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Course Approval and Revision Process (CARP)

1. Course Description

  • Course Title
  • Catalog Description

A brief description of the course.

This is what will be entered in the catalog. The description should be written to:

  • Attract students to the course
  • Let transfer institutions know what is being taught in the course through the use of the appropriate language of the discipline.

Good Course Descriptions answer the following questions:

  • Why does this course exist?
  • Where does this course fit into your program?
  • What will be taught (learned) in this course?
  • Who takes this course?
  • When do students take the course?

Sample of a course description:

_____ is designed to provide pre-service teachers with the fundamental concepts of probability, counting, statistics, geometry and systems of measurement. Emphasis is on developing understanding through exploring and modeling using appropriate manipulatives and technology, as well as the historical evolution of concepts. Hands-on laboratory activities are incorporated. This course is designed for those students intending to obtain elementary teaching certification. Prerequisite: Grade of C or better in ____ or equivalent.

2. Curriculum

Student Learning Outcomes

List statements that specify in behavioral (measurable) terms what a learner should be able to know, do, or value after the successful completion of the course.

It's important that you number each outcome. This will make it easier to do the General Learner Outcomes (GLOs) section of the CARP.

Learning outcomes are ways of describing a course in terms of what the student should be able to achieve. At a very discrete level, we are involved with learning outcomes every time we set an exam or assessment, because we set the exam or assessment to test the outcomes we are trying to achieve. What we don't always do very well is to make it clear to our students and perhaps to ourselves the outcomes we are looking for.

Typically, 12-15 outcomes will adequately describe a course. It is a challenge and requires detailed planning to identify what we expect the student to achieve.

The primary question you have to ask yourself when writing a learning outcome is:

"How will the student have been changed by this class?"

This is the learning outcome of the class. Are you dealing, for example, with knowledge, skills or understanding? Are the desired outcomes more to do with values, attitudes or motivation? You may find it helpful to distinguish between different types of outcomes such as:

  • Subject specific outcomes relating to the subject discipline, knowledge or skills essential or particular to this subject discipline.
  • Core academic outcome relating to broader academic knowledge or skills that might be expected of any graduate, not confined to the subject discipline.
  • Personal/transferable outcomes sometimes called generic or life skills, and the ability to transfer knowledge, skills or values from one situation to another.

Common sense and a feeling for the practical matters of time and effort will take you a long way down the road to writing effective outcomes.

Assessment Of Learning Outcomes

How will you know that students have achieved the learning outcomes? List the type of evaluations that will be used to measure a students learning in relation to the learning outcomes.

Reference the type(s) of assessment used, what types of learning outcomes it is intended to measure, and its percentage of the total of learning outcomes being assessed. The following are examples and are not meant to be inclusive.

  • Objective Tests (true/false, multiple choice, matching)
  • Written Tests
  • Written papers
  • Oral presentations
  • Projects
  • Research
  • Service Learning

Course Outline

Provide in outline form, the topics to be covered in this course.

Instructional Strategies

List the percent ranges for the differing instructional strategies to be employed in teaching this course. Each course should include a mix of strategies to engage diverse students in learning. The following are examples and are not meant to be inclusive. Percentages should be specified as a range, i.e. 20%-30% to allow for individual instructor variation. If you are reviewing a course that has multiple sections taught by several full-time faculty, it is important you have a conversation with your colleagues about the percentages.

  • Percentage of lecture
  • Percentage of facilitated discussion
  • Percentage of mediated instruction (video, computer, etc.)
  • Percentage of group work
  • Other

Prerequisites

List and explain the knowledge, skills, abilities that are required to increase the probability of success in this course.

  • Other courses
  • Reading level
  • Math level
  • Writing Level
  • Other knowledge, skills, or attitudes

Co-Requisites

Is there a course or courses that students must take at the same time as this course?

Graduation Requirements

Does this course fulfill any GRCC Associate Degree Group Distribution requirement?

(Writing, Humanities, Social Science, Natural Science)

Student Provided Learning Resources

List any financial or special activities required by the student in completing this course. The following are examples and are not meant to be inclusive.

  • Additional fees
  • Transportation
  • Special Tools
  • Health screenings/immunizations
  • Other

3. - 10. General Learner Outcomes

In these sections, you are describing how this particular course contributes to the students' achievement of the General Learner Outcomes. You are describing at what level this course contributes to the achievement of the competencies under each GLO.

These are the level choices for each competency:

Level Are students expected to use this skill? Do you assess this skill? Do you teach this skill? CARP directions
0 NO NO NO Student is not expected to use this skill in any way. No further information is needed.
1 YES NO NO

In order to be successful students must walk in the door with this skill. The skill is not directly assessed or taught in this course.

Please indicate the section of the CARP document where this skill is mentioned. (For example, college level reading ability might be included in the Prerequisites area in Section 2, Curriculum.)
2 YES YES NO

This skill is reflected in the grade for the course because it is directly assessed. However, no instructional time is devoted to the skill.

Please indicate the related course outcomes by number. The outcome statements do not need to be included.
3 YES YES YES

Class time is specifically devoted to teaching this skill and it is also assessed and used in the course.

Please indicate the related course outcomes by number. The outcome statements do not need to be included.

11. External Need

Transferability

Transferability Review for New Courses

List, if any, colleges and universities that will accept this course as a transfer, along with what this course will transfers as at the appropriate four year school.

Step 1: Catalog review

Faculty member in the subject area (typically the author of a course) does a catalog review. Using paper or web-based catalogs, the faculty member who understands the discipline and subject matter will look for similar courses, in the same and in related departments. You can also use the MACRAO website explained at the end of this section. The faculty member may also consult with the four-year schools' liaisons in the GRCC Counseling and Academic Support offices. The top seven transfer schools to be reviewed are: Grand Valley State University, Western Michigan University, Michigan State University, Aquinas College, Ferris State University, Davenport University, and Central Michigan University. In addition, there may be specific other transfer schools in particular fields. (Example, the Art Institute of Chicago for the art program.) A summary of this review is included in the Course Approval and Review Process (CARP) documents.

Step 2: Inquiry of Other Institutions - by the Provosts' Office

This step takes place only when the GRCC course is approved, and therefore worth the time investment at the transfer schools. Information about expected transferability will be included with the official course outline, if received in timely manner. Notice of transferability, which comes in later, will be communicated to the academic department and the advising offices.

Step 3: Notification

Upon final approval of a course at GRCC, the Provosts' Office notifies the official contact points at the transfer schools:

  • Admissions
  • Registrar
  • Academic Department
  • Academic Advising

Transferability Review for Existing Courses

  1. Faculty member responsible for course review checks the equivalencies of major transfer schools on their websites or in their catalogs, or consults with the transfer institution's liaison in the GRCC Counseling and Academic Support areas. If GRCC course is listed with appropriate transfer equivalencies, the institutions and their course numbers should be indicated.
  2. If the course equivalencies appear incorrect or are missing, the faculty member does a catalog review.
  3. As needed, the Provosts' Office will send out an inquiry to appropriate transfer schools, requesting evaluation of transferability of course.
  4. Results are communicated back to the academic department. When a transfer equivalency is established (by the receiving school) and the Provosts' Office is notified, appropriate GRCC offices will be informed: Faculty, Counseling and Academic Support, Registrar, Deans, others.

For further information or guidance, contact Provosts' Office at 234-3920

MACRAO Website

Receiving institutions maintain the list of equivalencies for incoming courses. The Michigan Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (MACRAO) maintains a website: www.macrao.org . Click on the transfer mall, then on the Michigan four-year school in question, then on Grand Rapids Community College. Faculty members may wish to consult with the transfer institution's liaison in the GRCC Counseling and Academic Support areas.

Accreditation

Specify if an external body such as a Board of Licensure or accrediting body requires this course.

Community Need

Provides data, which supports the development of this course as a response to a documented community, need.

Life-Long Learning

Make a statement and provide data, which supports the potential for community interest in this course beyond degree requirements.

Target Population

Make a statement, which describes for whom this course is being offered.

12. Course Fit Within Existing Programs

How does this course fit into a curriculum? Is it a prerequisite for other courses? Is it required for a major in a program? Will it be a How does it augment or enhance an existing program?

13. Relation To Other Departments

Document how this course meets the requested needs of another program at GRCC. Identify any similar courses in other departments and document why this course is needed in addition to these courses. Document any collaboration between this course and other departments or courses.

14. Institutional Information

Special Staffing Requirements

Explain and justify within the framework of External Needs, the GRCC System Need, and the Target Population, any special qualifications that an instructor must possess to teach this course.

Resources Needed To Support Course

Evaluate and document what resources are needed to effectively teach this course.

  • Library (books, journals)
  • Technology
  • Software
  • Physical Space
  • Other

Required Room Characteristics

  • Technology needs
  • Equipment needs
  • Room arrangement needs

Institutional Assessment Of Course

Document the measurable criteria instructors, the department and the college will use to assess the success of the course over time.

  • Student performance
  • Employer rating
  • Percentage that pass state certifications
  • Student evaluations
  • Other

15. Taxonomy Data

This is the data required to enter the course into the Campus Wide Information System. The ACS code is provided from the Provost's office.


Updated on 20-SEP-07
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