Criteria and Review Process for Course Proposals

CALS Faculty Guide to Course Proposals

A concise slide deck for faculty that outlines the essential components and best practices for proposing a new course or proposing a revision to an existing course. Includes key elements that reviewers look for and practical tips to help navigate the proposal process successfully.

CALS Faculty Course Proposal Information Form

Form used by faculty to compile and organize proposal information that is not on the syllabus (e.g., statements, rationales, etc.). This form should accompany the syllabus when sharing course proposal information with Course Coordinators. (Google Doc - you'll be prompted to download a copy)

Course Proposal Guide for CALS Course Coordinators

A two-page checklist used by Course Coordinators to verify that faculty proposals contain all required syllabus components and supporting materials before submitting them to the Course Proposal System. Helps ensure complete and accurate submissions. (Google Doc - you'll be prompted to download a copy)

1.  Course proposals are submitted by Course Coordinators via the Course Proposal System (CPS) at least 10 days before the next scheduled CALS Curriculum Committee (CCC) meeting.

2.  The Registrar performs an initial review for compliance (e.g., appropriate meeting times, credit hours) and identifies proposals that require CCC approval. Proposals that require CCC approval have requested one or more of the following:

   - New course

   - Change in pre-requisite or co-requisite

   - Substantial change to content of existing course

   - Change to, or addition of, forbidden overlaps

   - Addition of an out-of-college cross-list

   - Fulfillment of one or more distribution requirement

   - Cornell attribute (e.g. CU-SBY, CU-CEL)

Proposals that do not require CCC approval are reviewed for approval by the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs.

3.  Proposals requiring CCC approval are assigned to two members of the CCC for review. Approximately one week before the meeting, the Registrar contacts members and provides them with the proposals they are responsible for reviewing. Proposals are reviewed for their alignment with the criteria listed below. On average, a member reviews 5-6 proposals. Members will not be assigned to review proposals submitted by their own department or unit. 

4.  Reviews are presented during the CCC meeting, where the proposals are evaluated by the committee. The CCC then votes on each proposal, deciding to either: approve, approve with suggested revisions, approve pending required revisions, request further clarification, or deny.

A course syllabus is required for structured courses and must contain the following components:

1.     Course Information: number, title, meeting pattern (days and times), credits, prerequisites (if any)

2.     Course Description matching one listed in course roster (can elaborate on description in the syllabus)

3.     Student learning outcomes and plan for assessing student achievement

4.     General description of course assignments

5.     A detailed list of topics 

6.     Instructor name(s) and contact information

7.     Grading scale (i.e. how the final grade will be calculated)

8.     Course management information: policies and expectations that affect a student's grade (e.g., academic integrity, attendance, late assignments, etc. )

Cornell Syllabus Template with required components identified

Learning outcomes (LOs) are a required component of all course proposal submissions. The LOs on the proposal form need to match the LOs listed in the syllabus as these will be added to the Class Roster for student viewing.

Note: 'Objectives' and 'outcomes' are not the same thing. Course/learning objectives describe what the instructor plans to teach, while learning outcomes specify what students should be able to do after successfully completing the course. Learning outcomes must be measurable since they form the basis for student assessment. Learning outcomes should be presented as a standalone list in the syllabus.

The CCC reviews Learning Outcomes using the following guidelines:
 

1.  Outcomes must be measurable or observable statements that articulate what students should know, be able to do, or value as a result of taking a course.

• Quick Tip: Avoid outcomes that detail the tasks/activities/assignments of the course. LOs should focus on the learning gained by completion of the activities, not the activities themselves.
• Instead of: “Students will… write a five-page research paper.”
  Try: “Students will be able to… source, compile, and articulate research findings.”

2.  Outcomes must use the format: After this course, students will be able to… [Action verb] … [Learning statement].

3.  Outcomes must be specific, measurable, aligned, realistic, and time bound.

• Quick Tip: Avoid outcomes that use vague terms like “understand”, “develop an understanding”, or “become familiar with”. These are not measurable or observable.
• Instead of: “Students will… become familiar with bird species native to New York.”
  Try: “Students will be able to… identify bird species native to New York.” or increase specificity if possible and try, “Students will be able to… describe the migratory patterns of native New York waterfowl.”

Before submitting a CALS course proposal, please review the below guide to creating and assessing course learning outcomes, which includes a list of suggested action verbs, and complete the accompanying worksheet.

• CALS Guide to Creating and Assessing Course Learning Outcomes

Download this one-pager about the importance of developing effective learning outcomes:

Your Teaching Experiment: A Scientific Approach to Learning Outcomes

Note: These categories fulfill distribution requirements for students that matriculate at Cornell on or after Fall 2025 (have an expected graduation date on or after May 2029.)

Information and Criteria for CALS 2025+ Distribution Courses

Note: These categories only apply to students on the pre-2025 curriculum and will become unavailable to add to courses after Spring 2028 as the program phases out. Categories selected from this list (maximum of 2) do not count toward the two-category limit for a course. Up to two additional categories may be selected from the list of 2025+ Distribution Categories.

All new or existing courses seeking review for distribution requirements will require a syllabus to be uploaded with the course proposal.

Introductory Life Science/Biology:
CALS Curriculum Committee members compare courses seeking this distribution against the following minimum requirements

1. No prerequisites or requirements of science comprehension beyond NYSED High School Performance Expectations.
2. Focuses at least 60% of the course on one or more V&C Core Concept.
3. Includes an evolutionary component.
4. Includes the ability to apply the process of science (V&C Core Competency 1) and at least one additional V&C Core Competency in learning outcomes.
5. Includes a significant student-centered teaching component (e.g. laboratory sections, problem-solving or case study activities, research projects, collaborative activities. Click here for more information).
   
   *Additionally, course proposals submitted for this distribution will require instructor to indicate if course is suitable for non-life science students.  Determination of how these courses will count toward major requirements will remain at the discretion of the department.
   
   Details on the NYSED High School Performance Expectations and V&C Core Concepts can be found here.

Other Physical or Life Sciences:
CALS Curriculum Committee members compare courses seeking this distribution against the following definition

• Courses satisfying this requirement help students understand and appreciate the physical sciences, enhance quantitative reasoning skills, or explore the variability of living organisms.

Chemistry/Physics:
CALS Curriculum Committee members compare courses seeking this distribution against the following definition

• Includes all Cornell courses with the CHEM or PHYS prefix that are a minimum of 3 credits (excluding courses that are supplemental, independent study, research, TA, internship, and First-Year Writing Seminar).

Quantitative Literacy:
CALS Curriculum Committee members compare courses seeking this distribution against the following definition

• Courses satisfying this requirement help students develop the skills to solve problems through understanding abstract, logical relationships. Such skills include mathematical analysis of patterns and phenomena, modeling natural and technological systems, and creating algorithms essential to computation.

Knowledge, Cognition & Moral Reasoning (KCM):
CALS Curriculum Committee members compare courses seeking this distribution against the following definition

• These courses investigate the basis of human knowledge in its broadest sense, ranging from cognitive faculties shared by humans and animals such as perception, to abstract reasoning, to the ability to form and justify moral judgements. Courses investigating the sources, structure, and limits of cognition may use the methodologies of science, cognitive psychology, linguistics, or philosophy.  Courses focusing on moral reasoning explore ways of reflecting on ethical questions that concern the nature of justice, the good life, or human values in general.

DEFINITION: Course that is offered under the same department prefixes where the content and level are different (i.e., Undergraduate and Graduate). Classes meet together.

REQUIREMENTS: For co-meeting courses, overlap in content is acceptable, but there must be additional work for graduate students, such as additional assignments or responsibility in the course.  Instructors may have one syllabus for co-meeting undergraduate-graduate courses as long as the syllabus provides clear and detailed statements of how the deliverables for undergraduate and graduate students differ; this is necessary to meet NYSED’s requirement that all coursework be appropriate for the instruction level.  

The entire course does not need to be different, but some components of the course must reflect graduate-level work, distinct from the undergraduates. Evidence of these distinctions should be found in the learning outcomes, assessment, and assignments.

REVIEW PROCESS: To have courses reviewed for co-meeting, please submit through the course proposal system for approval. The differing expectations for graduate-level students must be highlighted yellow within the syllabus to aid in the review process.

• Adding a co-meet to an existing course: use a revision proposal to add an additional parent course to the existing course at the new desired level and attach an updated syllabus for review.
• Submitting a new course with co-meet: use a new course proposal and add two parents at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Attach the syllabus for review.

(Revised February, 2018)

DEFINITION: Course that is offered under multiple department prefixes where the content and level are the same. Classes meet together.

NOTE:  Because cross-listing a course increases the complexity of course management for both the Registrar and the instructor, cross-listing should be avoided unless there are clear benefits to the students or instructors.

Therefore, there are only a few grounds to cross-list a course:

• The course is co-taught by faculty from different departments or programs.
• The course is a requirement for all students in the cross listed major/department/unit.
• The course is seen as a significant part of the curriculum in the cross-listed major/department/unit. For the committee to approve a rare cross listing on the grounds that a course is not required but is a significant part of the curriculum, a compelling justification must be provided, such as: a vast majority of students (data included) are taking the course in one department or program in order to satisfy a requirement in another department or program.

Once it meets one or all of these criteria, to be considered for cross-listing, a course:

• Must be reviewed and approved by the curriculum committees in the several majors or minors involved.
• Must be reviewed and approved by the curriculum committees of the colleges involved.

The rationale for cross-listing must be documented during the approval process.

Alternatives to cross-listing

CALS has generous allowances for courses taken outside of the college (the most generous of any college at this time). Further, the combination of college and major or minor requirements is generally flexible enough to allow students to take courses in other colleges. Additionally, CALS shares several majors and minors with other colleges. Courses in these majors or minors are accepted as CALS courses without cross-listing.[1] Therefore, there should be little need for cross-listing courses.

Requests are often erroneously made to cross-list in order to make a course more visible to students in other majors. Alternatives to cross-listing that satisfy this need are:

• Departmental and multi-departmental majors or minors in CALS can and often do list required courses that are taught by faculty in other departments. Common examples are calculus, chemistry, and economics.
• Departmental and multi-departmental majors or minors can and do list courses in any department that meet requirements of the major or minor where their students have a choice among several courses.
• Majors or minors can and do provide course recommendations to students for a variety of purposes unrelated to requirements of the major or minor.

The Curriculum Committee will not approve courses for cross-listing when this is:

• Solely or primarily for the purpose of making the course visible to students.
• Solely to enhance the stature of the course; i.e. to accommodate students who only want to register for courses in fields considered fashionable.

The Curriculum Committee will also not be able to cross-list courses that do not meet the SUNY/Carnegie guidelines for credit in relation to contact hours.

[1] Biological Sciences, Biology and Society, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Information Sciences, Nutritional Science, Statistics.

Cornell adheres to United States Department of Education, New York State Education Department, and Middle States Commission on Higher Education guidelines pertaining to the definition of a credit hour. For more information, see the updated policy on Defining and Assigning Credit Hours, which went into effect May, 2023.

• Credit Hour FAQs from the Vice Provost for Enrollment
• Credit Hour Calculator

A forbidden overlap is a course that offers 50% or more of the same content as your course. It is ‘forbidden’ in that students will not receive credit for taking that course if they also take your course, or vice versa. Forbidden overlaps can take several forms, e.g., significant overlap in list of topics, conceptual themes, readings, activities, learning outcomes, etc.

Given the subjective aspect of determining a forbidden overlap, it is the responsibility of the instructor(s) and the submitting unit to identify forbidden overlaps when proposing a new course.

To identify potential courses, enter key words related to your course title or content in the search fields of both the Class Roster and Courses of Study. If a course’s description suggests that there is overlap, reach out to the instructor to request a syllabus to review. When submitting your proposal, please list these courses and provide details as to why, or why not, a specific course should be designated a forbidden overlap.

Tuesday and Thursday evenings are reserved for evening examinations and therefore shall remain free from classes and laboratory exercises. On Monday and Wednesday evenings only regularly scheduled courses, and prelims previously approved by the Office of the University Faculty are permitted. Other evening academic activities commencing at or after 7:30 PM on Mondays and Wednesdays are not allowed.

If a course is offered for credit, then the instructor of record is the individual who assigns the final course grade.

The instructor of record must be an academic titleholder if the course is numbered 4999 or lower.

An individual  who is not an academic titleholder can serve as the instructor of record if the course is numbered 5000 or higher  and is not a requirement for any degree program affiliated with the sponsoring unit.

Co-teaching with an academic  titleholder is always allowed provided the academic titleholder serves as the instructor of record.

From The Faculty Handbook > 6. Academic Policies and Responsibilities > 6.1 Instruction > Guidelines for Staff Instructors

A series of attributes can be requested to be added to a course. Ensure the course aligns with the provided attribute description and that this alignment is clearly reflected in the proposed syllabus.

Note: these are not to be confused with CALS distribution tags. Cornell course attribute tags start with ‘CU-’ (e.g., CU-CEL), CALS distribution tags end with ‘-AG’ (e.g., PSC-AG).