Resolution on Approving Modes of Instructions

Date

Background

Concerned about some departments now considering offering laboratory courses as on-line courses, and aware that curriculum committees now already approve not only course descriptions and suitability for course offerings in the Winter Session, the NBFC Executive Committee charged the Curriculum, Teaching, and Honors Committee (CTHC) as follows:

"Consider a proposal that the Curriculum Committees of each Academic Unit be required to also approve the 'structure' of each course, in particular, when the 'structure' is being materially changed. An example, would be a proposal to offer a well established regular laboratory course in the sciences as an on-line course. The committee should also propose a definition of when a course is being materially changed."

After much discussion the CTHC decided that the "structure" of a course implied a much too detailed question to require approval by curriculum committees and academic unit faculty bodies, but should remain mostly the prerogative of the instructor of the course. However, there are modes of instruction for courses that should require approval of curriculum committees and hence the faculty of each school or college.

Recommendation

Seven specific modes of instruction (not including Independent Study, Research, and Honors Projects) plus an "other" mode of instruction category for major modes not included here, are listed as follows:


Modes of Instruction

  • Lecture only
  • Lecture w/ recitations
  • Lecture w/ laboratories
  • Laboratory only
  • On-line
  • Hybrid (at least 50% on line)
  • Seminar
  • Other

The Curriculum Committee and Faculty of each School or College must now approve each course, course description, and suitability for offering during the Winter Session. We recommend that, in addition, the Curriculum Committee and Faculty of each School or College should now be required to approve the mode(s) of instruction for all courses, and also be required to approve any changes in mode(s) of instruction for any course in the master course list, before it can be offered in the newly proposed mode(s).

Resolution

The New Brunswick Faculty Council approves the above recommendation regarding required curriculum committee approval of modes of instruction.