A course proposal is not a complete course syllabus with a week-by-week outline of topics, assignments, readings, grading standards, etc. Rather it is a proposal – an idea for a course that is fleshed out enough for reviewers to ask questions and make informed decisions about whether or not the proposal should become a fully developed course. The person submitting the course proposal may or may not be the person who ends up teaching it. A course proposal should stand on its own merits, so the name of the proposer is not revealed to the reviewers.

Proposals for new or modified courses, programs, certificates, minors, concentrations are only accepted during the Fall or Spring semesters as the Curriculum committee does not meet during summer. In addition, all proposals must be submitted to the Curriculum committee at least 6 weeks before the University deadline for the applicable proposal. Proposals that do not meet the curriculum committee’s deadline are not guaranteed to be approved in time to meet university requirements.  NOTE: The Curriculum Committee is not convened during the Summer Term.

Here is the process:

1. The course proposal form is available here.
2. The proposer fills out the course proposal form and sends the course proposal to the Curriculum and Program Development Committee (CPDC) co-chairs (Dr. Frank Cervone and Dr. Sue Alman).
3. The Course Learning Outcomes Worksheet may be useful to use as you develop the course proposal.
4. The Curriculum and Program Development Committee (CPDC) reviews the proposal; the proposal may be sent by the committee co-chairs to faculty specialists in the area for further review.
5. The CPDC co-chairs gather all the reviewers’ comments and forward them to the course proposer for revisions, if needed.
6. If the CPDC and the faculty specialists support the proposal (after revisions, if needed), then the next step is for the CPDC to recommend it to the entire faculty by moving the proposal to the consent agenda for the next faculty retreat (recognizing that any item on the consent agenda may be removed should one of the faculty wish to do so for further discussion or clarification).
7. If the committee does not support the proposal, the co-chairs will determine whether to place the lack of support on the consent agenda or place the item for debate on the regular agenda.

Additional Information: Unique Course Number and New or Modified Program/Certificate/Minor, Concentration

1.  If a course is going to be assigned a unique course number, the proposer also has to provide a syllabus as well as the Curriculog input form before the proposal can move forward to the college curriculum committee.
2. If a new or modified program, certificate, minor, concentration, etc.is being proposed, the proposer needs to consult the University Curriculum page (https://www2.sjsu.edu/curriculum/programs/index.php) for more information on all of the required documentation needed before the proposal can move forward for university approval.
3. Proposals for new or modified courses, programs, certificates, minors, concentrations are only accepted during the Fall or Spring semesters as the Curriculum committee does not meet during summer. In addition, all proposals must be submitted to the Curriculum committee at least 6 weeks before the University deadline for the applicable proposal. Proposals that do not meet the curriculum committee’s deadline are not guaranteed to be approved in time to meet university requirements.  NOTE: The Curriculum Committee is not convened during the Summer Term.
4. The proposal should argue for why a course is needed in the curriculum.

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