Abbreviated Category I Proposal. See Category I Proposal.
Alpha Sectioning Limitations. Enrollment in a course for a particular term may be restricted to students whose last names fall in a designated range of the alphabet. Alpha sectioning may only be used for courses required of all undergraduates.
Baccalaureate Core. (Oregon State University's general education requirements). The Baccalaureate Core emphasizes writing, creative thinking, cultural diversity, the arts, science, literature, life-long fitness, diversity, and global awareness. For more information, see the Baccalaureate Core Criteria and Rationale.
BANNER. The student information software currently being used by OSU and several other OUS institutes. All new courses and course changes must be entered on the catalog module of BANNER before they can be included in the OSU general catalog, or receive a CRN number and be accessed for registration or be included in the Schedule of Classes.
Blanket Numbered Courses. Reserved number courses such as 401/501/601. For more information, see Reserved Numbered Courses.
Category I Proposal. An OSU term used to designate curricular changes which require approval at the State level. There are two types of Category I proposals: abbreviated and full. The FullCategory I includes requests for approval of new degree programs; new certificate programs or administrative units; significant new options within existing programs, or major changes in existing programs. An Abbreviated Category I is for the establishment of new centers or institutes; reorganization of colleges, departments, centers or institutes; renaming degrees, certificate programs or administrative units; and the elimination of majors, degrees or certificate programs. There is also a New Location Request Form for requests for approval of existing certificate and degree programs to be offered at new locations.
Category II Proposal. An OSU term used to designate curricular changes which require institutional approval only. This category includes requests for: new courses; dropped courses; modifications of permanent courses; new minors and options; modifications of existing minors and options; modifications of degree requirements; changes in grading mode; crosslistings; and Experimental X courses.
Certificate Program. A specified undergraduate interdisciplinary program of study leading to an official certificate and notation on the transcript. A certificate program draws from more than one department, rather than a single department (as with minors). The certificate program must be taken in conjunction with a formal degree program. Proposed requirements are: a minimum of 27 credits, a minimum of 12 credits must be upper division, and coursework must come from more than one department. For more information, see Guidelines for Development and Review of Undergraduate Certificate Programs at OSU.
CIP Code. Classification of Instructional Program code assigned to all academic programs and courses. Codes are visible in Banner and are necessary when submitting a Category I proposal. Codes can be obtained from the Academic Planning and Assessment.
Corequisite. A corequisite is a course or activity that is required to be taken simultaneously with the course described.
Course. A course is an organized unit of instruction or research within a discipline or subject area or one of the instructional subdivisions of a discipline or subject area.
Course Reference Number (CRN). is assigned to each course for registration purposes. Each section of a course receives a distinct CRN. The number changes each quarter and is assigned in the following order: All Fall Term CRNs begin with 1XXXX, Winter Term CRNs begin with 2XXXX, and Spring Term CRNs begin with 3XXXX, and Summer Term CRNs begin with 4XXXX. A CRN number cannot be assigned until the course has been approved and entered into the BANNER catalog module. In order to suppress a CRN, a change to the prerequisite including the phrase " departmental approval required." must be submitted to and approved by the University Curriculum Council on a Category II course request change form. The department retains the option to have the CRN suppressed if they choose, it is not required.
Credit. The unit of instructional time used to measure educational credit. One credit represents a total time commitment; in and out of class; of three hours each week in a 10-week term.
"Academic credit is a measure of the total time commitment required of a typical student in a particular course of study. Total time consists of three components:
(1) time spent in class;
(2) time spent in laboratory, studio, fieldwork, or other scheduled activity;
(3) time devoted to reading, studying, problem solving, writing, or preparation.
One quarter or semester credit is assigned in the following ratio of component hours per week devoted to the course of study: (1) lecture courses-one contact hour for each credit, (two hours of outside work implied); (2) laboratory or studio course-at least two contact hours for each credit, (one hour of outside preparation implied); (3) independent study-at least three hours of work per week for each credit."-C.J. Quann A Handbook of Policies and Procedures.
While the Curriculum Council recognizes a natural diversity among various academic units in administering these standards, we would like to request that academic units consider these guidelines carefully in assigning credits to new (or existing) courses. It is clear, for example, that one- or two-day workshops, field trips, etc., will not qualify for academic credit unless there are extensive pre- or post-workshop, trip, etc., assignments to provide the required 30 hours work/credit. It is also clear in some laboratory or studio classes that require extensive outside work, that this extra work should be taken in account in assigning credits.
Crosslisted Courses. Crosslisting of courses is a mechanism to facilitate multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary instruction. Crosslisted courses are offered by more than one department and a) contain the same number, title, credits, description, and prerequisites; b) have designators that reflect the departments offering the courses; and c) include a distinctive statement at the end of the description to indicate that the course is crosslisted. Crosslisted course proposals may be submitted by the various departments/colleges, however approvals are needed from each of the participating units' department heads/chairs and colleges for either new courses or changes to existing courses. Each participating unit must share in the development and in the teaching of the course. The Schedule Desk will not schedule different courses at the same time and place unless they are crosslisted. Category II procedures are used to propose a crosslisting.
Description. The course description should indicate the course emphasis, should not exceed four lines of catalog type (about 25-50 words), and should not include material that does not clarify course content (e.g., see Schedule of Classes or fulfills Baccalaureate Core requirement). The phrase "This course" should not precede the description. Description might indicate "need not be taken in sequence" if such is the case. Sequential courses may use the same description.
Designator. See the list of Course Designators.
Discipline. A branch of knowledge, learning, or field of study in which a student may concentrate, such as sociology, anthropology, or mathematics.
Dual-listed "Slash" Courses or 4XX/5XX Distinction. Dual listed courses (4XX/5XX) are offered at both the upper-division and graduate level. Students wanting undergraduate credit register for the 4XX number and those wanting graduate credit register for the 5XX number. Courses bearing dual-listed numbers must provide students who are enrolled for the 500-level credit with education and training that satisfies all of the following conditions. Evidence of the following distinctions must be clearly stated in the syllabus:
Credits for slash courses should be the same. Departments wanting to add the 500-level to a 400-level course or the 400-level to a 500-level course, must submit an online Category II Permanent Course Request to the University Curriculum Council.
Approved by University Curriculum Council on 4/25/02: In order to help Oregon State University ensure that students in 5XX sections of "slash" courses are getting a genuine graduate-level learning experience, all future Category II proposals to create or change slash courses must clearly articulate the graduate-level learning objectives/outcomes expected of students registered for the 5XX version of the course. This requirement is in addition to the criteria already listed in the Curricular Procedures Handbook.
Elective. A course that may be taken on an optional rather than a required basis.
Emphasis. An emphasis, focus, or specialization within a major or option provides additional curricular focus. An emphasis, focus, or specialization should not be confused with a minor or option. An emphasis is not transcript visible.
Experimental "X" Course. These courses are designed to be temporary and developmental, and to permit innovation and experimentation within authorized programs or to take advantage of the talents of visiting faculty. An Experimental "X" course cannot be offered more than twice in a three-year period following approval, but should be requested on a permanent basis if experience indicates the course should be continued. Special Topics courses may be offered without review and can be used in place of "X" courses in most instances. For further information, see the Instructions for Experimental "X" Course Requests. Created with a Category II Proposal.
Expiration of Permanent Courses. Authorization for permanent courses that are not taught at least once in three consecutive academic years will expire. This policy does not apply to blanket numbered courses and special topics courses. Departments and Colleges will be informed of the course to be dropped, and may extend the expiration date if there is a plausible reason (such as faculty on sabbatical) by asking for an extension on the form they will receive from the Office of Academic Planning and Assessment.
Any course expired because it has not been taught at least once in three consecutive years may be reinstated automatically upon request to the Office of Academic Planning and Assessment, if no more than three years have passed since the authorization expired. Any course that has not been taught for six consecutive years will require a "new course" online Category II Course Request to reinstate it.
Extended Category I Proposal. See Category I Proposal.
Focus. An emphasis, focus, or specialization within a major or option provides additional curricular focus. An emphasis, focus, or specialization should not be confused with a minor or option. An emphasis is not transcript visible.
Grading.
Letter Grading. A course is assumed to be letter graded (A-F, R) unless otherwise indicated. Students may elect to take a letter graded course on an S/U basis. Existing letter graded courses may be changed to P/N (Pass/No Pass) grading permanently by submitting a proposal to the Curriculum Council.
P/N Grading. Pass/no credit grading is used for those courses in which traditional letter grading has been deemed inappropriate due to the nature, structure or objectives of the course. Courses graded on this basis will generally be: skill-building courses, practicums, or courses stressing orientation and awareness rather than academic preparation. For more information, see section on P/N grading policy.
Graduate Area of Concentration. A subdivision of a major or minor in which a strong graduate program is available. They may be shown on the student's program of study, but they are not listed on the student's transcript. Areas of concentration are listed in the Graduate Catalog.
Graduate Courses: Basic Course Distinctions of 5XX, 6XX, 7XX, and 8XX Level Courses.
5XX-level courses:
These courses are graduate courses offered primarily in support of master's degree programs, but which are also available for use on doctoral level degree programs. Undergraduates of superior scholastic achievement may be admitted to these courses on the approval of the instructor, and they may apply to reserve these courses for later use on a graduate degree program.
These courses have one or more of the following characteristics: (1) they require upper-division prerequisites in the discipline; (2) they require an extensive theoretical base in the discipline; (3) they increase or re-examine the existing knowledge or database of the discipline; (4) they present core components or important peripheral components of the discipline at an advanced level.
6XX-level courses:
These are graduate courses offered principally in support of doctoral level instructional programs but are also available for use on master's level degree programs.
In addition to exhibiting the characteristics of 5XX-level courses, these courses typically require 5XX-level prerequisites and they build on and increase the information presented in 5XX-level courses.
7XX-level courses:
These are advanced professional or technical courses which may be applied toward a professional degree (e.g., DVM, PharmD). They make up the bulk of the course work for these professional degree programs. These courses are not considered graduate level courses, however, and may not be applied toward master's level or doctoral level (PhD or EdD) degree programs.
8XX-level courses:
These courses are in-service courses aimed at practicing professionals in the discipline. These courses have an in-service or retraining focus, and provide the professionals new ways to examine existing situations or new tools to treat existing problems. These courses are not considered graduate level courses and generally have none of the characteristics of 5XX-level courses. They may not be applied to graduate level degree programs nor to professional degree programs.
Honors. Courses that may qualify to be Honors courses must be existing courses and then submitted to the Honors College Council for review. Once approved, they are entered into Banner for a 3-year period, after which time they will expire. If the mother course is a Baccalaureate Core course, the Honors portion will be as well. The word "honors" is reserved for the Honors College for use in the title and description of the course.
Interdisciplinary. A term that refers to a course or instructional program involving concepts, knowledge, or faculty from several disciplines.
Liaison. Departments are responsible for interdepartmental liaison for all curricular changes that may affect students or programs in other departments. The proposing department should send a copy of the memo proposal to any units that may be affected. The usual approach is to specify, in a cover memo, that, if no response is received within a reasonable time, the assumption will be that the recipient has no objections. Copies of liaison letters sent and all replies received should be attached to the proposal. The proposal should also include a memo addressing any concerns surfaced during the liaison process.
Major. The undergraduate major is an extensive program of study in a designated subject area. Undergraduate majors consist of a minimum of 36 credits, 24 of which must be upper-division courses. A formal aggregate of courses in designated primary subject areas/disciplines in which a student commits to gaining in-depth knowledge, skills, competence, and understanding through a coherent pattern of courses. A graduate major is the area of academic specialization, approved by the State Board of Higher Education, in which the student chooses to qualify for a graduate degree. Upon completion of a graduate degree, the degree awarded and the graduate major are listed on the student's transcript.
Minor. An undergraduate minor is a formal aggregate of courses in a designated secondary subject area or discipline distinct from and usually outside the students degree major in which knowledge is gained in a coherent pattern of courses. A secondary field of specialized study that may be offered by an academic unit for its own majors and/or majors from other academic units. Consists of a minimum of 27 credits, at least 12 of which must be in upper-division courses. For more information, see Guidelines for Minors. A graduate minor is an academic area that clearly supports the major. On a master's or doctoral program, a minor may be: (1) an academic area available only as a minor, (2) a different major, (3) the same major with a different area of concentration, (4) an approved major at another institution in the Oregon University System, or (5) an integrated minor. An integrated minor consists of a series of cognate courses from two or more areas. These courses must be outside the major area of concentration, with most of the courses being outside the major department. The graduate faculty member representing the integrated minor must be from outside the major department. Graduate minors are listed on the student's transcript.
Modular Courses. A part of the main course that can stand alone. The topics are related and when combined with all other parts, become the entire course. Modular courses may not exist without the main course. Some modules may be self-paced. Classes may be offered as faculty lectures, on Web, using CDs, on-campus off-campus, or a combination of all of the above with an exam at the end of each module. Modular courses may not run full term. Departments with existing courses, but with no modules, must submit a proposal for a modular course before modules will be entered on Banner. For more information, see OSU Modular Courses.
Numbering. Used to indicate course level, and in some instances, course content. Lower-division courses should follow the Commonly Numbered Course List of the Oregon University System and Oregon Community Colleges.
Reserved Number Courses.Certain blocks of numbers that have been assigned for specific courses that may be taken for more than one term.
0-99 Noncredit or credit courses of a remedial, terminal, or semi-professional nature not applicable toward degree requirements
100-299 Lower division courses
300-499 Upper division courses
500-599 Graduate courses offered primarily in support of master's degree level courses but which are also available for doctoral level credit.
600-699 Graduate courses offered primarily in support of doctoral-level instructional program but also available for master's program credit.
700-799 Professional or technical courses which may be applied toward a professional degree (such as DVM) but not toward other graduate degrees (such as PhD).
800-899 In-service courses which may not be applied toward advanced degrees.
Option. Options are for students of a specific major. One of several distinct variants of course aggregations within a major which focuses on an area of study designed to provide a student with specialized knowledge, competence, and skills while sharing a minimum core of courses. Options consist of a minimum of 21 designated credits of course work, 15 of which must be at the upper-division level. If all requirements have been met, the option may be listed on a student's transcript. For more information, see Guidelines for Options.
Outcome. Student learning outcomes are learner-focused statements reflecting what a student will be able to do as a result of an instructional activity. All course syllabi should list expected student learning outcomes. Guidelines for writing student learning outcomes:
Prerequisite. A course or instructional program that students are expected to complete as a necessary requirement before they are permitted to enroll in another course or instructional program that is more advanced. Students may attempt a course without having prerequisites if they have obtained the consent of the instructor to do so. If consent is not obtained, then students who have not fulfilled published prerequisites may be disenrolled from the course during the first week of classes. All prerequisite changes must be approved by the University Curriculum Council.
Rules for prerequisites: Prerequisites...
Repeat for Credit. Departments allowing a course to be repeated should include the phrase may be repeated for credit when topic varies in the course description. Careful consideration should be given to the possibility of duplicating material beyond that considered beneficial, and the possibility of limiting the amount of repeat credit permitted in a major program. Limits do exist for graduate credit for reserve-number work. See the Graduate Catalog for more information.
Schedule Type. BANNER distinguishes the following schedule types. Courses may include more than one type. If, for example, a course is to have a lecture, separate discussion sections and/or laboratory sections, then all three schedule types must be indicated or else BANNER will stall when attempting to prepare the Schedule of Classes. No approval is required to change schedule types.
Sequence Courses. Two or more closely articulated courses in a discipline or subject area that are taken in a specified order using sequential numbering.
Specialization. An emphasis, focus, or specialization within a major or option provides additional curricular focus. An emphasis, focus, or specialization should not be confused with a minor or option. An emphasis is not transcript visible.
Syllabus. The attached course syllabus should include (at the minimum):
Titles. The title of a course should indicate the content of the course without attempting to summarize the contents, should not contain more than 60 characters, and should not include colons, semicolons, dashes, etc. Within reasonable limits, titles should be consistent with academic practices in the disciplines. Courses with sequential numbers and closely related subject matter may carry the same general title, with the description indicating differences in content.
Transcripting of Overseas Studies Courses/Foreign Study/Exchange Program.
WIC (Writing Intensive Course). See Baccalaureate Core.
X Courses. See Experimental X Courses.
