READ BEFORE YOU BEGIN

• Before proposing a new course, it is suggested that the course be first taught as an experimental (course number x67) course. Developing and teaching an experimental course only requires the approval of a department’s curriculum committee. As an experimental course, the faculty member teaching the course can “work the bugs out”. Perhaps, after teaching it once or twice, the faculty member may revise the content, which could affect the course title or course description found in the catalog and in UDSIS. Teaching as an experimental course is not a university requirement, however it is strongly suggested as this can save catalog revisions later and improve the final course.  It is understood that there will be times that new course must be taught before it is offered in an experimental form.  In this case, the explanation for why the course needs to be created as a permanent course without having first been offered in an experimental version should be included in the form.  After having offered a course in its experimental form twice, it is recommended that the course should be proposed and be sent through the official course creation process.
• All action on a crosslisted course must be taken by the course owner. If a course is adding a crosslisting, it MAY NOT be crosslisted with an existing course. Attach support letter(s) from the cross-listing department(s) by clicking the PAPERCLIP icon. Proposals that do not have a support letter from corresponding departments will not be crosslisted.
• Please Note:  All course changes are effective for the Fall semester of the upcoming academic year.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Complete all sections of this proposal form. You will not be able to launch the proposal without completing required fields as indicated by an asterisk.
2. To submit the proposal and send it to the next step, click "Validate and Launch Approval Process" at the top or bottom of the screen.

For questions about this form, contact curriculog@udel.edu.

Please note: Routing is a highly critical section. Failure to provide the correct routing information will result in the entire proposal being rejected and an entirely new form will have to be submitted. Routing errors cannot be remedied after launch.

Please give careful consideration to this section before launching your proposal. 

Attachments can be added using the paperclip icon to the right.

1. Provide a syllabus/precise description of content.
2. Provide support letter(s) from any cross-listing department(s).

Supporting documentation, e.g., letters of support, syllabi, etc., does not constitute the "approved" language that will be imported into the Catalog.

THE REQUIREMENT JUSTIFICATION SECTIONS BELOW ARE ONLY REQUIRED IF YOU ARE NOMINATING THE COURSE.  COMPLETE ALL PERTINENT FIELDS BELOW AND ATTACH ALL PERTINENT DOCUMENTS.

IF YOU ARE NOT NOMINATING THE COURSE FOR A UNIVERSITY REQUIREMENT, CLICK "VALIDATE AND LAUNCH APPROVAL PROCESS" TO SUBMIT THE PROPOSAL.

The Capstone Experience will require students to engage in explorations in which the outcomes are unknown, and/ or engage in self-assessment, reflection, and analysis that prepares them for future success. These experiences should occur during the senior year or near the end of the program of study and must have a set of learning goals that are well communicated to students.

In all possible regards, the Capstone Experience should be an expression of the totality of a student's growth, development, and learning as an undergraduate. If the Capstone experience is primarily course based (vs. internship, research, etc.) it is recommended that whenever possible, the course include high impact practices such as service learning and problem based learning. Each capstone requirement will be a minimum of a (1) credit, credit-bearing course. A Capstone Experience may be solely based within the discipline or be interdisciplinary in nature.

Explain how this course achieves each of the following student learning goals.

The faculty senate has recognized the FYS as an important experience for students with clearly articulated content aligned with best practices in helping students through the transition from high school to college. Since it serves as the first introduction to the University of Delaware, a committed portion of the FYS course time should be allotted to common content that furthers the aims of General Education at the University of Delaware and/ or provides a foundation for student success. As such, in May 2015, the faculty senate approved the topics listed below for mandatory inclusion in all FYS courses.

It is important to note that as an introductory course, the FYS will introduce many of these topics to students, but it is understood that subsequent additional learning opportunities will occur through other general education requirements, courses student must take as a requirement of their college and/ or major, and out of the classroom learning experiences.

Please complete the questions below explaining how the specific outcomes will be met.

Important: Modules related to outcomes, will be available on the Sakai site dedicated to First Year Seminar instructors. For access to the Sakai site contact Meghan Biery by email mbiery@udel.edu

Ethics/Academic Honesty

UD graduates should be able to explain the reasons behind the positions they hold on key ethical questions and to articulate the values that underlie their decisions.

Students who complete the FYS course will be able to:

1. Distinguish between values, morals, and ethics and laws.
2. Define elements of academic dishonesty including plagiarism, fabrication, cheating, and academic misconduct as defined by UD's Code of Conduct.
3. Articulate the possible consequences for academic dishonesty at UD.

Responsible Use of Internet/Social Media

Understanding how to responsibly use social media, other technologies, and develop a positive digital identity is crucial for today's successful student.

Students who complete the FYS course will be able to:

1. Describe principles and specific examples of ways the internet and social media can be used to both help and harm others.
2. Demonstrate effective ways to responsibly use social media to positively engage with others and portray oneself with authenticity.

Academic Policies and Procedures

Early in their academic careers at UD, students should be aware of the important policies and practices that will guide their progress and be familiar with those resources that will support their academic success.

Students who complete the FYS should be able to:

1. Find the name of their academic advisor on UDSIS and know how to contact this individual.
2. Identify important dates on the University of Delaware Academic Calendar, including those for registration and course drop and add.
3. Understand the difference between a semester GPA and a cumulative GPA. and how to calculate both.
4. Identify where to access UD academic policies.
5. Be able to explain what academic probation means including the criteria for being placed on probation and at least three campus resources to support students facing academic challenges.
6. Know how to access the academic support resources available to them at UD.

Diversity

The development of skills to work independently and collaboratively across a variety of cultural contexts and a spectrum of differences ensures that students will understand the limitations of a single perspective and the value of diverse perspectives and cultures in creative problem solving of major challenges and discussion in debates, and establishment of an engaged society.

Students who complete the FYS course will be able to:

1. Define diversity as it is described in UD's "Diversity Statement."
2. Provide three examples of how individual students at UD can contribute to making UD a respectful, equitable, and inclusive academic community.
3. Identify three sites on campus where students can become better informed about diversity (academic departments, SROs, or offices).
4. Describe the process for reporting an incident of discrimination/ misconduct based on race, gender, sexuality, religion, or other diversity category.

Safety and Wellness

Three sessions of the FYS course must be designated to student wellness and safety with a defined significant emphasis on alcohol and other substance education as well as sexual misconduct/ violence prevention education, accomplished through the teaching of bystander intervention theory and practice* which must be taught by qualified, trained personnel or prevention staff. For more information about how to schedule the "Safety and Wellness" sessions contact Meghan Biery by email mbiery@udel.edu

Important: Explain how this course achieves at least 3 of the 4 goals of a multicultural course. Attach the assignment this course uses to satisfy each of the three criteria (this could be a reading, project, essay, etc.) in the appropriate space below that criteria. You may also offer a brief explanation of the assignment in the text box, but this is not required.

For additional help with the application process and the requirements for multicultural courses, please see the handbook written by members of the Diversity and Inclusion committee, which reviews these courses: https://sites.udel.edu/ctal/files/2017/09/MC-Handbook-r4vntc.pdf

Diversity Self-Awareness and Perspective Taking

Students can articulate their own individual identity in relation to key concepts such as race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, language, social class, disability, national origin, and religious affiliation and can also reflect on how their social position differs from and impacts their relationships in diverse environments. In other words, students will learn to locate themselves within larger structures of difference and understand how their own position shapes their identity and/ or worldview, as well as how that identity and/ or worldview may differ from others.

Please attach assignment document by clicking on the PAPERCLIP icon to the right.

In the box below, please also provide a brief explanation of how you process this particular assignment/reading with students to help them engage with the guideline.

Cultural Difference

Students gain in-depth knowledge of the history, lived experience, artistic production, identity and/ or worldview of one or more underrepresented groups in the West (i.e., the US, Great Britain, Europe, Canada, Australia, New Zealand) and/or of a non-Western culture (or cultures). Students can articulate particular aspects and experiences of these cultures as well as how they may be similar to or different than the student's own.

Please attach assignment document by clicking on the PAPERCLIP icon to the right.

In the box below, please also provide a brief explanation of how you process this particular assignment/reading with students to help them engage with the guideline.

Personal and Social Responsibility

Students analyze the ethical, social, and/ or environmental consequences of policies, ideologies, or actions on marginalized communities/ groups within the US or intentionally. Based on this analysis, students identify a range of potential personal and civic responses to these issues. A service learning version of this course may allow students to directly take informed and responsible action to address these challenges.

Please attach assignment document by clicking on the PAPERCLIP icon to the right.

In the box below, please also provide a brief explanation of how you process this particular assignment/reading with students to help them engage with the guideline.

Understanding Global Systems

Students gain and apply the tools to think systematically about how institutions, ideologies, rhetoric, and/ or cultural representations shape a people's culture and identity, which may include their role in perpetuating inequality, whether historically or in the present day.

Please attach assignment document by clicking on the PAPERCLIP icon to the right.

In the box below, please also provide a brief explanation of how you process this particular assignment/reading with students to help them engage with the guideline.

Please attach sample syllabus by clicking on the PAPERCLIP icon to the right.

Across all academic disciplines at the University of Delaware, we are committed toward advancing our students’ critical understanding of the principles of sustainability as well as critically exploring impactful solutions to advance sustainability. To assist students ability to search for these courses, courses can be designated as "sustainability connections" and "sustainability investigations" courses using the rubric below. The Faculty Senate will assist all faculty to correctly classify courses within these two subcategories.  The parameters for the two classifications are as follows:

Criteria for Sustainability Connections Courses

SCON courses build competencies and knowledge in a field that is relevant to understanding some aspect of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Sustainability is a visible and explicit part of SCON courses, but does not need to be a major focus. While students may be made aware of multiple dimensions of sustainability, it is not necessary or expected that SCON courses will address more than one of the 17 dimensions in depth. It is expected the SCON courses will do all of the following:

1. Introduce students to one or more of the Sustainable Development Goals that are appropriate to the discipline or area of study of the course.
2. Make students aware that sustainability has multiple dimensions, including, at a minimum, environmental, social, and economic dimensions.
3. Include at least one student learning outcome in the course syllabus stating that students will demonstrate abilities to either a) think critically about a sustainability question, problem and/or potential solution, or b) articulate connections between the field of study of the course and sustainability.
4. Include at least one sustainability-focused activity or reading that provides students an opportunity to demonstrate attainment of the sustainability learning outcomes but does not need to focus solely on sustainability.

Criteria for Sustainability Investigations Courses

SINV courses have a primary and explicit focus on a major sustainability challenge that requires students to engage in a deep and focused exploration of sustainability and its multiple dimensions as a major theme of the course. SINV courses must include all the elements listed below:

1. Course title or description clearly articulates a focus on multiple aspects of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
2. Devote a substantial portion of course instruction and work to sustainability-related content that are appropriate to the discipline or area of study.
3. Make students aware that sustainability has multiple dimensions, including, as a minimum, environmental, social, and economic dimensions.
4. Include all of the following three student learning outcomes in the course syllabus stating that students will demonstrate abilities to:
   1. Think critically about a sustainability question, problem, and/or potential solution.
   2. Articulate connections between the field of study of the course and sustainability.
   3. Apply disciplinary or interdisciplinary knowledge and methods to analyze and solve a problem of sustainability.

(Although the exact language of these three outcomes could be altered/tailored to integrate their meaning into existing student learning outcomes for the course’s discipline)

5. Give significant weight to sustainability-related content in assessing student performance.