Academic Programs

Policy

Academic Units are authorized to offer Experimental “X” courses for the purpose of introducing new learning materials and innovative teaching on a trial basis before seeking permanent approval for a course. A course syllabus, including course description and student learning outcomes, must be on file in the Academic Unit, and a new course proposal is required. Contact the Office of Academic Programs and Assessment (APA) (now called Curriculum Management) before submitting the proposal so the course can be administratively added.

Experimental courses can be offered a maximum of three times, after which the course must be reviewed by the Curriculum Council following the normal course approval process for permanent course status. The experimental “X” course must be approved as an equivalent course (same number, same title) to the permanent course in order to apply the course repeat policy.

When it is expected that a course will only be offered once, the “Special Topics” may be the desired method and can be established without a new course proposal. Please contact the Office of Academic Programs and Assessment to establish a "Special Topics" course. Special topic (X99) courses are not eligible for grade exclusion for repeated courses.

The Office of Academic Programs and Assessment will, in its annual review of ‘Courses Not Taught in Three Years’, include a review of Experimental “X” courses.

An Experimental “X” course cannot be a prerequisite for other courses.

Rationale

Experimental courses may be offered a maximum of three times over a period of five academic years.

Ease of tracking - each term, the Office of the Registrar - Scheduling will run a report of experimental courses offered three times. The report will be submitted to department schedulers to notify faculty.

Limited offering - Experimental courses allow department flexibility in developing curriculum without going through the formal review process. The course number should not take the place of a permanent offering to avoid faculty governance and administrative office review.

A maximum of three times allows faculty enough time to determine the influence of the new learning materials and if it should be submitted through the curriculum review process for approval as a permanent course.

Some examples include:

· Fall/Winter/Spring – one academic year; three (3) times

· Fall/Fall/Fall – over three academic years; three (3) times

· Fall/Winter/Fall – over two academic years; three (3) times