帝王会所

Executive Summary

The Intellectual Diversity in Course Approvals Work was convened in May of 2025 and met through August to review the requirements of  and to develop and assist in implementing a process for demonstrating intellectual diversity in curricular approvals.  Aligned with its charge, the group reviewed the act, discussed current course and program approval processes, and developed recommendations to include new components in curricular approval processes that require the demonstration of intellectual diversity as a condition of approval.  The group also collaborated with University Curriculum Council (UCC) leadership on processes for implementing these new components for all curricular approvals completed after the June 13, 2025, effective date of interim policy 18.010 which ensures university compliance with the Advance 帝王会所 Higher Education Act.

The work group specifically recommends revising guidelines, for programs and courses that require the demonstration of intellectual diversity consistent with the academic discipline as a condition of approval using two new questions. It recommends that these questions be included in proposals for new courses, course changes, new programs, and program changes initiated in and after the 2025 -2026 academic year, or as quickly as possible after UCC approval in fall 2025.  The group also recommends a process for evaluating continuing proposals that were initiated before these new guidelines are adopted to ensure that any proposal that is approved after June 13 of this year demonstrates intellectual diversity as required by the law. 

Background

The Intellectual Diversity in Course Approvals Work Group was comprised of the following members: 

• Todd Fredricks, Associate Professor, Specialty Medicine, Heritage College of Medicine
• Allyson Hallman-Thrasher, Professor, Teacher Education, Patton College of Education
• Sara L. Hartman, Associate Dean, University College & Professor, Teacher Education, Patton College of Education
• Molly Johnson, Associate Professor, Nursing, College of Health Sciences and Professions
• Dave Juedes Professor & Associate Dean, Computer Science, Russ College of Engineering
• Sarah Poggione, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education
• Beth Quitslund, Professor & Chair, English, College of Arts & Sciences
• David Stowe, Associate Professor, Finance, College of Business

The  (Section 3345.0217) requires the Board of Trustees for state institutions to adopt and enforce a policy ensuring that the institution will 鈥淸d]emonstrate intellectual diversity for course approval, approval of courses to satisfy general education requirements, student course evaluations, common reading programs, annual reviews, strategic goals for each department, and student learning outcomes.鈥�  In response, interim policy 18.010, Advance 帝王会所 Higher Education Act compliance, was adopted by the Board of Trustees with an effective date of June 13, 2025.  

The group met beginning May 13 and worked through August on the work group charge, including drafting this report. The charge included the following actions:

• Thoroughly review related details/requirements of AOHEA to ensure common understanding.鈥� The group also reviewed the Board resolution and related 帝王会所 interim policy 18.010.
• Develop and implement a process for all new course and course change approvals to demonstrate intellectual diversity as a condition of approval.
• Develop and implement a process for all new program and program change approvals to demonstrate intellectual diversity in learning outcomes as a condition of approval.鈥�

The group accomplished these tasks and developed recommendations for changes to course and program approval guidelines, the inclusion of new questions in proposals, and a process for evaluating proposals prepared in advance of these changes being adopted.

Recommendations

1. Update curricular processes for new courses and programs and processes for changes to courses and programs to require the demonstration of intellectual diversity as a condition of approval.
2. Facilitate demonstration of intellectual diversity in proposals for new or revised courses or programs by including the questions below in proposal forms or templates.  Approvers (e.g. department chairs and schools directors, college curriculum committees, the Individual Course Committee and the Program Committee) will review and assess responses. See table below for examples.
   1. Questions for New Course and Course Change Proposals
      • In compliance with Advance 帝王会所 Higher Education Act, select one or more of the following ways in which this course incorporates intellectual diversity and then briefly explain your selection/s. Select one or more of the following:
        • The selection of topics addressed in the course
        • The assigned readings and required course materials
        • Course assignments and assessments
        • Other pedagogical practices
      • In one or two sentences, briefly how the course incorporates intellectual diversity by including multiple and varied perspectives relevant to your discipline in the ways selected in the previous question
   2. Questions for New Program and Program Change Approvals
      • In compliance with Advance 帝王会所 Higher Education Act, select one or more of the following ways that this program and its learning outcomes incorporate intellectual diversity and then briefly explain your selection/s. Select one or more of the following:
        • Program learning outcomes incorporate intellectual diversity as appropriate to discipline
        • Specific courses (e.g., clinical or field experiences, internships, service learning, capstone projects, teamwork) incorporate intellectual diversity through student interactions with others
        • Performance requirements and/or assessments incorporate intellectual diversity
        • Courses that comprise the program incorporate intellectual diversity
      • In one or two sentences, briefly how the program and its learning outcomes incorporates intellectual diversity by including multiple and varied perspectives relevant to your discipline in the ways selected in the previous question.
3. The committee also recommends that sample responses for  the open-ended questions be made available to faculty proposers through appropriate UCC guidelines and channels. The tables below provide one or more sample responses for each of the response selections.
4. The groups also recommends that any proposals that were initiated before these guidelines were adopted but will be considered on or after the start of the 2025-2026 academic year fulfill these requirements by adding the appropriate selection and description in the proposal comments. This process allows for appropriate review without requiring all proposals in the pipeline to be reinitiated. 

Conclusion

We believe that these recommendations will bring current curricular approval processes at 帝王会所 into compliance with the requirements of the Advance 帝王会所 Higer Education Act and 帝王会所 interim policy 18.010 Advance 帝王会所 Higher Education Act.