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New Concentration Proposal for Existing Majors

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To initiate a new concentration to an existing major, departments need to prepare a proposal providing the information requested on the form below. The completed proposal is first submitted to the Curriculum Committee for review of the goals, curriculum, course analysis and assessment or evaluation plan. The Curriculum Committee makes a recommendation and sends this, along with the original proposal, to the Academic Affairs Committee for the final approval.

Columbia College Chicago Curriculum Committee Review for Proposed Concentration

INSTRUCTIONS: The following information is needed for the review of a proposed new concentration within an existing major.

1. Course titles, descriptions, and syllabi for all courses included in this concentration. (For new courses include course outline, if syllabi are not available. Syllabi are not necessary for core courses of existing major.)
2. A list of major requirements, including core requirement, concentration, and suggested departmental electives.
3. A projected four-year student program that includes the complete major, general studies requirements, and all college electives.

In addition to providing the information above, please address the following questions for the review.

1. Goal of new concentration
   1. What are the educational goals for the proposed concentration?
   2. How do the goals of this new concentration relate to the mission of the department/program and the mission of the college?
2. Projected Student Population
   1. Who is your projected student clientele? How will this concentration attract new students to the school?
   2. Give evidence of the need for this program in the Chicago area.
   3. What similar programs are offered in the Chicago area?
   4. If similar programs exist, how is your project concentration unique?
   5. What plans do you have for marketing this curriculum?
3. Faculty or Personnel
   1. What are the faculty requirements for this new concentration? Can your present full-time faculty teach and administer this added concentration, or are additional faculty needed? How many part-time faculty will be teaching courses in this concentration?
   2. Do the areas of expertise of the present faculty relate to the projected curriculum or do present faculty need to be re-trained?
4. Resources
   1. Describe the resources required for this new concentration. (This includes space, equipment, and staff support.) Are these resources already available or do they need to be purchased?
   2. What is the projected cost for marketing this new major?
   3. Is outside funding available for purchase of equipment, books, or other materials?
5. Curriculum and Course Analysis
   1. What is the rationale for the structure of this concentration? (Number of courses required, number of electives suggested, course sequence noted, and relationship to the existing core.)
   2. Is there an official organization in your discipline that specified or suggests courses to be included in undergraduate programs? If so, please append a copy of their requirements?
   3. Do courses in other departments appear to overlap with some of the courses offered in your concentration? If so, which ones?
   4. What courses from other departments are you planning to include or require in your curriculum?
   5. What are the preparatory courses in the major that serve to introduce the student to the program?
   6. What courses provide a summary to the program and give direction to the student's projected employment or further academic study?
   7. Are the courses included in this concentration new ones or are they presently in the curriculum? List all new courses. Have they been reviewed by the Curriculum Committee?
   8. What opportunities are available for internships or work/study programs in this concentration?
   9. How do the courses in this major prepare students for immediate employment or further study? How do the courses prepare students to adjust to future changes in the field?
   10. How does this concentration relate to the other concentrations with the major department or program?
   11. What plans have you made to evaluate the success of your curriculum?

If you have questions, contact Jan Garfield, at jgarfield@popmail.colum.edu or your Curriculum Committee departmental representative.