The University strongly advises units to be strategic in course scheduling by focusing on core curricular requirements and minimizing narrowly focused courses and special topics offerings.
There is certainly a need to experiment occasionally, and students can derive educational benefits from special topics courses. At the same time, however, the college needs to focus on program-essential courses for its majors and general education, and it needs to be very efficient in deploying faculty member resources.
To make the best possible use of special opportunities while also effectively safeguarding limited faculty resources, the school directors must seek approval from the Vice Chancellor and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs for special topics courses before they are put on the semester schedule. Requests to offer a special topics section should include a statement with the following information:
- Discussion on how the course fits in the curriculum and the programmatic need satisfy.
- Projected enrollment.
- An acknowledgment that no similar course in the Penn State Bulletin is already on the books.
- A description of other courses offered by the faculty member during the academic year.
June 13, 2007
June 20, 2017
Revised December 2, 2024