To Faculty
- Facilitate the identification of the appropriate faculty group for developing new course proposals.
- Mentor faculty, especially junior faculty, in developing well-crafted course proposals.
- Review and provide constructive feedback on course proposals before passing them on to the college UAC.
To Program UAC
A program-level UAC is established for each undergraduate academic Major program to provide oversight on curricular matters related to that major as well as associated minors and certificates. Each program-level UAC is chaired by the Program Coordinator. The other members are elected and/or appointed from full-time faculty involved in teaching courses for the program. The Program Coordinator, in consultation with the Professor-in-Charge for the Faculty Area associated with the program, decides the structure and formation of the Program UAC. The responsibilities of the Program UAC include the following:
- Periodically (once a year) review core courses and ensure that they are being consistently taught (by engaging with the respective course committees).
- Periodically (once a year) review undergraduate curricula in the area and ensure that they are up-to-date.
- Identify needed improvements to curricula and initiate a plan of action (prerequisite changes, course revision, course development, program requirements, program evaluation, etc.).
Curricular matters, such as program changes, course changes, new courses, and curricular assessment will be discussed and approved by the Program UAC, before being forwarded to the college-level UAC.
Program UAC and Area Faculty.
- Major topics approved by the program UAC need approval by the Area Faculty before submitting to college UAC.
- Minor topics approved by the program UAC need to inform the Area Faculty. However, the faculty in the area can request a minor topic to be discussed and voted by faculty in the area.
To College Undergraduate Advisory Committee (UAC)
The college-level UAC has responsibility for oversight on all undergraduate programs of the College and facilitates consultation among different programs. The college-level UAC consists of all University Park Undergraduate Program Coordinators and two additional members from non-university park campuses. The two additional members from non-University Park campuses will be appointed by the Dean or the Associate Dean with oversight of undergraduate programs, to ensure representation of Commonwealth campuses offering IST undergraduate degrees. The Chair of the Faculty Governance Organization, in consultation with the Dean, appoints the Chair of the UAC from its members. The Associate Dean with oversight of undergraduate programs serves as an ex-officio member (non-voting member).
- Periodically (once a year) review the undergraduate curricula and initiate the needed improvements through program-level UAC.
- Coordinate curricula across faculty areas - identify and foster synergies, unique opportunities for cross-area collaboration in undergraduate curricula.
- Serve as the clearing house for new course proposals from the faculty area.
- Review, provide feedback, and approve curricular changes proposed by the faculty area (new courses, revisions to existing courses, changes to prerequisites, program requirements, program evaluation).
- Identify and assess need for new undergraduate programs or major overhaul of existing program.
Prepared by Faculty Council, in consultation with Program Coordinators November/December, 2023
Updated based on discussion with Dr. Sharon Huang 12/11/2023
Synthesized with UAC Proposed Languages 2/5/2024
Updated at Faculty Meeting 2/15/2024
Approved by Interim Dean Tapia 4/10/24