3.2 COURSES
3.2.4 PROCEDURES FOR PROCESSING COURSES AND CHANGES IN COURSES
[US: 11/14/88; US: 10/11/99; US: 5/7/12; US: 9/9/2013]
Applications for initiating new courses, changes in existing courses, or deleting courses, must be processed as provided in this rule. [US: 5/7/2012]
This rule also applies to new or existing courses that bear the imprimatur of UK as an educational institution, are taught by UK faculty, and are offered to the public. This rule applies regardless of whether or not the course is recorded on an academic transcript and whether or not the course is eligible toward a certificate or degree. This rule does not apply to individual activities of a faculty member or other UK employee in which they may use the UK logo simply to indicate their status as UK employees.
- This rule includes continuing education programs [US: 9/9/2013; SREC: 12/17/2013]
3.2.4.1 Definitions
[US: 5/7/2012; 5/2/2022]
If changes to a course are being proposed as a part of a new academic program or change to an academic program, then those course changes shall be incorporated into the proposal for academic program change that is processed pursuant to SR 3.1.2.6.1.
- The above rule will take effect when technologically feasible [SREC: 12/17/2013]
A change in course content that does not affect (i) use of the course to satisfy program requirements; (ii) course number; (iii) course credit hours; or (iv) course title, is not considered as a change to an academic program and shall be processed according to SR 3.2.4
In the course change procedures prescribed in SR 3.2.4, the “Dean” of courses homed outside of a college is the officer appointed by the Provost, with concurrence of the Senate, to act in the prescribed manner. For these courses, the faculty body responsible for the course content, learning objectives, etc. and for taking the educational policy actions below, in the role of a department faculty or graduate faculty, is the committee approved by the Senate to act as such for the respective course. [US: 5/2/2022]
3.2.4.2 Forms to be Used
[US: 5/7/2012]
Senate Council-approved forms and other mechanisms to initiate proposals concerning courses are available at http://www.uky.edu/universitysenate/forms and shall be used to initiate proposals under SR 3.2.3.2.
3.2.4.3 Procedures to be Used
[US: 5/7/2012]
Courses that cannot be used toward a credit-bearing program
If a proposed course cannot be used toward a credit-bearing program (SR 3.1.1.1), then final approval of the course is conducted pursuant to the Rules of the College of the originating educational unit and does not require approval above the level of the College. The College Rules may further delegate responsibility to department or program faculties (GR VII.E.1-6). If the originating educational unit is not administratively housed in a college, then the department chair or director shall forward the proposal to the appropriate Academic Council, pursuant to SR 3.2.4.3.2.1 below. [US: 9/9/2013]
3.2.4.3.1 Approval by the Educational Unit Faculty
[US: 5/7/2012]
3.2.4.3.1.1 Initial action
The Faculty of the originating educational unit decides whether to approve proposals for new courses or changes to courses (including changes to courses in the educational unit’s dual degree programs) (GR VII.E.1-5). For the Honors Program and UK Core, the “Faculty” within the meaning of this rule is the body identified by the University Senate to perform the educational policy-making functions of the respective program. [SREC: 8/18/06; US: 5/7/2012]
The department chair/director shall forward the proposal to the College Faculty, in a manner prescribed by the College Faculty Rules. The chair/director’s transmittal attests thereby that the proposal has been approved in accordance with the Rules of the Faculty of the originating unit. The department chair/director may include a separate opinion on the academic merits or on the administrative feasibility of the proposal.
- For the purposes of this rule and graduate courses, “The Faculty of the originating educational unit” means the members of the graduate faculty of the program. [SREC: 10/25/2012]
- This rule does not have the intent or effect of prohibiting any college from seeking and utilizing the opinion of any willing academic council of the Senate before the proposal is submitted to the first officially required academic council of review [SREC: 12/17/2013].
Courses for dual degree programs are simultaneously considered for approval by the respective unit faculties pursuant to the above procedures. One of the chairs/directors shall forward the approved proposal to the College Faculty, or, in the case of dual degree programs that cross colleges, to each College Faculty.
3.2.4.3.1.2 Proposals for undergraduate or professional courses
In cases of proposals concerning courses for undergraduate or professional certificates or degrees, or for the Honors College program credential, or for enrollment in undergraduate or professional status, the College Faculty decides whether to approve the proposal (GR VII.E.3). The dean shall forward an approved proposal to the appropriate academic council of the Senate (SR 3.2.4.3.2), attesting thereby that the proposal has been approved in accordance with the College Faculty Rules. The dean may include a separate opinion on the academic merits or administrative feasibility of the proposal (GR VII.F.2.a-c).
Courses for dual degree programs are simultaneously considered for approval by each College Faculty pursuant to the above procedures. The respective deans may include separate opinions on the academic merits or on the administrative feasibility of the proposal. One of the deans shall forward a single proposal for the dual degree course to the appropriate academic council of the Senate.
3.2.4.3.1.3 Proposals for graduate courses
In the case of proposals for courses for graduate certificates or degrees, or for enrollment in graduate status, a proposal approved by the Faculty of the graduate program shall be forwarded by the Director of Graduate Studies to the dean of the college that contains the home educational unit of the graduate course. If so prescribed by the College Rules, the proposal may be reviewed by, and advisory opinion added by, faculty committees/councils of that college and by the dean of that college. The proposal shall then be forwarded to the Graduate Council. If the proposal for new graduate course is arising from faculty in an educational unit that does not already home a graduate program, then the dean of the college containing that educational unit shall perform the administrative processing roles prescribed in this paragraph for the Director of Graduate Studies.
3.2.4.3.1.4 UK Core Courses
Changes in UK Core courses are submitted by the college first to the UK Core Education Committee before action by the Undergraduate Council. [US: 5/7/2012]
3.2.4.3.1.5 Graduation Composition and Communication Requirement (GCCR) Courses
Changes in Graduation Composition and Communication Requirement courses are submitted by the college for review by the Undergraduate Council, except the Undergraduate Council.
3.2.4.3.2 Approval by Academic Council
[US: 10/11/99]
3.2.4.3.2.1 Jurisdiction
The dean shall forward the proposal to the appropriate academic council as provided below. Responsibility for recommendations on new courses, changes in courses and deletion of courses (except for minor course changes as defined in SR 3.2.3.3.6, below), shall be vested in the appropriate academic council as follows, except where provided otherwise. [US: 5/7/2012]
After the College of Law faculty approves, pursuant to its established Rules, a proposal concerning a new course or a change to a course, the College submits the proposal directly to the Senate Council for ten-day posting (SR 3.2.3.3.4.1).
3.2.4.3.2.1.1 Health Care College Council
The HCCC evaluates and makes recommendations on all proposals concerning courses which may be used for credit toward a certificate, degree, or badge in a health profession that are recommended by a health care college. Proposals for courses concerning an undergraduate or graduate certificate or degree shall be first forwarded to the HCCC if the program involves the students in health care practices. “Health care practices” within the meaning of this rule includes those health care practices that subject the students to jurisdiction of the Board of Trustees-approved Health Care Colleges Code of Student Professional Conduct (‘HCC Code’), even if the practices are conducted as part of an undergraduate or graduate academic program (see also GR IV.C.1; HCC Code1.B, para. 2). [SREC: 12/17/2013] After evaluation and recommendation by the HCCC, the proposal shall be forwarded to the Undergraduate Council or Graduate Council, as respectively appropriate.
3.2.4.3.2.1.2 Undergraduate Council
The Undergraduate Council evaluates and makes recommendations on all proposals concerning courses which may be used for credit toward an undergraduate certificate, degree. badge, or the Honors College program credential. The chair of the Undergraduate Council shall forward to the Graduate Council recommendations on courses numbered 500-599.
3.2.4.3.2.1.3 Graduate Council
The Graduate Council evaluates and makes recommendations on all proposals concerning courses which may be used for credit toward a graduate certificate, degree, or badge. The chair of the Graduate Council shall forward recommendations on courses numbered 400 - 499G or on changing a course number 500 - 599 to a course numbered 400 - 499.
3.2.4.3.2.1.4 Disagreements between Undergraduate and Graduate Councils
Where the recommendation of the Undergraduate Council on a 500–599 level course is in disagreement with the recommendation of the Graduate Council, or in the case when the Graduate Council's recommendation on a 400G–499G level course is in disagreement with the recommendation of the Undergraduate Council, the matter shall be referred to the Senate Council for a decision.
3.2.4.3.2.1.5 Action by a council
Recommendations on proposals by an academic council and the UK Core Education Committee, shall be forwarded by the chair of the council or committee to the Senate Council. (Exception: In the case of a proposed course homed outside the college that will not be recorded on UK transcripts and cannot be used toward a Senate-approved degree or certificate, the approval of the academic council is final (SR 3.2.3.2.1)).
3.2.4.3.2.1.6 Major change in an academic program
If, in the judgment of an academic council a proposal concerning a course constitutes a major change in an academic program, then the chair of the academic council shall return the proposal to the college for processing as a program change (SR 3.1.3).
3.2.4.3.2.1.7 Other new courses or changes in courses
All other new courses or changes in courses will be approved by the Senate Council only.
3.2.4.3.3 Final University Approval by the Senate
[US: 10/11/99; US: 2/10/03; US: 5/7/2012]
3.2.4.3.3.1 10-Day Posting
Course proposals submitted from the academic councils (SR3.2.3.3.3) or the Senate Council (SR 3.2.3.3.3.1.7) or the Rosenberg College of Law (SR 3.2.3.3.3.1) shall be posted by the Senate Council Office to the corresponding Senate website for ten business days, thereby providing University-wide notice [US: 5/7/2012]
3.2.4.3.3.2 Procedure for handling objections to posted course proposals
During the 10-day posting any University Faculty member can raise an objection to a posted proposal through a member of the University Senate. If a Senator raises an objection to the Senate Council and the objection is not resolved, then the Senator may have the issue placed on the agenda of the next regular Senate Council meeting by having five Senators submit an objection to the Senate Council Office. If the Senate Council deems the objection has merit, then it will place the item on the Senate agenda. The Senate shall be informed about the nature of the objection by information included with the proposal packet. Formal action by the University Senate on the proposal is final. The Senate Council shall circulate reports of these decisions to the Provost, Registrar and other appropriate entities. [US: 5/7/2012]
3.2.4.3.3.3 Final approval
If no objection is raised in writing to the Senate Council Office within ten days of the posting the proposal, then it is approved. The Senate Council Office will report approvals to the Provost, Registrar and other appropriate entities. [US: 5/7/2012]
3.2.4.3.4 Cross-listing
If an educational unit Faculty wishes to cross-list an existing course, then it shall first seek the approval of the Faculty of the educational unit that currently offers the course. If each Faculty of the two units approves the cross-listing (which shall be attested to by each unit chair/director in the proposal documentation), then the requesting educational unit shall submit a form for a minor course change of the existing course. If the units are in different colleges, both deans must signify approval in the similar respective capacities as described above for the two unit chair(s)/director(s). Cross-listing shall not be used as justification for duplication of teaching effort. The chair of the home educational unit of the course must agree on the time, place and instructor(s) in scheduling of the cross-listed course.
3.2.4.3.5 Replaced Courses
If a new course is created through substitution, replacement, consolidation or combination of one or more courses, a form for dropping the eliminated course must be processed in the prescribed manner.
3.2.4.3.6 Exception for Minor Changes
[US: 10/11/99]
3.2.4.3.6.1 Procedure
If a proposed course change meets the criteria of a minor change below, then the dean of the college shall forward the course change form directly to the Chair of the Senate Council for approval. If the Chair of the Senate Council concurs that the proposed change meets the criteria for a minor change, then the Chair of the Senate Council shall notify the Registrar's Office and the dean of the college originating the proposal. If the Chair of the Senate Council believes the change is not minor, then the Chair of the Senate Council shall return the proposal to the dean of the college originating the proposal, for processing through the procedure for regular course approval.
3.2.4.3.6.2 Definition.
A request may be considered a minor change if it meets one of the following criteria:
1. Change in number within the same hundred series. For the purpose of this rule, courses numbered 600 to 799, and 800 to 999, are respectively considered to be in the same hundred series;
- * The change of a 400G course to a 400 course by the program that ‘homes’ the course is a major course change because there may be other programs that do or plan to use that course in their own programs. [SREC: 3/28/2012]
2. an editorial change in the course title or description which does not imply change in content or emphasis
- * When a change in course prefix is made necessary by prior Senate approval of a change in the name of the associated academic program or a change in the name of the educational unit, the change to a completely new course prefix may be considered a minor change when the following standards are met: (1) there is no change in course content or emphasis; (2) there is no change in the ‘hundred series’ of the course number; and (3) there is no change of the educational unit responsible for the course. [SREC: 6/23/2011]
3. a change in prerequisite(s) which does not imply a change in course content or emphasis, or which is made necessary by the elimination or significant alteration of the prerequisite(s)
4. a new cross-listing or a change in the cross-listing status of a course, as described above
5. correction of typographical errors.
3.2.4.4 Automatic Deletion of Courses from Schedule of Classes
[SREC: 11/14/88]
If any course has not been taught within a four-year period, the Registrar shall remove the description of the course from the Schedule of Classes. A course so removed from the Schedule of Classes shall remain in the Registrar’s inventory of courses for an additional four years (unless the college submits a course deletion form to the Registrar requesting deletion of the course). During the additional four-year period, the college may offer the course and, if it is taught, the Registrar shall restore its description to the Schedule of Classes. If it is not taught within the four-year period, the course shall be removed from the Registrar’s inventory of courses. [US: 2/10/86]
A course that has been removed from the Schedule of Classes but remains in the University course file may be changed following the normal change procedures; the change does not affect its status, and it cannot be restored to the Schedule of Classes until it is taught.
A cross listed course which has had no subscribers in one department for the past four years shall continue to be listed in the Schedule of Classes providing it has been taught by the other department in that time. A cross listed course which has had no subscribers in one department for eight years is automatically removed from the Schedule of Classes as one of that department's courses (i.e., it is no longer a cross-listed course).