Committees

University Undergraduate Curriculum Committee
Guidelines

Overview

In the fall of 1988, the University Undergraduate Curriculum Committee was established to provide central, university-wide oversight of undergraduate curriculum and academic regulations.

To support the university’s strategic and restructuring initiatives on the undergraduate experience, UUCC was restructured in 1995, making it an entirely faculty committee and refocusing its charge in terms of strategic plan initiatives. In 1996, a separate Academic Regulations Committee was established to assume responsibility for oversight of undergraduate academic regulations, thus further refining UUCC’s charge to focus exclusively on undergraduate curricular matters.
With the adoption of the strategic plan, VCU 2020, Vision for Excellence, the Provost reorganized the Office of the Provost, establishing two new vice provost positions: the vice provost for academic and faculty affairs and the vice provost for instruction. Both the UUCC and ARC report to the vice provost for academic and faculty affairs. However, the vice provost for instruction also has a role in the UUCC serving as an ex-officio member of the committee. In addition, the establishment of the University College, the Honors College, and VCU Life Sciences mandates revising the composition of the UUCC. Revised guidelines for the committee follow.

University Undergraduate Curriculum Committee

  1. Membership
    1. The Committee shall consist of twenty voting faculty members; ten of whom are to be elected by the faculty of each of the schools, colleges, or units with undergraduate programs (Allied Health Professions, Arts, Business, Education, Engineering, Nursing, Social Work, the College of Humanities and Sciences, the University College, and VCU Life Sciences) and ten of whom are to be appointed by the provost, from the faculty at large, with representation from each of those schools, colleges or units. However, any program with an undergraduate curriculum (e.g., the Honors College) must submit curriculum matters to the Committee for consideration and approval, whether directly represented on the Committee or not.
    2. The criteria that will be employed in selecting and appointing representatives are:
      1. Faculty ranking of associate professor or higher.
      2. At least two years of service at VCU.
      3. At least two years of instructional experience, preferably on the undergraduate level.
      4. Experience at department or school level in curriculum planning.
    3. Committee members will serve staggered three-year terms. (In order to achieve appropriately staggered terms, members of the UUCC beginning in the academic year 1997-98 will be alternately designated with terms of either two or three years.)
    4. The vice provost for academic and faculty affairs will serve as chair and as a non-voting member and will be responsible for developing a regular schedule of meetings, providing administrative support to the UUCC, and circulating UUCC agendas and minutes to the deans and other appropriate administrators.  The vice provost for academic and faculty affairs shall be permitted to make administrative curriculum changes as long as these changes are noted in the minutes and the UUCC is informed of the action, providing its consent without objection.
    5. Other non-voting members include the director of assessment, degree audit representative, library representative, VCU undergraduate bulletin representative, and the vice provost for instruction or designee.
  2. Committee charge

    Through the collaborative work of the members of the committee, the UUCC will be charged with university-wide oversight of all undergraduate curricular issues including responsibility for the General Education Program (i.e., VCU Compact), review and approval of new degree program proposals, review and approval of proposed changes to requirements in the major, review and approval of proposed curriculum changes including course additions and deletions, and review of other curricular matters effecting the undergraduate curriculum as a whole. While the UUCC will be responsible for oversight of the General Education Program (i.e., VCU Compact) and undergraduate curriculum, as well as the review and approval of new undergraduate courses and programs; the schools with undergraduate programs and the College of Humanities and Sciences, through their deans, retain responsibility for curriculum development and revisions as well as the ongoing management of courses and programs within their respective areas.
    Specifically, duties of the committee include:
    1. Providing oversight of school-based implementation and ongoing assessment of the University General Education Program (i.e., VCU Compact).
    2. Providing oversight of all Strategic Plan initiatives regarding undergraduate education.
    3. Monitoring the quality control of academic programs.
    4. Reviewing curriculum proposals, changes, deletions and other related actions proposed by the schools; with particular attention to academic quality, curricular consistency, curricular duplication and availability of appropriate resources.
    5. Coordinating the Periodic Review of the Undergraduate Programs process.

Approved 8/18/95

Revised 9/2/97
Approved 9/11/97

Revised 9/20/07
Approved 9/20/07