is where the BC/GC committee chairs review proposals and submit any edits to the proposals.
Curriculum Coordinator Final Step: 0 – Undefined weeks – This may be a formality step where no additional approvals are needed. However, in cases where IBHE approval may be needed, this step may take a considerable amount of time, upwards of several months. Because of this, if IBHE approval is needed, then it is required to begin the process early or deadlines will be missed.
Estimated Time to Completion**: 9 – 12 weeks
(Optional) – Some steps may be optional depending on how the originator answers the questions on the form. Department steps are "optional" because some programs/courses would not route to the department initially. In most cases, the department step will be mandatory for most programs/courses.
Note *: This is the general workflow and does not apply to all proposals and all situations. Courses may have different routing, online versus in-person/hybrid programs may have different routing, etc.
Note **: This is a loose timeline of a proposal moving through the system. Course proposals should generally move more quickly than program proposals. As a rule of thumb, submitting proposals earlier is better than later, and it is functionally guaranteed to miss the deadline if you are beginning the process in October. Individual college deadlines apply to the process as well. Please reach out to your respective college administrator for questions/concerns about college curriculum scheduling/deadlines/considerations.
Originator: This step is to ensure that the originator has everything filled out the way they would need it to be. It is a "final check" before beginning the process more fully. This is a helpful step for any collaboration within/outside of the department since the proposal would be viewable to all users who have access to the system.
Registrar Review: This step is to take into considerations Campus Solutions system limitations/considerations. Examples may include: "Recommended" courses in prerequisites that would not be able to be caught in the system, potentially confusing prerequisite constructions (A or B and C as opposed to A or B; and C), confusing program build considerations, such as "Take 6 credit hours of the following" but all the courses might be 4 credit hour courses, etc. Records and Registration staff may make comments on proposals inquiring about dynamics of the proposal. Please try to review these comments/questions throughout the process. Please reach out to the Office of Registrar for what the best outlines are for prerequisites, course descriptions, and various potential Campus Solutions system considerations.
Department level steps – These step will mostly look into the academic considerations of the proposal and the overall content area.
College level steps – These steps will mostly look into the specific college-related considerations, such as if other departments have been notified of any changes/deletions/new programs, and supplemental forms, such as writing infused designation. Please reach out to your relevant college administrator for information on what the College looks for during their reviews.
Baccalaureate/Graduate Council level steps – These steps will mostly look into the university-level specific considerations, and double-check any supplemental information, such as if outside departments have been notified, and if duplication statements are present.
Curriculum Coordinator Final Step: This step will mostly look into if other approvers may be needed, such as the provost, Board of Trustees, among others. They will also monitor proposals and maintain records about proposal progress through the system. Waiting on IBHE approval will occur on this step as well.
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Catalog Year |
Specify the catalog year the changes should take effect. They cannot take effect the current catalog year and can be submitted for a further catalog if appropriate. If submitted for the current year, staff will change the academic year to the next relevant catalog year. |
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Who is responsible for administering this program? |
If the program is college-administered, it would change the routing to route directly to the department. When in doubt, it is best to list the course/program as department level and if errors occur, then it is college administered. Some courses/programs are college-administered, please check with curriulum@niu.edu if you are unsure. |
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Licensure/certification question |
This notifies various relevant offices on campus if the program/course is related to licensure. Those relevant offices will reach out about potential concerns/collaborations. |
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Does this proposal request an existing program to become a new standalone certificate independent of any majors/programs? |
Programs only – this question inquires if the program is requesting to be a standalone certificate, which requires additional steps of approval. Those steps are Board of Trustees and IBHE. |
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Hierarchy owner |
This may autofill if program/course change proposal. This simply indicates who owns the program/course |
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Type of Program |
This question should always be marked for "program." If you feel something is a "shared core," email curriulum@niu.edu. |
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Title |
Title of program/course |
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CIP code/Recommended CIP Code |
A voluntary field mostly relevant for new programs. Help links should be provided in the form, but CIP codes are relevant for various university reporting and IBHE considerations. |
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Catalog Description |
This may autofill if program change proposal. This indicates various narrative information of a program. Admissions, etc. information should be listed here. |
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Curriculum |
This may autofill if program change proposal. This indicates the actual courses/requirements in the program. Please see relevant guides on best practices and helpful how-to videos for how to interact with this field. (To access the links, you will need to create an account through Modern Campus Curriculum – this should be a standard account creation process. To begin this, click "Sign Up" under "New to Curriculum Support?" |
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Degree Type/Program Type |
This may autofill if program change proposal. This indicates the type of program (BA, BS, etc.) |
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Rationale |
Indicate the reasonings on why the change/new program or course should exist/occur. More information is better than less information and please be thorough with any guidance. For example, if you have supporting documents uploaded to the form, please indicate this in the rationale field. Overall, the rationale field is an open text field to support the proposal and to help it get fully approved. |
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Program Modality |
Mostly relevant for new programs/courses, the modality is important for various offices around campus and for reporting purposes. Please reach out to curriculum@niu.edu if you have any concerns. |
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Assessment/Outcomes |
This asks for the goals of the program and various assessment-related dynamics to ensure the program meets its intended purposes. Please reach out to Amy Buhrow, abuhrow@niu.edu, for assistance. |
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Acknowledgement of Duplication Statement |
Mostly relevant for new programs/courses, this is meant to indicate if a search of the academic catalog has been done to ensure the new program/course does not already exist in some capacity by a department/college/etc. For assistance, please email curriculum@niu.edu. |
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Course Components |
Definitions are provided in the form, but this question helps staff members build the course correctly and to maintain proper records. If there are questions, please email curriculum@niu.edu. |
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Prefix |
This may autofill if it is a change course proposal. The prefix is the "ENGL" in "ENGL 100." |
| Department | This is the department the course originates from, such as ENGL originating from the English Department. |
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In what format could this course be offered? (choose all that apply): |
This question inquiries about if the course is online or on campus. |
| Primary Enrollment Course Component | This question should match the course component course schedulers usually interact with. This is where the originator of the proposal indicates which component of the course is graded. Specific questions on this field should be directed to the Office of the Registrar. This field may autofill for course revisions. |
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Code |
This may autofill if it is a change course proposal. This is the number in "ENGL 100." |
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Course type |
Inquiries about the back-end dynamic of the course type. This should autofill for course revisions. This is usually conventionally listed, such as an English course having a course type of “English”. |
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Course Description |
This may autofill if it is a change course proposal. This is where one lists the description of the course that is student friendly and in plain language. |
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Prerequisites and Notes |
This may autofill if it is a change course proposal. This is where one lists the prerequisites, etc. Any prerequisites should have "PRQ:" before it and corequisites should have "CRQ:" Please see the course section of the academic catalog for guidance on the format. |
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Rationale for Prerequisites/Corequisites |
Various committees pay unique attention to changes to prerequisites/corequisites, especially if the prerequisites/corequisites make a course harder to register for. Provide specific rationale/support for why a prerequisite/corequisite is changing. This is primarily relevant for adding prerequisites/corequisites. This is also different than the general rationale for the changes. |
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General Education Designation Questions |
If a course is marked for general education, it will route to the GEC (General Education Committee). The questions related to these fields ask about knowledge domains, secondary knowledge domains, student learning outcomes, and specific rationale for general education courses. On questions/concerns about gen ed designation criteria, please email curriculum@niu.edu and/or the chair of the GEC. |
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Writing Infused Designation |
This is mostly administered through the college. Reach out to the appropriate associate dean for guidance on this designation. Any supplemental forms would be uploaded to the Curriculum form. |
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Human Diversity Designation |
Help text within the form indicate what might constitute as a human diversity course. Please email curriculum@niu.edu if you have any questions. |
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Community Engaged Designation |
A separate form is needed to earn community-engaged designation. The link can be found here. Please email curriculum@niu.edu if you have any questions. |
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Credits |
Credit hours of the course. If a range, please indicate the range. |
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Repeat for Credit and Multiple Enrollments |
This field indicates whether a course can be repeated for credit and for how many times/how much credit. Multiple enrollments within the same term is where a student can register for the same course, but different sections, in the same term. This is mostly relevant for various topics courses. Questions on the particular dynamics of these courses, please reach out to the Office of Registrar and Records. |
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Graduate or Undergraduate equivalent |
Given various reporting considerations, NIU is trying to better track the graduate/undergraduate equivalents of courses. These are courses where students (graduate/undergraduate) share the same classroom/time and functionally take the class together. There may be some syllabus differences between the two student groups. Syllabus differences should be specified. In the relevant question(s) on the form. |
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List areas affected |
This is meant to indicate any relevant areas affected by the course change/new course/course deletion and potential collaboration efforts. |
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Statement by the areas most directly affected |
This is meant to indicate the specific statements by the areas affected so that reviewers are aware discussions have been taken place. This field may also be relatively blank in that letters of support/discussion can be uploaded directly to the form as well. |
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This is meant to indicate various outcome/assessment information. Amy Buhrow, abuhrow@niu.edu, is a good contact for support. |
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Impact Report |
This is run to indicate which programs/prerequisites the course is listed under. This is required for course proposals and particularly useful for delete course proposals. To run the report, one would have to go toward the top of the page and click "Run Impact Report." It will generate a different screen where one chooses the catalog. Once the report is run, copy/paste it into this field. The impact report can be useful to finding out which departments one should reach out to concerning any changes/deletions, etc. |
General Education specific forms
General Education Course Alignment Search
Student Learning Outcomes Rubrics
To have a course reviewed for general education designation, appropriate questions on the course change or new course proposals in Curriculum must be filled out.
The questions will inquire about which designation a course is seeking. Answering these questions will route the proposal to the General Education Committee (GEC) for review. In cases where multiple changes are occurring to a course or it is a new course proposal, the GEC can reject a proposal for general education, but the proposal can still be moved forward to review by the Baccalaureate Council.
Use the rationale fields of the form and/or upload a separate document to the proposal for general education rationale. For guidance on what the rationale should include, the supplemental general education links should be helpful. This should adhere to the principles and criteria listed below.
To remove general education designation, the appropriate supplemental form is sufficient and does not need to include the Curriculum system.
The below information is the latest approved/revised general education rubric criteria. Please have any new courses/change course proposals where a course is requesting to be added as a general education course adhere to the below principles/values. Rationale will need to be updated within the form to indicate this.
To request a new course or an existing course to have a general education designation, a Curriculum form will be needed where one indicates this with the general education-specific questions. Marking "yes" on the general education question will route it to the GEC accordingly after the College approves the proposal. Any general education-specific forms should be filled out separately and uploaded to the Curriculum form. However, please indicate supporting information in the rationale of the proposal as well that adheres to the values/principles outlined below.
In the event that the GEC rejects a proposal, this is considered a line-item rejection where the proposal can still move forward in the process, but it would not have Gen Ed designation(s) if approved. This does not apply for change course proposals if the only change being requested is the general education designation.
The general education program at Northern Illinois University is embedded in the values of the university: inclusion and respect, curiosity and creativity, ethics and integrity, and service and stewardship.
We believe the general education program at NIU has three fundamental purposes:
Ian Gawron
Curriculum Coordinator and Catalog Editor
curriculum@niu.edu