Winona State University WSU Faculty Association  Academic Affairs & Curriculum Committee

Academic Affairs & Curriculum Committee

The WSU Academic Affairs and Curriculum Committee (A2C2) is a standing committee of the WSU Faculty Association. A2C2 is the only university committee that includes representatives from each academic unit. Representatives (primary and alternates) are selected by each department/program.

The only requirement for serving is an active membership in the Inter Faculty Organization (IFO), the union and collective bargaining representative serving and promoting the faculty of the seven Minnesota State Universities.

A2C2 is formally charged:

  1. To make recommendations to the Faculty Association (FA) Senate on:
    • all proposals for curricular change to the undergraduate academic catalog, in accordance with Policy 3-4 and Procedures 3-4 A, B
    • all proposed changes to the General Education Program
    • WSU academic policies, procedures, and requirements related to academic affairs
    • Minnesota State policies and procedures related to academic affairs
    • appointments to the IFO Academic Affairs and other related IFO committees
    • other issues related to academic affairs as directed by the FA Senate
  2. To monitor, maintain, and update the curriculum management system as directed by the FA Senate, working with the WSU Academic Affairs office and other WSU offices as appropriate
  3. To promote and enhance resources for teaching and advising, working with administrative and staff members in the Academic Affairs, Registrar’s, and other WSU offices as appropriate
  4. To inform faculty across campus about:
    • any significant changes related to procedures for proposing curricular change
    • any significant changes related to academic affairs policies and procedures

A2C2 has three standing subcommittees:

  • the Course and Program Proposal Subcommittee (CPPS)
  • the Faculty-Led Study Away Programs Subcommittee (FLPS)
  • the General Education Program Subcommittee (GEPS)

All subcommittee members are either primary or alternate A2C2 representatives.

The A2C2 chair’s duties include:

  • facilitating the meetings
  • providing information to the faculty regarding academic affairs, proposals for curricular change and resources
  • serving at the Curriculog faculty administrator

Curricular Change

Article 6, section B, subdivision 2 of the IFO Master Contract states that: “The Association shall have the right to make policy recommendations, including but not limited to the following areas: curriculum…”

At Winona State University, this right is enshrined in University Policy 3-4 on “Curricular Change”: “The purpose of this policy is to describe the approval process to be used to accomplish all curricular changes, while recognizing the responsibility and right of the Winona State University (WSU) Faculty Association (FA) to propose such changes. Curricular changes include proposals for the growth, reduction, revision, or discontinuation (banking) of an undergraduate or graduate program or course.”

This policy applies to all proposed curricular changes involving:

  • New/revised undergraduate/graduate courses and programs
  • Courses submitted for inclusion in the WSU General Education Program
  • Courses and sections receiving additional designations in the registration system, academic transcripts, and/or co-curricular transcript
  • • Discontinuation (banking) of a course or program

Process for Curricular Change

All proposals for curricular change recommended by the Faculty Association (FA) require the approval of the Chief Academic Officer (CAO) before being implemented in the Warrior Hub.

The standard approval process includes these steps:

  1. A proposal originator completes a form in the curriculum management system (Curriculog)
  2. The department approves the proposal and the chair forwards it to the academic college dean
  3. The dean approves the proposal and forwards it to the appropriate faculty curriculum committee
  4. Faculty curriculum committees review the proposal, approving it based on published criteria
  5. A2C2 reviews an undergraduate proposal and makes a recommendation to FA Senate
  6. Graduate Council reviews a graduate proposal and makes a recommendation to FA Senate
  7. The FA Senate accepts a recommendation on the proposal and forwards it to the administration
  8. The Dean of Graduate Studies makes a recommendation on a graduate proposal to the CAO
  9. The CAO accepts the FA and Dean of Graduate Studies recommendations on the proposal
  10. The approved proposal is implemented in Warrior Hub, amending the academic catalog

View the Curricular Approval Flow Chart for more details.

A2C2 plays a critical role in this process. University Procedure 3-4A “Curricular Change Processes” states that: “A2C2 shall make available in the CMS the proposal forms for undergraduate courses/programs described in University Procedure 3-4B, ensuring they are consistent with all regulations for all curricular change. Each form will include directions regarding specific content required for that particular proposal.

Undergraduate proposals are reviewed by the appropriate A2C2 subcommittee:

  • The Course & Program Proposal Subcommittee (CPPS) reviews undergraduate new/revised course and program proposals
  • The General Education Program Subcommittee (GEPS) reviews undergraduate course proposals for the General Education Program, including new courses, course renewals, retroactive notifications, and non-renewals

A2C2 shall vote to accept or reject a subcommittee’s recommendation, and the chair shall record the decision in the CMS. If the proposal was approved, the chair shall report this as an A2C2 recommendation to the FA Senate.”

Proposals for Faculty-Led Study Away Programs do not require Curriculog forms.

A2C2 Subcommittees

A2C2 has three standing subcommittees: the Course and Program Proposal Subcommittee (CPPS), the Faculty-Led Study Away Programs Subcommittee (FLPS), and the General Education Program Subcommittee (GEPS).

All subcommittee members are either primary or alternate A2C2 representatives. Faculty members who are interested in serving on these committees should contact the A2C2 chair.

CPPS evaluates proposals for new/revised undergraduate courses and programs. Its membership includes two members from each of the five colleges: Business, Education, Liberal Arts, Science and Engineering, and Nursing and Health Sciences.

Its committee charge states that it:

  • Receives from A2C2 written proposals for new courses, revised courses, new programs, or revised programs
  • Evaluates each proposal according to the criteria established in WSU Regulation 3-4 and described on the proposal forms
  • Recommends to A2C2 either approval or disapproval of the proposed course or program.

FLPS evaluates proposals for new/renewed Faculty-Led Study Away Programs. Its membership includes 7 IFO (preferably at least one from each college, with preference to members with previous faculty-led program experience, and with preference to at least one member familiar with graduate programs), two-year terms.

It also includes one ex officio, non-voting member: the Assistant Director of Study Abroad for Faculty-Led Programs courses and programs.

Its committee charge states:

  • FLPS reviews all proposals for faculty-led programs. For the purposes of distributing its agenda and conducting its business, FLPS follows the “Responsibilities of the Curriculum Committees” guidelines described in Procedure 3-4A, “Curricular Change Process.” FLPS makes recommendations on all undergraduate faculty-led program proposals to A2C2; it makes recommendations on all graduate faculty-led program proposals to Graduate Council
  • FLPS provides advice as necessary to A2C2, Graduate Council, and individual faculty members to help assure that previously approved course objectives and learning outcomes are properly incorporated into the faculty-led program format
  • FLPS provides guidance in the promotion of faculty-led programs
  • FLPS participates in developing, supporting, and reporting new and changed policies and procedures to A2C2 and Graduate Council in order to support a culture of global engagement
  • When appropriate, FLPS functions as a liaison between the Center for Global Education Office, faculty, and any other relevant offices

GEPS evaluates proposals for inclusion in the General Education Program (GEP). Its membership includes:

  • representation from each college
  • representatives from the English, Communication Studies, and Mathematics/Statistics Departments
  • a representative from one of the wellness–related departments

Its committee charge states that it shall:

  • Review and evaluate GEP course proposals in accordance with Policy 3-4 (A, B)
  • Make recommendations to A2C2 regarding the approval of GEP course proposals
  • Make recommendations to A2C2 regarding the removal of courses from the GEP
  • Make recommendations to A2C2 regarding the approval of student appeals related to the GEP
  • Make recommendations to A2C2 regarding GEP renewal deadlines for the upcoming academic year
  • Other duties as they arise

Meetings

View the Current AY curriculum committee meeting calendar:

  • Academic Affairs & Curriculum Committee (A2C2) meetings are generally scheduled for every other Wednesday starting at 3:30pm
  • CPPS and GEPS meetings are scheduled for every other Wednesday when A2C2 is not meeting
  • FLPS meetings are scheduled based on the most convenient dates for its membership in the fall and spring semester

Current A2C2 meeting agenda packets and archived minutes can be accessed at the WSU A2C2 Teams Site.

All faculty members represented by the IFO should have access to this Teams site. All other interested WSU community members may also request access.

Contact the A2C2 chair if you have difficulty accessing the Teams site.

Agendas

According to University Procedure 3-4A “Curricular Change Processes”: “The chair of each curriculum committee shall create the agenda listing the proposals to be considered at its next meeting.

Around one week prior to the meeting, the chair shall notify the committee members, and all interested parties of the meeting’s time, place and agenda, including:

  • All curriculum committee chairs
  • Director of the General Education Program
  • All department chairs
  • WSU Faculty Association President
  • College Deans and the Dean of Graduate Studies
  • Vice President for Academic Affairs
  • Registrar’s Office
  • University Institutional Planning Assessment & Research

University Procedure 3-4B “Curricular Changes, Types of Proposals” indicates when a department representative needs to attend the meeting. When a representative is required, the committee chair shall notify the proposal’s originator. If no required representative is in attendance, the proposal will not be considered at that meeting.

Any department or other university unit that objects to a curriculum proposal must notify the committee chair of its position. It may also send a representative to the meeting to explain the objection. If conflicts between university units are not resolved to the committee’s satisfaction, consideration of the proposal may be postponed until a resolution is reached.

All curriculum committee agendas are distributed to the WSU-PP3-4-Agendas@winona.edu email list. Contact the A2C2 chair at A2C2_Chair@winona.edu if you should be receiving these agendas but have not been included.

The A2C2 Teams site includes an archive of previous agendas, calendars, minutes, and proposals.

Curriculog: Curriculum Management System

Curriculog is proprietary curriculum management system (CMS) software licensed by Winona State University from Modern Campus to submit and track the approval/implementation steps for all recommendations for curricular change.

By default, all faculty members represented by the IFO have access to Curriculog. WSU Administrators with approval roles also have automatic access, but they cannot originate proposals.

Proposals for faculty-led study away programs do not require Curriculog forms. Find resources for creating a faculty-led program.

The A2C2 chair serves as the Curriculog faculty administrator. According to University Policy 3-4 “Curricular Changes,”: “The Academic Affairs office maintains Curriculog, working in conjunction with the Curriculog faculty administrator. All proposal forms in Curriculog are under the purview of the Faculty Association.

By default, all proposals and comments about them within Curriculog shall be accessible to all faculty and administrators. The Curriculog faculty administrator shall grant “view-only” access to Curriculog to all interested WSU staff members upon request.

The Curriculog faculty administrator shall implement the approval processes defined in this policy and its accompanying procedures. The Curriculog faculty administrator shall implement all exceptional situations in Curriculog after they have been confirmed. The Curriculog faculty administrator is empowered to move proposals to different approval levels when necessary; the administrator shall notify all affected parties when intervening in approval processes.”

Logging in to Curriculog requires StarID authentication. Curriculog includes a comprehensive list of changes made to the approval processes since WSU first implemented this system in 2014.

Contact the A2C2 chair with any questions about Curriculog and its proposal forms.

Curriculog contains more than 20 different proposal forms related to specific recommendations for curricular change. According to University Policy 3-4 “Curricular Changes,” the proposal originator and department chair approval roles in Curriculog must be occupied by faculty members in the IFO bargaining unit.

University Procedure 3-4B “Curricular Changes, Types of Proposals” lists the different types of proposals that are available and the primary committee that reviews each one. Within Curriculog, select the “Proposals > + New Proposal” button to list all that are available. Each proposal type has its own “Description” information that will be made visible by selecting the proposal type’s name.

All new undergraduate courses and programs, along with major revisions to existing courses and programs, require review from the Course and Program Proposal Subcommittee. Some changes are relatively minor. These are referred to as “notifications.”

University Procedure 3-4A “Curricular Change Processes” states that: “The committee shall inform its parent assembly of an approved notification. A notification approved by A2C2 or Graduate Council does not require any additional review; it will be forwarded through the CMS to the Registrar’s office for implementation. If the proposal was not a notification and it was approved, the chair shall report this as the curriculum committee’s recommendation to its parent assembly.”

Notifications for undergraduate catalog changes are generally reviewed by A2C2 only to ensure accuracy, completeness, and eligibility. University Procedure 3-4B describes the criteria used to distinguish a “revision” from a “notification.”

Everyone who has been granted prior access to Curriculog can view all pending proposals for curricular change and see their current approval status. Using the “Advanced Filter” function, all completed proposals may also be viewed.

Scanned copies of all paper proposals for curricular change submitted prior to the 2014 adoption of Curriculog are also available from a secure server database named “KnowledgeLake.” Contact the A2C2 chair if you need to obtain a copy of such a completed proposal.

Curricular Planning Resources

Departments that are planning recommendations for curricular change might find these WSU Reports useful. Off-campus access to these reports will require a VPN connection.

  • Common Course Outlines Report: Provides a list of course descriptions/outlines based on selection of term and subject(s).
  • Course Detail Report: Provides course section-by-section data for courses offered in the selected term(s) including capacity, number enrolled, instructors, meetings times and more. Includes past, current, and upcoming semesters.
  • Course Offering History Report: List of courses offered in the selected terms, along with last term offered, number of sections and number of enrolled students.
  • Course Prerequisites Report: A list of courses in the course catalog along with any current prerequisites.
  • DARS Articulations Report: Course articulations defined in the uAchieve/DARS system that show what courses taken at other institutions transfer into WSU as.
  • Registration Wish List / Wait List Summary Report: A summary of pending course registrations students have on their online registration wish list, and on the section registration wait list. Can be useful in assessing future demand for a course.
  • Used Course Numbers Report: List of all course numbers that have ever been assigned in the WSU curriculum since 1997, including those that have been end-dated.

Teaching & Advising Resources

In addition to the faculty resources hub, there are several WSU Reports that are useful to faculty members. Off-campus access to these reports will require a VPN connection.

WarriorSpace also includes forms that faculty may submit for:

  • Change Of Grade
  • Course Substitution
  • Early Intervention Program Referral
  • First Day Drop
  • Registration Override (blue card)

Past A2C2 Committee Chairs

  • August 2020 – August 2026 | Craig Upright (Sociology)
  • August 2019 – August 2020 | Danilo Bojic (Art & Design)
  • August 2018 – August 2019 | Craig Upright (Sociology)
  • January 2015 –  August 2018 | Jeanne Danneker (Special Education)
  • August 2013 – January 2015 | Pat Paulson (Business Administration)
  • August 2005 – August 2013 | Anne Rethlefsen (Education)
  • August 2001 – August 2014 | Charla Miertschin (Biology)
  • August 1999 – August 2001| Kelly Herold (Communication Studies)