Curriculum Committee
On-Campus Course Proposals
On this page you’ll find deadlines and information for applying for Curriculum Committee approval for new courses, J-term study away, general education designations, and graduation requirement designations.
We encourage you to consult the Online Course Proposal Preparation Guide before submitting a course proposal. The guide explains the proposal process, answers frequently asked questions, and outlines the questions asked on the proposal form so you can be prepared with the necessary information.
In preparing your proposal, you may find it helpful to review student learning outcomes for the institution, departments, programs, general education distribution areas, and graduation requirement designations, all of which are available on the Assessment webpage.
Click here for the online course proposal form.
Use the link above to submit the following types of proposals:
- New catalog course (and accompanying general education or graduation requirement designations)
- General education designation for an existing or special topics course (ARTSC, HUM, NATSCI, HBSI, or THEOL)
- Graduation requirement designation for an existing or special topics course (GLAFC, USIDG, QUANT, WELBG, WRITL, WRITD)
- January-Term study away course (and accompanying general education or graduation requirement designations)
- First-Term Seminar
- Challenge Capstone Seminar
Course Proposal Deadlines for 2020-2021
The following deadlines apply to new courses and proposals to receive general education distribution or graduation requirement designations for courses offered in a given term. Challenge Capstone Seminars should use the deadline for the term in which the course will first be offered.
January Term Courses
- NEW* 2021 on-campus courses: September 18, 2020
- 2022 off-campus courses: October 20, 2020
- NEW* 2022 on-campus courses: March 26, 2021
*NEW January Term courses are courses that are not currently listed in the Academic Bulletin (Catalog) or are not offered as special topics courses (i.e. 144, 244, 344) as well as any proposals for new general education or graduation requirement designations for courses offered in January. Existing catalog courses and special topics courses offered in January do not need to go through the course approval process.
Spring Term Courses
- Spring 2021 courses: September 18, 2020
- Spring 2022 courses: September TBA, 2021
Fall Term Courses
- Fall 2021 courses: January 15, 2021
- NEW** First Term Seminar Courses: February 26, 2021
**NEW FTS courses are courses that were approved prior to Fall 2019 or proposals for new or significantly revised FTS courses.
The Gustavus Challenge Curriculum & Three Crowns Curriculum
Students begin general education with either a First-Term Seminar or CUR-100 (Three Crowns Curriculum first-term seminar). Both forms of the first-term seminar carry writing credit (WRIT).
Students take five courses from disciplinary perspectives marked by general education distribution designations (Arts, Humanities, Natural Science, Human Behavior & Social Institutions, and Theological Studies). Students take these five courses either through enrollment in the Three Crowns Curriculum or in the Challenge Curriculum by taking courses labeled ARTSC, HUM, NATSCI, HBSI, and THEOL. Descriptions, criteria, and SLOs for all designations are available here. Courses carrying a general education distribution designation may carry one additional graduation requirement designation (see below).
All students (including Three Crowns students) take courses fulfilling a series of graduation requirements. A course that does not carry an area distribution designation may carry up to two graduation requirement designations. A single course may not carry both GLAFC and USIDG or WRITL and WRITD. Descriptions, criteria, and SLOs for all designations are available here. These graduation requirement designations include:
- A minimum of two semesters of a non-English language (Three Crowns students must take three semesters of non-English language)
- 1 course designated Global Affairs and Cultures (GLAFC) (some upper level non-English language courses fulfill this requirement)
- 1 course designated U.S. Identities and Difference (USIDG)
- 1 course designated Quantitative Reasoning (QUANT)
- 1 course designated Wellbeing (WELBG)
- 1 course designated Writing and Information Literacy (WRITL)
- 3 additional writing courses (including the WRIT credit associated with FTS/ CUR 100 and additional courses that may be either WRITD, Writing in the Disciplines or WRITL, Writing and Information Literacy)
Finally, all students take either the Challenge Capstone Seminar or CUR-399 (for Three Crowns students).
Students must complete two courses during January Term. With the exception of study away courses, January Term courses are treated the same as fall and spring semester courses in terms of the course approval process.
Applying For a Change in Credit Hours
Proposals for changes in course credit value are reviewed by CAPSUB. There is no form. Proposals should come from the department/program chair only, and should give the following information: the course number and name, the current credit value, the proposed credit value, a brief rationale for the change which refers to the criteria in the Course Credit Guidelines ,and an explanation of how (if at all) the change will affect students. Send this information as a WORD document to courseproposal@gustavus.edu.
Cross-Listing Courses
To cross-list an existing catalog course, use this form Proposal Form for Cross-Listing Courses. Send this information as a WORD document to courseproposal@gustavus.edu.
To cross-list a new catalog course, use the online course proposal form.
Guidelines for Cross-Listing Courses
J-Term Study Away Courses
January study away courses are central to the Gustavus Adolphus College global mission. Such courses are designed to capitalize on opportunities unique to the locations where they are taught and to integrate classroom instruction and experiential learning activities into a well-conceived whole. January off-campus study provides opportunities for courses that are innovative, experimental, and/or interdisciplinary. Any faculty member, with the approval of the department chair, may propose an off-campus January course to be taught during the second year or a subsequent year on the Gustavus Adolphus faculty. Proposals must demonstrate the suitability of the course to the college curriculum. Furthermore, they must provide a rationale for conducting the course off-campus by explaining the significance of the location(s) to the overall educational experience. The proposal shall provide a clear picture of the careful integration of course content and on-site living and learning opportunities. Proposals are reviewed first by the Director of the Center for International and Cultural Education, then by the Global Engagement Committee (GEC). For more information about January off-campus course instructional policies and guidelines, see the CICE web page.
Reference Documents
Navigating the LAP and Challenge Curriculums: An FAQ for Advisors