Courses

Here your will find information on course designations and links to resources for proposing a new course or change to an existing course. Please note and respect the deadlines for curriculum proposals of all kinds found in the Provost's Curricular Change Calendar.

Propose new courses or changes to existing courses

Proposals for new courses and programs, as well as proposals for changes to existing courses and programs, are made through the online curriculum management system Curriculog. See the myUSF Curriculog page for more information.

For an overview of how courses are reviewed and approved, and by whom, visit the curriculum review process page.

Basic course numbering standards can be found in the USF Catalog. Please keep in mind that only course numbers that have been inactive (i.e., no students have taken the course under that number) for at least ten years can be re-used.

Standard enrollment caps are as follows: Core lecture = 40. Major classes = 35. Special Topics = 25-30. Language classes (first, second, third, fourth semesters), and Rhetoric and Public Speaking = 22. Fieldwork, Community Engaged Learning = 20. Seminar classes = 16-20. Undergraduate Capstones = 12-15. Graduate Capstones = 10-12. Some caps may vary due to space, safety, staffing, or equipment issues. Please discuss proposed exceptions with your area Associate Dean.

Course Title and Description Guidelines

Develop or revise a syllabus

For guidance on what should be included in your syllabi, see:

Propose a course for USF’s Core Curriculum

  1. Review the Loading....
    Consider how your course will address and assess the particular outcomes for the Core designation you are proposing. You’ll need this for your Core designation proposal.
  2. Review the Core Breadth Requirement.
    Consider how your course will meet this requirement. You’ll need this for your Core designation proposal.
  3. Review the Core Turf Policy.
    Be sure your course falls within that policy.
  4. Learn more about the Core Advisory Committee.
    They oversee Core designations.
  5. Submit a proposal for a new course or course change through Curriculog

Propose a course for USF's Cultural Diversity (CD) designation

  1. Review the CD Learning Outcomes in the USF Catalog
  2. Proposals for courses seeking the CD designation are reviewed by the College Curriculum Committee (CCC)
  3. Submit a proposal for a new course or course change through Curriculog

Propose a course for USF’s Community Engaged Learning (CEL) designation

  1. Review the Community Engaged Learning outcomes and dimensions. Consider how your course will address and assess these outcomes and dimensions. You’ll need this for your CEL designation proposal and syllabus.
  2. If you like, learn more about the Community Engaged Learning Committee, which oversees CEL designations until Fall 2019.
  3. Submit a proposal for a new course or course change through Curriculog

Propose a First-Year Seminar (FYS) or Transfer-Year Seminar (TYS)

First-Year and Transfer-Year Seminars are courses designed only for first-year and transfer students, capped at 18 students, and have a course stipend. They meet a Core requirement and are also reviewed and approved by the FYS Committee.

To propose a FYS or TYS:

  1. Review the FYS Handbook.
  2. View descriptions of recent FYS/TYS courses.
  3. Consider how your course addresses the following questions:
    • Is the proposed course designed for First-Year students: Are the readings and assignments pitched to the right level? Is the workload appropriate?
    • Does the course have a mentoring component: How does the faculty intend to develop a mentoring relationship beyond the academic concerns of the course? Does the syllabus include a statement on achieving the mentoring objective?
    • Does the course have a San Francisco Bay Area community component: What course requirements will serve to introduce the student to some aspect of Bay Area culture, politics, history, ecology, geology, etc.? How will the course assist students in accessing valuable community resources, for instance, through field trips or guest speakers?
  4. Submit a proposal for a new course or course change through Curriculog
    In addition to the FYS/TYS designation, your proposal should include a Loading....

For more information on FYS or TYS contact Jeffrey Paris, paris@usfca.edu