NORTHERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY
UNIVERSITY CURRICULUM COMMITTEE
ARTICLE I: NAME
The Name of this standing committee of the Faculty Senate is the University Curriculum Committee (UCC).
ARTICLE II: PURPOSE
Section 1: The purpose of the UCC is to process and to recommend approval or disapproval of all policies and procedures related to the curriculum of Northern Kentucky University, with the exception of those policies and procedures that are under the purview of the Chase College of Law.
Section 2. The UCC will process and recommend approval or disapproval of the following: new courses, experimental courses, non-traditional credit courses, course change, new programs, majors and minors, and changes in programs, majors, and minors.
Section 3. The UCC will forward its recommendation for approval to the appropriate office, i.e., the President of the Faculty Senate and/or the Provost.
Section 4. The UCC will process and recommend approval or disapproval of certificate programs that contain credit courses.
Section 5. The UCC will process and recommend approval or disapproval of all matters pertaining to General Education and remedial work.
Section 6. The UCC may initiate action on behalf of the faculty regarding curricula and related matters.
ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Regular: The regular membership of the UCC is that specified in the Constitution of the Faculty Senate plus one non-voting representative chosen by the Interdisciplinary Studies faculty. The interdisciplinary representative will be chosen by a committee composed of one member from each of the interdisciplinary programs. Each Independent Program will have one representative.
Section 2. The library will appointment a representative to the UCC
Section 2 3. Ex officio: The ex officio membership of the UCC are the NKU Registrar, a representative of Curriculum, Accreditation and Assessment, and the President of Student Government or their designated representatives.
ARTICLE IV: OFFICERS and DUTIES
Section 1. The officers of the UCC are the Chairperson, the Subcommittee chairpersons, and the Secretary.
Section 2. Following the election procedure set forth in the Faculty Senate’s Constitution Faculty Senate elects the Chairperson of the UCC.
Section 3. The Chairperson of the UCC will (a) set each meeting's agenda, (b) serve as an ex officio member of the Graduate Council, (c) act as liaison to university committees, bodies, and administrators in matters relating to curricula, and (d) engage in the other duties specified in the Faculty Senate's Constitution.
Section 4. The members of the UCC shall elect the Chairperson of the General Studies/Remedial Work Committee.
Section 5. The members of the UCC shall elect the Chairperson of the Experimental/Non-Traditional Course Committee.
Section 6. The members of the UCC shall elect the Secretary. He/she will keep minutes of the meetings.
Section 7. In the absence of nominations for the subcommittee chairpersons or for the Secretary, the Chairperson of the UCC will appoint a member(s) from the UCC to fill the vacant position(s).
ARTICLE V: MEETINGS
Section 1. Regular: The chairperson of UCC will select (a) the meeting time convenient to as many members of the UCC as possible, and (b) the first date on which the UC is to meet each semester.
Section 2. Regular: The UCC will meet the first and third Thursday of the month after Section 1(b) has been established.
Section 3. Regular: The Chairperson of the UCC should try to have the agenda posted approximately two days in advance of the meeting.
Section 4. Special: the Chairperson of the UCC may call special meetings of the UCC. The UCC members will be notified as far in advance as possible.
Section 5. Quorum: A simple majority of the UCC constitutes a quorum.
Section 6. Approval of an agenda item. Unless otherwise specified herein, the agenda item will be decided by majority vote, provided a quorum is present, e.g., even if one member votes for a motion, but none vote against it and all others abstain, then the motion will be ruled as having carried by a majority, in this case, a majority of one.
Subsection (a): Proposed changes in the NKU's General Education requirements require a two-thirds majority.
Subsection (b): All approved changes in NKU's General Education requirements must be forwarded to the President of Faculty Senate.
Subsection (c): Following the approval of a new course, the UCC may refer it to the Faculty Senate if one-third plus one of those members of the UCC present so recommend.
Subsection (d): Proposed changes in NKU's remedial work requirements require a two-thirds majority.
Subsection (e): All approved changes in NKU's remedial work requirements must be forwarded to the President of the Faculty Senate.
Subsection (f): All proposed changes in NKU's entrance or exit requirements must be approved by the UCC.
Section 7. Proxy votes: Proxy votes, conveyed to the Chairperson of the UC prior to the vote on an agenda item or through a stand-in representative will be allowed if approved by majority vote.
ARTICLE VI: STANDING SUBCOMMITTEES
Section 1. The standing subcommittees are: (a) the college subcommittees of each college offering undergraduate degrees, (b) the General Education/Remedial Work Committee, and (c) the Experimental/Non-traditional Course Committee.
Section 2. The library will make appointments to each college subcommittee, as it deems appropriate.
Section 3. General Education/Remedial Work Committee: This subcommittee shall consist of at least one member from each college offering undergraduate degrees (membership may be open to any faculty member interested in serving on the General Education/Remedial Work Subcommittee not just to UCC members) and a chairperson from among the members of the UCC. The individual members as well as the chair will be elected by the UCC.
Section 4. Experimental/Non-Traditional Course Committee (ENTC): This subcommittee will have three members. The chairperson will be elected from the membership of the UCC. The other members will be selected either from the UCC or from the faculty at large following the solicitation of nominations. The Chairperson of the UCC will be an ex officio member of this subcommittee.
Subsection (a): Actions of the committee with regard to proposals for experimental course/programs will not be subject to the approval of the UCC.
Subsection (b): Actions of the committee with regard to proposals for non-traditional credit courses will be subject to approval of the UCC.
Subsection (c): An experimental course may be offered twice without having to go through the regular curriculum approval process providing it is approved each time by the ENTC.
Subsection (d): Experimental programs will be submitted to the ENTC for consideration and approval. If approved, a summary of the program will be sent to the UCC for information only.
Subsection (e): The ENTC will submit to the UCC during the last regular meeting of each semester a brief report of its activities.
Subsection (f): Funding or reassigned time for experimental courses/programs or non-traditional courses will be negotiated through the appropriate departmental chairperson(s) and dean(s) by the initiator. The ENTC will make recommendation in such matters.
Section 5. Teacher Education Committee (TEC) This subcommittee is housed in the College of Education and Human services. Membership will consist of representation from programs who offer teacher education courses.
ARTICLE VII: TEMPORARY SUBCOMMITTEES
Section 1. By majority vote, for issues or matters falling outside the usual scope of the full committee, the Chairperson of the UCC may appoint other subcommittees, standing or ad hoc.
Section 2. The subcommittee provided for in Section 1 above may include, if desired, university administrators, and students who are not members of the UCC.
ARTICLE VIII: COLLEGE CURRICULUM COMMITTEES.
Section 1. Each College or School shall create a standing committee to review curriculum issues at the college level.
Section 2. Members of the UCC shall elect the Chairpersons of the College Curriculum Committees.
Section 3. Each department and independent program shall appoint a member to the CCC. The interdisciplinary representative to the CCC will be chosen by a committee composed of one member from each of the interdisciplinary programs.
Section 4. The library will make an appointment to each college subcommittee, as it deems appropriate.
Section 5. Quorum: A simple majority of the CCC constitutes a quorum.
Section 6. Approval of an agenda item. Unless otherwise specified herein, the agenda item will be considered approved by majority vote, provided a quorum is present.
e.g., even if one member votes for a motion, but none vote against it and all others abstain, then the motion will be ruled as having carried by a majority, in this case, a majority of one.
Subsection (a): Proposed changes in the NKU's General Education requirements require a two-thirds majority.
Subsection (b): All approved changes in the CCC must be forwarded to their appropriate Dean, and then they must be forwarded to the Chairperson of the UCC.
Section 7. The Chairperson of the UCC shall serve as an ex-officio member of the College Curriculum Committees.
ARTICLE IX: AMENDMENTS
These by-laws may be amended at any regular UCC meeting by a majority vote of the UCC members in attendance provided the amendment was submitted in writing at the previous regular UCC meeting. The Faculty Senate must approve by-laws changes.
Approved:
UCC - February 2, 1984
Faculty Senate - February 27, 1984
Faculty Senate - May 11, 1987
Faculty Senate - October 9, 1987
Faculty Senate - May 16, 1991
Revised: 1985, 1986, 1987, 1991, 1994, 2002, 2008
