Syllabi

Q: On the SACS project timeline, for the August 31 (+ several other) dates(s), you mention “Fall semester syllabi submitted electronically.”  Are these syllabi submitted on a disc, as in the past?  If so, to whom?  Or are they submitted as email attachments to a specific person?  If so, to whom?
A: Starting this fall, all syllabi will be submitted through the Digital Measures Activity Insight software.  All faculty members will be able to upload their own syllabi in a manner very similar to what they do when they upload material into Blackboard. It will be quick, easy, and painless, and it will totally eliminate the need for anyone at the department level to collect them (Chairs will be able to access all of their faculty members' syllabi via Digital Measures whenever they want.) or compile them on CD's.  We really are trying hard to make life easier for everyone with Digital Measures.

Q: The first course for our program majors is also an approved General Education (GE) course with outcomes that were submitted in the re-certification process a couple of years ago.  It is also a course to which faculty have paid particular attention in working up outcomes that speak directly to the major. Those are rather different than the GE outcomes, and we wonder whether the GE outcomes must be stated in addition to the others.  We are trying to avoid the syllabus becoming large and unwieldy.
A: For GE courses with outcomes so specific to the major, the best solution that would avoid an unwieldy syllabus is to include a statement such as:

“This course qualifies as a General Education course and fulfills the outcomes listed under the General Education Program Areas of Emphasis as defined in the undergraduate catalog.”

While it is a bit generic, a statement such as this not only reduces the length of the syllabus, but also reminds students to refer to their catalog for requirements and expectations throughout their education.  For a course with detailed outcomes that directly contribute to the major (which are more valuable for the student) this makes sense; for courses without specific outcomes, perhaps it is best to include those outcomes defined in recertification. Click here for the list of General Education outcomes.

Q: If I submit my syllabus through Digital Measures, will I still have to submit a syllabus for new courses and programs through the UCC process?
A: Yes - submission of syllabi for the UCC process is necessary for the UCC to approve new programs and new courses. To submit your syllabus for UCC approval, email it to Jennifer Stansbury at stansburyj@nku.edu Digital Measures serves as an internal warehouse for every course taught each semester and will not be accessible to the UCC members.