Instructions for Course Proposal Forms

Instructions for Course Proposal Forms General Information New Course Proposals Course Change Proposals Course Deletions Definitions and Abbreviations

Links to Course Proposal Forms New Course Form Course Change Form Course Deletion Form

Questions about course proposals should be directed to the Divisional Committee Office:

Lori Hayward, Divisional Committee Office, 134 Bascom Hall, 262-2143,
lhayward@mail.bascom.wisc.edu
 

A. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

1. Select the appropriate form (New, Change, or Delete) and enter all information.
   
   
2. Complete a separate form for each course proposal/request. For example, a change of a prerequisite for two courses would require two separate forms.
   
   A course proposal should consist of:
   
   
   1. A cover letter from the department chair and, as appropriate, from the college curriculum committee. The letter should be addressed to the chair of the divisional committee.
      
      
   2. A completed New Course, Course Change or Course Deletion form that has been approved by the department curriculum committee.
      
      
   3. Supplementary pages of justification information, as necessary.
      
      
   4. Supporting letters from other departments.
      
      
3. Prepare 20 copies of the cover letter and each course proposal form. Materials must be received three weeks before an Executive Committee meeting. If approval from college or school curriculum committee is required, additional lead time may be necessary. Send all materials to: Divisional Committee Office, 134 Bascom Hall.
   
   
4. The following proposals must be submitted to the divisional committees:
   • All new course proposals
   • Course number changes
   • Title changes
   • Credit changes
   • Prerequisite changes
   • Substantive description changes or course reorganizations
   • Grading system changes
   • Crosslist status changes
   • Course deletions
     
     

Note:

The Timetable office can accept new courses or course changes for inclusion in the Timetable or the All Course List only if the courses have received the approval of the appropriate divisional committee and dean.

5. Departments are reminded that titles of courses and descriptions of course content must correspond as closely as possible to the courses actually offered. Courses do and should evolve and instructors do change, but it is incumbent on the department to make certain that such changes are reflected in the Catalogs and Timetable entries and to request divisional committee approval whenever such changes are desired.
   
   
6. When requesting a change for a crosslisted course, it is imperative that the other departments that carry the course on the All Course List be listed on the course proposal form. Written approval of the requested changes by each crosslisting department is also required.
   
   
7. Courses that in all likelihood will not be offered by the department during a two-year span may be temporarily removed from university catalogs without being dropped permanently from the All Course List. When they are relisted in a catalog, they need not be reviewed by the divisional committee unless changes have occurred.
   
   
8. If the course is a "service course" for students in other departments, or if it is a prerequisite for courses in other departments, or if it plays an important role in other curricula, include supporting letters from the affected departments.
    
   

B. INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING NEW COURSE FORMS

• Enter department name, date prepared, and the appropriate divisional committee. At the top of all subsequent pages, enter department name and proposed course number.
  
  

1. Course Number:  Enter the 6-digit course number (the first three digits are your department identification number, the last three digits are the course number). Courses numbered under 300 may be taken for credit only by undergraduates; those in the 300-699 group may be taken for credit by both undergraduate and graduate students; those in the 700-999 group are generally open only to graduate students. Course numbers in which the middle digit is 8 are reserved for courses in the Honors Program. Physical Sciences Division: A course number at a 300 or higher level for a new course intended primarily for students in other departments will not be approved unless the course content is comparable to upper-level courses given for the department's own students.
   
   
2. Course Title:  Enter the proposed title. Abbreviate only if necessary. Course titles are limited to 68 characters, including spaces between words.
   
   The following definitions may assist you in determining the appropriate title:
   
   

   Seminar: A course that features informality and discussion in which students present research (which may or may not be their own) or current issues and problems within a particular field. Students receiving credit for the seminar are required to prepare and give the lead-off discussion during one of the meetings.
   
   

   Colloquium: An academic meeting at which one or more specialists deliver addresses on topics or related topics and answer questions about those topics.
   
   

3. Crosslisting Departments:  List all departments to be included in the crosslisting. Provide a written statement from the other departments that they agree to crosslist the course and carry it on their All Course List. The course number, title, credits, and prerequisites must be the same in all departments.
   
   Requests that involve the crosslisting of a course with a department in schools and colleges that have standing curriculum committees must be cleared with those committees before the proposal is submitted to the divisional committee.
   
   
4. Topics Course:  Indicate whether the course is a "Topics" course. If yes, in each Timetable call the particular topic to be offered that semester can be added to the title. The topic also will appear on the student's transcript. Keep the title short to allow room for the specific topic to appear on the transcript.
   
   A topics course is usually a lecture course given by a professor or professors. The subject in the topics course is usually offered for one time only. The course may be used by a visiting professor to present a subject or by a department to introduce a course on an experimental basis, before seeking permanent approval.
   
   
5. Planned Offering:  Indicate all semesters in which the course will be taught. Please state any exceptions (e.g., the course will be taught once every other year, taught every sixth semester, etc.).
   
   
6. Credits: 
   
   
   1. Enter the desired number of credits. Provide information on the course structure and hours of faculty-student instruction and/or discussion as they relate to the credit options or credit range requested. The number of credits for which a course is offered must accurately reflect the number of scheduled contact hours for faculty-student instruction and/or discussion. A research paper on its own will not normally be considered the equivalent of an hour of faculty-student instruction. General Guidelines: 1 credit for about: 15 hours of lecture, 15 to 30 hours of discussion, or 30 to 45 hours of laboratory.
      
      
   2. Courses that are given for a variable number of credits generally fall into two categories:
      
      
      1. courses in which the student has the option of choosing the number of credits listed, or
         
         
      2. courses such as Topics courses that, depending on the semester and subject matter, will be offered for a particular credit within the credit range. Supporting information must be provided if variable credit is being requested.
         
         
   3. For 4-credit courses or variable 3-4 credit courses meeting for 3 lecture hours per week, departments must justify the additional credit with specific reference to the format of the fourth hour of instruction or its equivalent. Regular discussion sections can be required and must be listed in the Timetable. Departments are also encouraged to use flexible, innovative, and creative mechanisms for the fourth hour, including longer discussion sections meeting less frequently, focus groups, field trips, small-group tutorials, etc. A research paper on its own will not usually be considered the equivalent of an hour of faculty-student instruction. For variable credit courses, departments must ensure that the fourth hour will not have an adverse effect on pedagogy and evaluation for students enrolled for 3 credits. (Faculty should not, for example, move all discussion and enrichments to the fourth hour; every effort should be made to grade the work of students taking 3 credits in the context of their requirements, not those of the fourth-hour students.)
      
      
   4. Identifying courses that students can take more than once for credit is important so that students can be advised on their progress toward the degree. When requesting that a course be repeatable for credit, include supporting information and justification.
      
      
   5. Grading System: Identify whether the course will be graded on a letter basis (A-F) or on a Credit/No Credit basis (CR/N). CR/N grading is applicable only if the entire course is to be graded on this basis; individual sections within a course may not have CR/N grading if other sections are to be graded on a letter basis. Directed Study courses with a number ending in 98 (e.g., 198 or 698) are offered on a CR/N basis. Courses ending in 99 are graded.
      
      
7. Capsule Statement of Course Content for Catalogs:  Provide a brief summary of the course content as you would like it to appear in the Undergraduate and/or Graduate School catalogs. The maximum length of the description is 40 words. Do not repeat course title, credits, planned offering, and prerequisites here. To conserve space do not begin with "This course" and a verb; complete sentences are not necessary.
   
   
8. Prerequisites:  When previous course work is required remember to supply department name as well as course number (e.g., Bot 400, not just 400). If no previous course work and/or minimal class standing is required, enter "open to all undergraduates" or "open to freshmen." On new course proposals indicate whether the course will be open to freshmen.
   
   
9. Who Will Teach the Course?  Provide the name of the instructor(s). Provide a vita for instructors who are not tenure-track faculty.
   
   
10. Level of Course:  Check the appropriate box to indicate whether the course level will be Elementary, Intermediate, Intermediate/Advanced or Advanced. Definitions of these designations are to be determined by the departments. (This information applies to all courses numbered through 699 and is pertinent to the L&S 60 Credit Rule, mathematics requirement in the BS degree, natural science requirement in the BS and BA degrees, and the sequence requirements in the major.) A course that is listed as intermediate or higher should have a prerequisite (e.g., sophomore standing, or a particular course).
    
    
11. Should Course Be Reviewed for 100-Credit Rule?  This item pertains to all new courses proposed by departments outside the College of Letters and Science and indicates whether the course proposal should be reviewed by L&S as a course acceptable for degree credit for L&S students under the "100 Credit Rule" (see the L&S listing in the Undergraduate Catalog for further information).
    
    
12. Should Course Satisfy L&S Literature Requirement?  This item applies only to courses in the Humanities Division. If the course is in Biological Sciences, Physical Sciences, or Social Studies, check "not applicable." Humanities Division: Check "yes" only if the course proposal should be reviewed as a course that satisfies the literature portion of the Letters & Science BA/BS Humanities breadth requirement. The following three guidelines apply:
    
    
    1. Literature courses are courses that are principally devoted to the reading and discussion of prose fiction, poetry, drama, and "belles lettres," and the interpretation of these works, rather than their application to other areas of study.
       
       
    2. Literary criticism courses are acceptable for literature credit only if their prerequisites include a requirement of at least six credits of previous course work in literature.
       
       
    3. If the course fulfills the literature requirement, include "literature" in the title.
       
       
13. 1. Should Course Be Reviewed for L&S Breadth Requirement?  Many, but not all, courses meet L&S or CALS breadth requirements for example, skills courses and topics courses are excluded (see the Undergraduate Catalog for information on breadth requirements).
       
       
    2. Should Course Be Reviewed for Ethnic Studies Requirement?  Indicate also whether the course should be reviewed to satisfy the L&S or other college or school ethnic studies requirement.
       
       
    3. Should Course Be Reviewed for General Education Requirement?  ___ Yes ___ No If yes, indicate which requirement: Communication part A or part B Quantitative Reasoning part A or part B and submit the proposal directly to the College of Letters & Science. (See the Undergraduate Catalog for information on this requirement.)
       
       
14. Describe the Course Content:  Provide a full description of the course content. This description should be an expansion of the brief summary provided in item 7. Indicate whether this course will be taught in modular units.
    
    
15. Explain the Need for This Course:  Provide reasons for adding this course and an estimate of the expected enrollment. Indicate the relationship and importance of the proposed course to existing programs or future programs of the department and any other affected department.
    
    
16. Relationship to Other UW Madison Courses:  Before submitting a new course for consideration, a department should determine whether courses offered by other departments already meet departmental needs. When a similar course is already being offered elsewhere, the new course proposal should be submitted to the other department(s) for reaction to possible overlap in content. This does not imply a veto power by one department over the courses offered by another. The Committee's final judgment will be based primarily on the educational needs of the students. When in doubt about possible overlap, it is preferable to assume the overlap and provide written evidence of contact with the other department(s), endorsed by the department chair.
    
    
17. Will Any Courses Be Deleted as a Result of This Proposal?  List by number and title what course(s) will be deleted as a result of this new course, and complete a separate Course Deletion form for each course.
    
    
18. Course Syllabus and Reading List:  Attach a course outline with an indication of the time devoted to individual topics together with the hours of faculty-student instruction and/or discussion, the text(s) or reference(s) to be used, and at least a representative list of readings. Indicate also how students will be evaluated (assignments, term papers, exams).
    
    
19. Will This Course Meet a Requirement for the Major?  Indicate whether the proposed course will be required for majors in the department or program, or for the major in another department. This information will be put into the database for use in the Degree Audit Reporting System (DARS).
     
    

• Enter department name, date prepared, and divisional committee.
  
  
• Select the first semester for which you desire the change(s) to be effective and enter the appropriate academic year. Once approved, the change(s) will automatically appear on future All Course Lists.
  
  

1. Course Number:  Enter the 7-digit course number
   
   
2. Course Title:  Enter the course title as it appears in your department's All Course List.
   
   
3. Crosslisted with:  Enter the names of all other departments included in the crosslist. Supply written evidence that the crosslisting departments are aware of and agree to the change(s). Requests that involve departments in schools or colleges that have standing curriculum committees must be cleared with those committees before submitting the proposal to the divisional committee. Remember that course number, title, credits, and prerequisites must be the same in all departments for a crosslisted course.
   
   
4. Changes Desired:  Check the appropriate item(s) to indicate any and all changes desired.
   
   
5. Item/Current Data/Proposed Data:  List all items checked and enter both the current and the proposed data for each item.
   
   
6. Explanation/Justification for the Requested Change(s): 
   
   
   • Provide academic justification for all desired changes. Justification should be given for a number change from undergraduate to graduate level or a reduction from graduate to undergraduate level.
     
     
   • When requesting a credit change include the course description and syllabus. For the addition of a fourth credit or variable 3-4 credits, see "Credits" on page 3.
     
     
   • Indicate the effect of the course change(s) on the program(s) of the department and/or the program(s) of other departments that use or require the course. Also assess the relationship and importance of the proposed course to future program(s).
     
     
   • Provide evidence that a proposed change does not result in overlap with existing courses offered within the department or by other departments. This is particularly important if a title or substantive description change seems to duplicate or overlap in major proportion an existing course. If duplication or overlap is with another department, evidence should be provided of discussion with the other department(s) along with a written statement indicating their reaction to the course as changed. When in doubt about overlap, it is preferable to assume the overlap and provide evidence of contact with the other department(s).
     
     
   • Include a brief course outline indicating the time devoted to individual topics together with the hours of faculty-student instruction and/or discussion, the text(s) or reference(s) to be used, and at least a representative list of readings, with the exception of seminars, practicums, and independent reading courses.
     
     
   • Indicate which course(s) will be deleted as a result of the proposed course change(s) and complete a separate Course Deletion form for each course to be deleted.
     
     
7. Is This Course Required for the Major?  Indicate whether the course is required for majors in your department or in another department.
   
   
8. Does a Requirement for the Major Change?  Does this course change indicate a change in the requirements for the major? If so, please specify.
   
   

• Please note that when you delete a course, you may not reuse the number for 10 years. This is to ensure the accuracy of DARS (Degree Audit Reporting System).
  
  
• Enter department name, date prepared, and the appropriate divisional committee.
  
  
• Select the first semester for which you desire the deletion to be effective and enter the appropriate academic year.
  
  

1. Course Number:  Enter the 7-digit number.
   
   
2. Course Title:  Enter the course title as it appears in your department's All Course List.
   
   
3. Crosslisted with:  Enter the names of all other departments included in the crosslist and indicate whether or not each department listed wishes to delete the course. Supply written evidence that the crosslisting departments are aware of, and agree to the deletion.
   
   
4. Is This Course Deletion Related to a New Course Proposal?  Indicate whether or not the course deletion is related to a new course proposal. If yes, please attach the request to the new course proposal. If not, provide a brief explanation for the desired deletion.
   
   
5. Does This Course Serve as a Prerequisite for Courses in Other Departments?  Please attach written evidence from affected departments indicating that each is aware of and agrees to the deletion.
   
   
6. Was This Course Required for the Major in Your Department or Another Department?  Indicate whether the course was required for majors in your department or in another department.
   
   
7. Does a Requirement for the Major Change?  Does this course deletion indicate a change in the requirements of the major? If so, please specify.
    
   

Back to the Top