Committee on the Core Curriculum - UTDPP1018

Policy Statement

The Committee on the Core Curriculum is a Standing, Concurrent Committee of the Academic Senate responsible for overseeing university-wide core curriculum requirements for undergraduates students who complete all or some of their general education coursework in residence at UT Dallas.

The Committee is charged to evaluate existing and newly proposed courses for inclusion in the university's core curriculum. This evaluation includes a periodic review and discussion of lower division courses offered by Texas public colleges, which may be substituted to satisfy a core curriculum requirement at UT Dallas. Prior to recommending any changes, the Committee seeks input from faculty and other interested parties within the university. Resulting recommendations, along with communication of all academic requirements for undergraduate admission and graduation, including transfer admission requirements, are forwarded to the Committee on Educational Policy and to the Academic Senate for final consideration.

The Committee also is responsible for developing a plan to assess the core curriculum based on the six core objectives outlined by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB). The Committee works collaboratively with the Office of Assessment and with faculty who are assigned to teach core curriculum courses to ensure the assessment plan is implemented appropriately. Results from the assessment analysis conducted by the Committee and the Office of Assessment are disseminated to the Committee on Educational Policy and to the Academic Senate. Suggestions regarding core curriculum improvements are then discussed with the appropriate faculty and committees.

Additionally, the Committee monitors changes to state law or to accreditation standards to ensure continual compliance with external governing requirements.

Annually, but no later than August 31, the Chair of the Committee will provide the Speaker of the Faculty with a written report for the Academic Senate of the Committee's activities for the prior academic year.

The Committee is composed of eight voting members appointed from the membership of the General Faculty (as defined in UTDPP1088). Committee membership is distributed across all schools and shall include non-administrative faculty members who are regularly assigned to teach core curriculum courses. The Chair of the Committee on Educational Policy shall serve ex officio as one of the voting members. The Dean of Undergraduate Education, the University Registrar, the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Advising, and a representative from the Office of Assessment serve as non-voting, ex-officio members. The Committee also includes four degree-seeking undergraduate students as non-voting members, including one lower-division student and one upper-division transfer student. The Chair of the Committee serves ex officio, with vote, on the Committee on Educational Policy. The Dean of Undergraduate Education serves as the Responsible University Official.

Unless specified otherwise in this charge, Committee members are appointed to two-year terms, and the Chair and Vice Chair are appointed annually. The terms for appointed members shall be staggered so that no more than one-half of the terms expire in any one year. The President may reappoint members for additional terms upon nomination of the Academic Council. Reappointments for the Chair shall not exceed two consecutive terms. If for any reason a Committee member resigns, the President, upon nomination of the Academic Council, shall appoint another individual to serve the remainder of the unexpired term.