Tips for Proposal Success

Be sure this is an accurate reflection of what the new course is doing or what is being changed from the old course and why. It will not be seen by students, but it is the first thing every reviewer will read.

This will be what students see about the course. Please proofread this section carefully. Also, be sure that the description is written to be durable and will not be outdated in 5 years.

Course Learning Objectives must be assessable; they should not be a summary of the course content. This is a common reason that a proposal is sent back and delayed.

A simple percentage breakdown by type of assignment: exams, case studies, homework, quizzes, video analysis, papers, etc., with percentages is all that is necessary.

This breakdown must be given in HOURS (not weeks) because courses may be taught in lengths other than 15 weeks.

Proposers MUST list individual faculty in the Consultation Members. This should include faculty from the proposer’s field and someone from every discipline affected by the course at other campuses (including at least 1 at UP). Normally this list is 6-15 people. Disciplinary Groups are not enough – these rarely result in any feedback. Lack of thorough consultation is the top reason that proposals are sent back and delayed.

If you need to add consultation after it has already gone through consultation, you can add members, but CIM will not email them to tell them a proposal is there. You will need to contact them directly to let them know.

Every issue raised in a comment requires a response, either explaining how it was addressed or why you think no change is necessary. You do not need to thank anyone or respond to positive comments. All comments are archived with the proposal and will remain there.

Be sure this is an accurate reflection of what the new course is doing or what is being changed from the old course and why. It will not be seen by students, but it is the first thing every reviewer will read.

This will be what students see about the course. Please proofread this section carefully. Also, be sure that the description is written to be durable and will not be outdated in 5 years.

When listing Gen Ed courses that are required by the major, you need to write a justification. If you are requiring CAS100A-C, you need to address the public speaking or research presentations necessary in the field. Likewise, for ENGL 15/30 or ENGL 202 A-D, you need to explain the fundamental place of writing within the major.

The most common errors on program proposals are in calculating the number of credits. Please double-check these.

Proposers MUST list individual faculty in the Consultation Members. This should include multiple faculty from the proposer’s field at other campuses (including at least 1 at UP). If the program is drawing from multiple disciplines, every discipline should be represented in the consultation. Normally this list is 6-15 people. Disciplinary Groups are not enough – these rarely result in any feedback.

If you need to add consultation after it has already gone through consultation, you can add members, but CIM will not email them to tell them a proposal is there. You will need to contact them directly to let them know.

Every issue raised in a comment requires a response, either explaining how it was addressed or why you think no change is necessary. You do not need to thank anyone or respond to positive comments. All comments are archived with the proposal and will remain there. If someone contacts you by email with a comment and you would like their comment and your response, you can request that they enter it, or a summary of your conversation, as a comment on the proposal.