Council on Core Curriculum and Policies

Meetings

Mondays 3-4 p.m. on Zoom
Running Meeting Agenda

About the Core Council

On behalf of the Faculty Senate, and subject to that body’s authority, the Council on Core Curriculum and Policies shall maintain, review, interpret, and recommend modifications to core student learning outcomes and to policies and criteria governing general education requirements. It shall approve courses for inclusion and retention in the UALR Core Curriculum (Standard Core and College Cores) and shall have responsibility for policies governing how transfer courses satisfy core curricular areas.

The Council on Core Curriculum and Policies shall report all of its actions promptly to the faculty. In reviewing curriculum matters, the Council on Core Curriculum and Policies shall consider current policies and criteria of the U of A System and the Arkansas Board of Higher Education.

In academic units (programs, departments, schools, colleges) curricular proposals affecting the UA Little Rock Core, including but not limited to course inclusion in the core, modifications to existing core courses, and inclusion in the college core, will be routed through program, department, school, college curriculum committees and to the Undergraduate Council before being sent to the Council on Core Curriculum and Policies. In academic units not organized into departments, colleges, or schools, routing shall be according to an analogous process certified to the Council on Core Curriculum and Policies by the executive vice chancellor and provost. Revisions and modifications to student learning outcomes and to policies and criteria governing general education requirements may be proposed to the Council on Core Curriculum and Policies by any faculty or academic unit. Recommendations by the Council on such matters shall be informed by written opinion of each academic unit directly impacted by the proposed change.

Recommendations of the Council on Core Curriculum and Policies are subject to review by the Faculty Senate upon decision of the Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate or upon petition signed by five or more senators and delivered to the president of the Faculty Senate within ten (10) calendar days of passage the Council on Core Curriculum and Policies. Proposals not reviewed by the Faculty Senate or having passed Faculty Senate review shall be routed to the executive vice chancellor and provost and the chancellor.

The Council on Core Curriculum and Policies shall be composed of one representative elected from and by each curricular area with a course in the core and one representative elected from and by each college. with each serving a three year term.

About the UA Little Rock Core

The UA Little Rock Core (general education curriculum) is divided into nine areas, each with unique learning outcomes (see criteria):

In order for a course to be included in the Core, it must be approved by the Core Council. A course must align itself with a specific Core Area and complete the required form.

Approval of a course is dependent upon a two-part process which includes a first and second read of the submitted form during a Core Council meeting. Faculty associated with the submission are invited to the meetings and asked to respond to questions about the submission.

All approved courses are required to fully participate in Core assessment. Failure of an approved course to participate in the assessment process may warrant suspension from the Core.

Approved courses that undergo substantial curricular changes must be reviewed again by the Core Council via the College Core Revision Form.

Helpful Links

Core Assessment

Program/Course Level Assessment

The Core course creates the plan for assessing the Competencies and aligned learning outcome(s). This plan includes an artifact (assignment, exam, presentation, etc.) that will be used in all course sections from which data will be collected that addresses the current Competency and aligned learning outcome(s).
Once artifacts are collected from the different course sections, these artifacts will be assessed using a rubric or other tool/means by the instructor(s) teaching the course(s). Best practices recommend a two-scorer approach for assessment of artifacts.

Reporting to the Core Council

Individual program/course areas are responsible for submitting an annual assessment report to the Core Council.

Core Area Assessment Committees (CAAC)

The purpose of the CAAC is to create a sense of community and shared learning across Core courses from different programs/departments focused on similar general education learning outcomes.

CAAC members serve as representatives of programs/departments with approved Core courses (Approved Core Courses). All programs/departments in a Core Area should have a senior faculty member representative who 1) coordinates the Core course(s) (multiple sections); and/or 2) is involved heavily with instructors teaching the Core course(s); and/or 3) teaches the course(s). The Core Council strongly recommends that brand-new faculty NOT participate in Core assessment (other than artifact collection). CAAC members ensure that Core course assessment plans are carried out and that reports are submitted to the Core Council as scheduled.

Liaisons for each CAAC serve on the Core Council and work to share key assessment information with CAAC members. Liaisons also schedule CAAC reflection sessions after reports are submitted and coordinate the drafting and submitting of the CAAC memo to the Core Council.

Assessment Timeline

Core Area Competency Competency	Planning Workshop	Planning Submitted	Collection Period	Report Submitted	Reflection (closing the loop)
Knowledge & Critical Thinking	Spring 2024	Fall 2024	Fall 2024/ Spring 2025/ Summer 2025	Fall 2025	Spring 2026
Writing; Ethical Reasoning	Spring 2026	Fall 2026	Fall 2026/ Spring 2027/ Summer 2027	Fall 2027	Spring 2028
Oral Comm; Technology	Spring 2028	Fall 2028	Fall 2028/ Spring 2029/ Summer 2029	Fall 2029	Spring 2030