1. A cross-listed course is a single course offered by two or more departments or programs under their distinct course rubrics. The term “offering” is used herein to designate the parallel departmental or program listings of a cross-listed course. 
2. Cross-listing is most appropriate when the subject matter of the course is directly relevant to the academic programs of the two or more departments or programs interested in cross-listing; when a single instructor holds a joint appointment in two departments; when a single instructor with a tenure home in one of the cross-listing departments has been named an adjunct faculty member in the other department or program interested in cross-listing the course; or when there are faculty members in each cross-listing department or program having the expertise needed to teach the course effectively. 
3. All offerings of a cross-listed course must be taught at the same level (indicated by the first digit of the course number) and have the same content, title, description, outcomes, same or equivalent prerequisites, and be offered for the same number of credits. It is preferred that cross-listed courses also have the same number, but this may not always be possible. 
4. If one offering of an undergraduate (100-level to 400-level) course proposed for cross-listing already carries or is later granted any of the General Education designations AL, AT, HS, SB, BS, PS, I, SI, DU, DG, R1, or R2, the offerings under the other rubric(s) must also carry the same designations. With courses already designated or later seeking designation as a Junior Year Writing or IE course, each department or program cross-listing the course may decide whether its offering can be used by its own majors to satisfy the Junior Year Writing or IE requirement. 
5. A lead department or program must be identified for each cross-listed course. The lead department or program holds the primary administrative responsibility for the course. This responsibility involves either undertaking course scheduling and assignment of instructors for all offerings or ensuring that each department or program involved does so for its own offering. When applicable, the lead department or program will also prepare the materials needed for quinquennial review of General Education, Junior Year Writing, or IE designations. Each department or program offering the cross-listed course will be responsible for handling any special registration permissions students need to register for its offering of the cross-listed course. 
6. Each offering of a cross-listed course will be treated as a distinct course for purposes of credit and grade replacement, except that earning a grade in one offering precludes granting that student credit for taking the other offering(s). Students who change majors between the offering departments or programs will be allowed to count the course towards their new major even if they took it under a different department’s or program’s rubric and course number. 
7. A graduate-level (500 or above) cross-listed course must be designated by each participating department or program as carrying graduate credit for at least some group of graduate students. Each offering department or program may decide whether the course will be a required or an elective course in their master’s or doctoral programs. 
8. Course proposals and syllabi for a new cross-listed course must be discussed and approved by the curriculum committee and chair/head of all the departments or programs planning to crosslist it, as well as the relevant college curriculum committee(s) and dean(s) before review by the Faculty Senate. 
9. A newly developed course to be cross-listed may be proposed by the offering departments or programs as an experimental course (using a common x90-alpha number) with the normal limit of teaching it three times before either terminating it or seeking its conversion to a permanent course. Alternately, the offering departments or programs can move directly to proposing it as a new course to be added to the permanent catalog upon Faculty Senate approval. 
10. Proposals to make an existing course already offered by one department or program into a cross-listed course by adding offerings in other departments or programs will also go through the departmental and college-level review indicated above. If the course is unchanged in its name description, main content and weekly plan, record of the agreement to cross-list will be provided to the chairs of the Academic Matters Council for courses at the 100 through 500 levels, the chair of the Graduate Council for courses at the 500 through 800 levels, the Secretary of the Faculty Senate, the Provost, and the Registrar. If those discussions lead to any changes in those features, the course proposal rule in paragraph 8, above, applies.

Source: Sen. Doc. No. 19-045

In 2014, the Faculty Senate adopted a slightly modified procedure for new course approval and incorporated it into the Course and Curriculum Management System:

Approval Process For New Courses

Seminars (X91, X92, X93, X95) Approved by:

• Department Chair/Head
• Department Schedule Officer

Experimental Courses (can be taught three times only) Approved by:

• Department Chair/Head/Department
• Curriculum Committee
• Dean of School or College
• Dean of Graduate School (500 and above)
• Faculty Senate Secretary
• Provost (or designee)

Regular Courses Approved by:

• Department Curriculum Committee
• Department Chair/Head
• Dean of School or College
• School or College Curriculum Committee
• Academic Matters Council (up to 599)
• General Education Council (Gen Ed designations)
• Graduate Council (500 and above)
• Faculty Senate Secretary
• Provost (or designee)

Policy Regarding Approvals for Special Topics Courses

2. Unusual circumstances that may warrant the creation of new, temporary Special Topics Courses include the following:
   1. The process of hiring of a new faculty member is finished too close to the start of a particular semester to allow the formal approval process to be completed in time to add their new course(s) by the start of term; or
   2. A visiting instructor will be offering a specialized seminar on a topic that the department does not cover in its current regular course offerings and does not anticipate adding to those offerings in the foreseeable future; or
   3. A regular faculty member is asked to teach a course that addresses a timely issue or topic that the department does not cover in its current regular course offerings  and does not anticipate adding to those offerings in the foreseeable future or the request to teach the course is too close to the start of a particular semester to allow the formal approval process for an experimental course to be completed in time to add the course by the start of term.

In the above cases, faculty and departments will submit the new Special Topics Course as an Experimental Course (x90) to allow for an abbreviated approval process. This expedited course approval process requires submission of a course syllabus and related information, is submitted in the CCMS portal and allows for a course to be run exactly once with approval of the Secretary of the Faculty Senate and a Senior Vice Provost or equivalent representative of the Provost’s office. This expedited approval process is to be available for only a limited time period (roughly two to three weeks) prior to the start of each fall and spring semester.

The first offering of the course under this expedited approval process counts toward the three-offering limit on all Experimental Courses. Second and third offerings of the course as an Experimental Course require approval through the regular (non-expedited) process applied to all Experimental Courses. Subsequent offerings as a permanent course require approval through the regular conversion process.

Sources:  Sen. Doc. No. 15-009 and Sen. Doc. No. 22-079

The syllabus is an essential contract between instructors and students. As such, the University of Massachusetts Amherst is committed to ensuring the clarity and quality of syllabi and has established both recommended and required elements to be included in the crafting of a syllabus.

The following elements are required as outlined in Sen. Doc. No. 24-066:

• Course number and title
• Number of credits and number of instructional contact hours per week for in-person and live online classes
• Instructor’s and Teaching Assistants’ (if any) Name and Contact Information
• Appointment Hours
• Course Description
• Student Learning Objectives
• Delivery Mode (in-person, online, flex, etc.)
• Course materials
• Individual course requirements and grade weights (e.g., participation, homework, projects, assessments, assignment)
• Grading scale
  • Grade scale used must reflect the course number. Please see 24-066 for more information and examples
• Course Schedule
• Attendance policy
• Late or make-up work policies
• Required Syllabus Statements (See below)

Sources: 85-021 ; 23-050; 24-066; 25-029 

University Course Numbering System

• 001-099 Courses which do not earn graduation credit, but which do earn semester credit; grades in these courses are factored into the student’s grade point average (such as courses needed to make up entrance deficiencies, scheduled tutorials, etc.).
• 100-199 Lower division undergraduate; freshman level.
• 200-299 Lower division undergraduate; sophomore level.
• 300-399 Upper division undergraduate; junior level.
• 400-499 Upper division undergraduate; senior level.
• 500-599 Combined graduate/undergraduate; suitable for upper division undergraduates.
• 600-699 Master’s or first year graduate courses
• 700-799 Doctoral or advanced graduate courses
• 800-899 Doctoral or advanced graduate courses
• 900-999 Post terminal degree

The following numbers are assigned to special courses and academic activities:

• 190, 290, 390, 490, 590, 690, 790, 890 New courses being taught on an experimental basis+
• 191-195 Seminars; undergraduate, freshman level+
• 291-295 Seminars; undergraduate, sophomore level+
• 391-3, 395 Seminars; undergraduate, junior level+
• 491-3, 495 Seminars; undergraduate, senior level+
• 394 Integrative Experience*
• 494 Integrative Experience*
• 591-595 Seminars; combined graduate/undergraduate+
• 691-695, 791-795, 891-895 Seminars+
• 196, 296, 396, 496, 596. 696. 796, 896 Independent Study/Special Problems courses
• 197, 297, 397, 497, 597, 697, 797, 897 Special Topics seminars+
• 198, 298, 398, 498, 698 Practicum/Field Experience*
• 499 Capstone Experience (Honors Theses and Projects)
• 699 Master’s Thesis
• 899 Doctoral dissertation

+When a department has more than one course bearing one of these numbers, it distinguishes among them with an “alphabetical extension” – one or more upper case letters following the course number.

*394 or 494 are now assigned to all newly approved IE courses. However, some preexisting permanent courses numbered 394 or 494 that are not IE courses have been allowed to retain their old number and some preexisting courses with other numbers that were approved for IE status later also kept their old number. In these cases course descriptions need to make clear whether the course has been designated as an IE course.

*Practica courses that are part of a degree requirement should be assigned regular course numbers that are different from x98, as appropriate to their level. Thus, voluntary practica courses (x98) can be easily recognized as true electives. Internships, Teaching Assistantships and other optional practical experiences, serving as avenues to apply knowledge to practice or as exercises leading to added proficiency, should carry practica course numbers (x98). 

Source: University Course Numbering System,05-020

Experimental: A course where full information may not be determined until the course has been taught on a trial basis. Quantity of offerings should be limited, generally three at most. Experimental courses represent opportunities for faculty to try out innovative and imaginative ideas and to test potential new courses.

Field experience/practicum/internships: Activities outside the classroom, which correlate to and supplement other course material. Generally used for research or other practical experience, as an introduction to a range of professional experiences.

Honors: Enriched courses designed to support students in an environment conducive to significant in-class interaction. Generally, a small course with limited student enrollment.

Independent research/study: A course designed between faculty and student on a topic of mutual interest. Largely self-directed and limited to a one-to-one teacher student ratio.

Lab: First-hand experiential learning, practical application of course concepts/theories. Students are directly engaged in the learning through hands-on experimentation and exploration.

Lecture: Especially good for sharing large quantities of information and summarizing key points. Lectures may include material presented by the instructor, may include discussions, class participation, and/or interactive activities.

Seminar: Small classes, driven by discussion and active learning. Students take on greater responsibility for the process of learning.

Special topics course: An opportunity to teach a course that might address a timely current-events issue. Subject matter or content may vary from semester to semester.

Source: Sen. Doc. No. 22-080

General Principles

1. Areas of Knowledge
   General Education should enable students to learn how natural scientists, social scientists, humanists, and performing artists think about their disciplines and how they view their work in relation to both history and contemporary society. While most General Education courses will probably come from departments in the colleges of Arts and Sciences, scholars in the natural sciences, social and behavioral sciences, humanities, and the performing arts exist across disciplines and administrative divisions.
    
2. Instructional Quality
   General Education courses should do more than impart information and provide the skills deemed necessary to social or economic success. They should involve critical or analytic thinking and should provide contexts for questioning the larger society and the student's relation to it. The capacity for critical thought also includes the ability to imagine the consequences of one's choices, to articulate those consequences, and to increase understanding of one's relation to the world of nature, work, and politics. This relates to a basic goal of all General Education Programs: i.e., the development of an intelligent citizenry.
    
3. Statement of Purpose
   The purpose of the General Education requirement is to stretch students’ minds, broaden their experiences, and prepare them for:

• Their college experiences and subsequent professional training
• Their careers and productive lives
• Community engagement and informed citizenship
• A diverse and rapidly changing world
• A lifetime of learning

The General Education curriculum does this by engaging students in:

• Fundamental questions, ideas, and methods of analysis in the humanities and fine arts, social sciences, mathematics, and natural and physical sciences;
• The application and integration of these methods of analysis to real world problems and contexts;
• Creative, analytical, quantitative, and critical thinking through inquiry, problem solving, and synthesis;
• Pluralistic perspective-taking and awareness of the relationship among culture, self, and others;
• Understanding and evaluating the consequences of one’s choices and the implications of one’s actions;
• Opportunities to develop and practice the skills of critical thinking, reasoning, communication, and integration of knowledge and perspectives, including:
• Communication persuasively and effectively orally and in writing;
• Working effectively and collaboratively (in groups, across perspectives);
• Developing information and technological literacy.

Guidelines

1. Consistent with these principles, all General Education courses should adhere to the following guidelines: Courses should emphasize critical thinking. This means that writing and problem solving would be the norm rather than the exception and would be reflected in the evaluation and examination procedures.
    
2. To promote the goals set in the preceding paragraph, faculty offering large General Education courses of more than fifty students should be provided with teaching assistants to help with the grading of essays and papers and/or the teaching of laboratories or discussion sections.
    
3. Courses used to satisfy general education requirements may not be taken pass/fail.
    
4. In order to limit the number of General Education courses, no more than 25% of the regularly taught courses of a department/program may have General Education designations. "Regularly taught courses" shall be defined as courses from the approved master course list taught at least once every three years excluding seminars, independent study, internships, practica, and laboratory courses. Since this limitation may pose problems for some departments/programs (especially small ones) because of the number or type of course offerings, it may be appealed to the Council by departments seeking justified exceptions.
    
5. Both major and non-major introductory courses may be accepted as General Education requirements.
    
6. Selected upper level courses may be allowed to fulfill General Education requirements. Students may count no more than one course in the major (as recorded at graduation) toward General Education requirements.
    

Course Requirements

The General Education Curriculum has three principal divisions: the Social World, Biological and Physical World, and Analytic Reasoning. These are general titles and reflect the idea that courses should be assigned to a category because of its content rather than because it is taught by a particular department. Thus departments may have course designations in more than one area.

Social World (AL, AT, HS, SB)

The Social World has three major subdivisions: The Arts, Historical Studies, and Social and Behavioral Sciences. Students must take one 4-credit AL/AT, one 4-credit HS, one 4-credit SB and one 4-credit AL, AT, SB, I, or SI. In addition, there is a Diversity component to the Social World requirement. All students must take two courses in the Social World that also have a Diversity designation.

Biological and Physical World (BS, PS) 

The Biological and Physical World has two major subdivisions: Biological Sciences and Physical Sciences. Students must take one 4-credit BS and one 4-credit PS.

The Analytic Reasoning has two major subdivisions: Tier I and Tier II. Tier I is a basic competency requirement. Tier II requires students to take at least one course in mathematical, quantitative, numerical, analytical or formal reasoning.

Integrative Experience

This new requirement is for a 3-credit upper-level course. [LINK TO POLICY]

Interdisciplinary courses (I, SI) In addition to the three principal division, there is an Interdisciplinary/Science Interdisciplinary category. Its purpose is to provide an incentive and a structure for faculty to develop alternate curriculum approaches to General Education. These courses may carry one or more major area designations. In the new system, a 4- credit interdisciplinary Gen Ed course (I or SI) or two 3-credit interdisciplinary Gen Ed courses (I or SI) may be taken as the fourth Social World course.

Diversity requirement

The diversity requirements will remain unchanged. Since most students fulfill the domestic (DU) and global (DG) diversity requirements by taking a course that also has another designation (e.g., SB DU), most students will fulfill the diversity requirements with 4-credit courses. The few stand-alone diversity courses (DU or DG designation only) will also fulfill the diversity requirement, even if they remain at 3 credits.

Transfer students

Students may satisfy General Education requirements under the terms of the Commonwealth Transfer Compact or MassTransfer. All other transfer students must complete the minimum number of courses required for each General Education designation (including Diversity), plus two additional courses with General Education designation.

To summarize, the proposed requirements for General Education courses are in three principal divisions:

1. The Social World
2. The Biological and Physical World
3. Analytic Reasoning

Effective September 1, 2014, superseding previous legislation.

1. Any proposal for an increase of 2 or more credits to an existing course, or 1 or more credits in the case of an existing experimental course, will follow the standard process for the approval of a new course. 
2. A proposal for an increase of 1 credit to an existing course will be reviewed according to the following procedure, which constitutes a modified version of the former “minor course change” process:” 
   1. The proposer will submit a proposal using the Course and Curriculum Management System for the increase of 1 credit; the proposal will require the approval of the department head, the dean of the school or college, dean of the Graduate School (for courses numbered 500-999), the Secretary of the Faculty Senate (following the review of any pertinent councils and/or committees), and the Provost (or a designee). 
   2. Upon receipt in the Faculty Senate office, a proposal for an increase of 1 credit to an existing undergraduate course will be assigned to the Course Subcommittee of the Academic Matters Council for review and recommendation; at the discretion of the Secretary of the Faculty Senate or Provost (or designee), a proposal for an increase of 1 credit to an existing graduate course may (or may not) be assigned referred to the Graduate Council for review and recommendation. 
   3. Upon recommendation by the Course Subcommittee of the Academic Matters Council, a proposal for an increase of 1 credit to an existing undergraduate course may then be implemented by subsequent approvals of the Secretary of the Faculty Senate and the Provost (or designee). Upon recommendation by the Graduate Council, if requested, a proposal for an increase of 1 credit to an existing graduate course may be implemented by subsequent approvals of the Secretary of the Faculty Senate and the Provost (or designee). These final signatories may approve the proposed increase in credit to an existing course or else disapprove it and require that a full new course proposal be submitted.

Standards to be Observed in Proposals for Increasing the Number of Credits for a Course 

Proposers should address (and approvers should evaluate) the following: 

1. The current nationally recognized standard, the Federal Credit Hour Standard, defines a three-credit course as three fifty-minute classes per week over a fifteen-week semester (including final exam week), or the equivalent (for courses using a non-traditional format such as blended or online learning). This standard assumes that each credit hour generates two hours of assigned work for every hour of in-class contact. Thus, the guiding rule is 45 hours of work per semester for each unit of credit. For laboratory courses or their equivalent, one credit hour is assigned for three hours of laboratory, workshop, studio, fieldwork, independent study, etc. The current applicable interpretation of the Federal Credit Hour Standard may be found in the latest edition of the “Policy on Credits and Degrees” of the New England Commission of Higher Education. 
2. The number of credits assigned to a course reflects the relative weight of that course towards the fulfillment of appropriate academic credentials—degree, diploma, certificate, major, minor, concentration or other program. Increasing the number of credits assigned to a course implies that the course should have a higher weight within the total number of credits required for a specific academic credential (degree, diploma, certificate, major, minor, concentration or other program requirements). 
3. Approval procedures for considering a course credit change up to one credit should take into account whether the course: 
   1. is designed for a certain degree program, as required or elective, but is not required by other majors; 
   2. Is designed for a certain major, as required or elective, but is also part of the requirements for other academic credentials—degree, diploma, certificate, major, minor, concentration or other program requirements; 
   3. carries a General Education designation. 
4. In all cases, proposals for increasing the number of credits for a course should address the following questions: 
   1. What is the purpose of these changes? Does the proposed change respond to a compelling need?
   2. Are the expectations for students’ engagement and performance increased proportionately to the increase in credits? 
   3. How will the additional work be evaluated and what will be the criteria for assessment? If the increase is in on-task time outside the classroom, how will it be accounted for and assessed? 
   4. What is the estimated workload in total hours of the current version of the course, including time spent in class? 
   5. Does the additional work represent 3 hours of work per week per credit hour over the length of the semester? (Requests for changing the number of credits without changing the workload need to provide a compelling rationale that the total workload is at least 180 hours for a four credit course.) 
   6. What specific changes in the current syllabus are proposed (lectures, online projects, lab/discussion/supervised activity in class, lab or studio, or a combination thereof) to reflect the proposed increase in credit? 

The latest edition of the “Policy on Credits and Degrees” of the New England Commission of Higher Education is currently available at: https://www.neche.org/

Implementation 

1. When a change in credits for a course has received final approval, the sponsoring department should communicate the change broadly to other departments and majors that have the course listed as a requirement or as an approved elective. 
2. After students have enrolled in a course, a change in credit is not allowed, so the change can only be implemented for the following semester. In order to have a change in credit take effect in the Fall semester, final approval must have been received prior to the previous Spring Pre-Registration period; in order to have a change in credit take effect for the Spring semester, final approval must have been received prior to the previous Fall Pre-Registration period.

Source: Sen. Doc. No. 15-001A

Definition

Integrative Experience courses are upper level courses offered in students' majors designed to encourage students to bring learning from their various courses together and reflect on interrelations among the individual topics they have studied. "Reflection" is defined as encouraging students to think about both the interrelations of what has been learned in courses and about their own thought processes as they learn so they can become effective life-long learners.

Consideration of Proposals

Proposals to create or revise Integrative Experience courses are reviewed as to course content by the Academic Matters Council and as to whether they meet Integrative Experience Learning Goals by the General Education Council. 

Quinquennial Review

The General Education Council reviews the Integrative Experience offerings in each undergraduate major every fifth year.

Upper Division Integrative Experience Purpose Statement

“Integrative learning comes in many varieties: connecting skills and knowledge from multiple sources and experiences; applying theory to practice in various setting; utilizing diverse and even contradictory points of view; and, understanding issues and positions contextually.” 

(Statement on Integrative Learning, Association for American Colleges and Universities & the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, March 2004) 

The upper-division integrative experience (IE) provides a structured context for students to reflect on their own learning and explore the connections between the broad exposure provided by General Education and the more focused exposure of their major. 

Preamble 

The undergraduate experience can be a fragmented one. Students fulfill a set of General Education requirements, fulfill another set of requirements for the major, and take various electives. They also participate in a range of extracurricular activities. Too often they see these components of their undergraduate education as unconnected and disjointed rather than experiencing them as an integrated whole that helps prepare them for a lifetime of learning. 

The skill of integrative thinking, however, takes practice and focused attention. We know that current research into the process of learning highlights the challenge that novice learners face in making connections among seemingly disparate sets of information and experiences. Students require structured learning experiences to become integrative thinkers. They need multiple opportunities to draw on their previous learning, apply previous and new knowledge and skills to increasingly complex problems and discipline-based settings, and reflect upon how the various components of their education can help shape their future engagement in professional, civic, interpersonal, and intellectual activities. 

The Integrative Experience (IE) requirement at UMass Amherst addresses the challenges associated with educational fragmentation. Positioned in the upper-division, the IE provides students with a structured opportunity to look back on their early college learning experiences, reflect upon and make connections between those earlier experiences and the more advanced work in their major, and use their integrated learning to prepare for the demands of the world beyond the University. 

IE Criteria 

The IE addresses the goals by fulfilling each of the following three criteria: 

1. Providing a structured, credited context for students to reflect on and to integrate their learning and experience from the broad exposure in their General Education courses and the focus in their major.
2. Providing students with the opportunity to practice General Education learning objectives such as oral communication, collaboration, critical thinking and interdisciplinary perspective-taking, at a more advanced level.
3. Offering students a shared learning experience for applying their prior learning to new situations, challenging questions, and real-world problems.

These three criteria are the key ingredients for proposals to meet the IE. At the same time, it is important to note that there are many different upper-division and credit-bearing formats, options, or structures that can be proposed and approved, in light of the three key criteria. 

IE Options

Programs, majors, departments, Schools or Colleges will be expected to themselves offer or arrange with each other to offer various options for satisfying the upper division Integrative Experience requirement. The upper division Integrative Experience (3 credits) will complete the General Education requirement for students, and responsibility for options will be located with programs, majors, departments, Schools or Colleges that offer undergraduate majors. Proposals for the Integrative Experience can include (and are not restricted to) the following options as long as they are designed to address the three purposes of the integrative experience and are designed as upper-division offerings for 3 credits. 

1. Departments/majors design new courses to meet the IE requirement; 
2. Departments/majors revise existing courses to assure that the three learning objectives will be addressed. These might include existing capstone courses in the major, revised as necessary to meet the IE objectives; 
3. Departments/majors collaborate with other departments/majors to develop new interdisciplinary collaborative (or other) offerings that address the IE learning objectives as well as the objectives of the cooperating majors; 
4. School/College-wide or Campus-wide collaborations focus on a multi-disciplinary theme with multiple instructors and disciplinary perspectives (using the newly designated campus number “UNIV 394”); 
5. Departments/majors develop umbrella crediting mechanisms that stipulate the IE learning objectives and the basis for faculty review, grading, and credit, for IE options such as student portfolios, theses, independent or group projects (In the case of independent student projects or theses, the IE learning objective that involves “shared learning experience” can be met, for example, through a seminar that parallels the research and writing of the thesis, or a conference or some other shared learning experience that enables students to present, discuss, and provide feedback to each other on their independent projects); 
6. Service learning or community-based learning activities, field experience, practica, or internships that are designed to address the IE objectives. 
7. Other options that meet the three IE criteria are welcomed for review by the General Education Council and will be reviewed in light of those criteria. Illustrations of these options are available on the Gen Ed Website.

IE Funding 

The funding amount for the Integrative Experience course will be $300 per student, as recommended by the Program and Budget Council and agreed to by the Deputy Provost, representing the central administration. It is understood that some departments may wish to offer an integrative experience course as a service to other departments, that some departments already have a course that could be adjusted at some additional cost to incorporate the integrative experience, and that some departments will have to develop such a course from the ground up. With these factors in mind, the $300 per student funding should be allocated in a fair manner among departments, recognizing that actual costs may vary from department to department. The central administration will report annually on the allocation of IE funds to the Program and Budget Council. It is also expected that, over time, IE funding will be increased if the costs of providing this program at a high level of quality increase. 

IE Approval Process

IE proposals from academic units (programs, departments, schools, or colleges) will be vetted by a subcommittee of the General Education Council, which will include the Chairs (or designees) of the Undergraduate Education Council, Academic Matters Council, and the Program and Budget Council, in addition to members of the General Education Council appointed by the Chair of the General Education Council. Once approved by the IE subcommittee, IE proposals will be voted by the full General Education Council and then approved by the Secretary of the Faculty Senate and the Provost (or designee). If an IE proposal involves a new course, it may be submitted for initial approval as an experimental course and then, at a later date, submitted for permanent approval through the full course approval process. 

 Limitation on Courses from a Student’s Major Department which satisfy General Education Requirements

Currently, “Students may count no more than one course in the major (as recorded at graduation) toward General Education requirements” (Sen. Doc No. 85-024B, Section IV.F). 

This stipulation is repeated in the “Overview of Requirements” at the end of Sen. Doc. No. 85-024B: “VII. Students may count one and only one course in their major as a General Education Course.” Since it is envisioned that most students will fulfill the IE requirement by taking a course in the major, and since it is not intended that the current practices of (1) counting one course in the major department towards the fulfillment of General Education requirements and (2) of allowing one course in the major to count toward Diversity, be altered, Sen. Doc. No. 85-0234B is hereby amended as follows:  

Section IV. F:

 “Selected upper level courses may be allowed to fulfill General Education requirements. In addition to the Integrative Experience and Junior Year Writing, students may count one course from the major department (as recorded at graduation) toward General Education requirements, with one additional course allowed to count toward Di versity.”  

General Education Proposal: An Overview of Requirements VII. “In addition to Junior Year Writing and the Integrative Experience, students may count one course from the major department (as recorded at graduation) toward General Education requirements, with one additional course allowed to count toward Diversity.” 

Policy on Using Non-UMass Courses to Satisfy the Integrative Experience Requirement

The Integrative Experience (IE) is a 3-credit, upper-division option offered as part of the undergraduate major that completes the General Education requirements. 

It is possible for a non-standard credited activity (including non-UMass courses) to satisfy the IE requirement, but the expectation is that requests for IE course substitutions from departments will be rare. 

Under exceptional circumstances, a non-standard credited activity may be approved as fulfilling the IE requirement at UMass Amherst. For example, a student who is no longer in residence at Amherst and who must complete his/her/their degree remotely may need to use a non-UMass course (or combination of courses) to satisfy the IE requirement if returning to UMass is not possible, or a student pursuing a second bachelor’s degree may request a waiver of the IE requirement if his/her/their first bachelor’s degree included upper-level courses that satisfy the criteria for IE and are relevant to the student’s current major at UMass. 

In no case can lower-level (equivalent to our university’s 100- or 200-level) undergraduate courses be used to satisfy the IE requirement. A student can satisfy the IE requirement through a single course that meets all three of the IE criteria or through an approved combination of courses that collectively meet the three IE criteria. To request that a non-standard credited activity fulfill the IE requirement at UMass Amherst: 

1. A student must submit the following to the Undergraduate Program director or Chief Undergraduate Advisor in his/her/their major: (a) rationale for why it is necessary to take a non-UMass course to fulfill the IE requirement, (b) syllabus for the proposed IE course(s) substitution and other relevant documents as needed (e.g. official transcripts), and (c) an explanation of how the course(s) meet(s) the IE requirement. 
2. If supporting the request, the UPD/CUA should then indicate his/her/their approval and forward the student’s request to his/her/their School or College Academic Dean for approval. 
3. The Academic Dean should indicate his/her/their approval and forward the substitution request to the Registrar and the General Education Council attached, as appropriate, with a Registrar Prior Approval Form or the Senior Year in Absentia Form.

Sources: Sen. Doc. No. 11-039A, 19-053

Policy on College Writing Prerequisite to all Junior Year Writing Courses

The University Writing Committee proposes that College Writing be made a prerequisite for all Junior Year Writing Courses. College Writing is already a general education requirement and is fundamental to the process of preparing students for writing at the college level. This course is intended to be taken before students pursue advanced writing in their disciplines, especially before satisfying the Junior Year Writing requirement.

The University will administer a writing assessment test to every entering first year student.

The primary purpose of this test will be to advise students for proper placement in a sequence of writing courses. The test will consist of a substantial writing sample (about 60 minutes) done during each summer orientation; it will be read and evaluated by experienced writing instructors who are trained to evaluate such tests. Based upon these readers’ recommendations, students will be placed as follows: 

1. Students who demonstrate an ability to explore themselves in written English with a competence faculty should expect from a first or second year student will be exempted from the first year writing requirement described below. 
2. Students who demonstrate a command of basic English usage and some ability in writing will be placed in an English Department course, “Expository Writing.” This three credit course will be the only course which will satisfy the first year writing requirement.
3. Students whose writing indicates either a lack of practice or an unfamiliarity with elementary written English will take an English Department course, “Basic Writing,” a three credit course which will provide practice and review in written English. This course will not satisfy the first year requirement. 
4. Students whose writing indicates that further diagnostic testing is needed will be referred to the Communication Skills Center for such testing and students who declare English as their second language will be referred to the English as a Second Language Office. The Communications Skills Center and the English as a Second Language Office will prepare these students for admission to “Expository Writing.” 
5. For 1982-83 the University will grant exemptions to the first year writing requirement on the basis of SAT scores (as described in the current undergraduate catalogue). Thereafter students will be exempted only by their performance on the writing assessment test or by the English Advanced Placement examination. 

The writing assessment test will be made available to students not only during summer orientation but at other announced times during the academic year so that a student may repeat the test or make up the test if missed during the summer. Special consideration will be given to handicapped students for whom the time allotted or the physical setting might be deleterious. An ongoing monitoring system will be established to assess the effectiveness of the test as a placement instrument. Information gathered from this monitoring will be shared with interested high schools. 

The University will require the successful completion of a three credit course in the English Department, “Expository Writing,” ordinarily taken during the student’s first year. 

Students may be exempted only by the circumstances described above in 1.a and 1.e. The objective of “Expository Writing” will be to enable students to write with more clarity and logic, with a confidence based on improved knowledge about the elements of prose style— language choices, correct grammar and spelling, strategies for organization, appropriate development, effective tone. Primary emphasis will be on the students’ writing rather than lectures, grammar exercises, or the analysis of prose models. The course will not attempt to introduce students to specialized intellectual disciplines since that can be done more effectively in introductory courses offered by faculty and graduate assistants in departments. Specialized methods of research, including specialized vocabularies and systems of notes, can be taught better in the context of specific disciplines. 

The University will require one writing intensive course normally taken during the student’s third year.

Students write better when they are expected to write better; they are likely to develop the habit of careful writing when this expectation is satisfied in various intellectual contexts over a number of years. Based on these assumptions, all students, including transfers and those exempted from the first year writing course, will complete a writing intensive course during their third year. Each department, school or college, in consultation with writing specialists, will determine what kinds of writing competence its majors need. Based on these decisions, departments, schools or colleges will, when possible, develop and offer courses that meet the specific needs of their students. For example, Engineering might require technical writing, Business might require speaking and writing, Nursing might require report writing. In each instance, the faculty or graduate assistants teaching the courses will consult with writing specialists about setting up the curriculum, and the faculty committee which oversees the writing program will initially recommend approval and periodically review these courses. 

As an option to specific courses developed and offered by departments, schools and colleges, these academic units may require that students in their third year select from third year course options that have been approved and are offered by other departments throughout the campus as a service to the University. 

The function of writing in these third year courses will be to enhance and reinforce the subject being studied, not to teach grammar and spelling at the expense of that subject. Instructors will assist students primarily in formulating effective arguments and organization for a specific topic in a particular discipline. 

In many cases, faculty and teaching assistants will need training to become more effective readers of student writing, and for this the administrators of the Writing Program will provide periodic training sessions. Many courses already being offered could satisfy this requirement by revising the writing assigned in them. In other instances, teaching assistants who now teach Rhetoric could be assigned to their departments to teach writing there. Those departments unable to provide faculty or to recruit graduate students might enlist staff from other departments; for example, graduate students in the Humanities might teach technical writing in Engineering. Ultimately it will be the responsibility of each department, school or college to negotiate with the Provost about staffing courses for the third year writing requirement. 

Adequate funds will have to be provided so that departments which choose to develop such courses do not find their programs impaired because of reassignment of duties. Some departments may choose to turn to other departments to satisfy the requirement. In such cases, sufficient resources should be allocated by those receiving departments so that they can offer such a service without impairing their own programs. 

Additional Work in Writing 

In addition to the required courses described above, writing will be incorporated in other parts of the undergraduate curriculum. For example, the General Education Committee will be asked to include substantial writing components in the General Education curriculum, especially during the second year. Departments will be encouraged to offer fourth year elective courses which include advanced writing in their disciplines. 

Auxiliary Instruction 

Because instruction in writing is a long-term effort which requires assistance from various quarters, the following are also recommended: 

• The Writing Center will continue to provide diagnostic testing and course instruction for students with learning disabilities; in addition, it will maintain and, if possible, expand its walk-in facility for any students seeking assistance with written English.
• Writing centers, such as the one currently operating in Southwest, can be an effective and inexpensive support service for students; ideally, one will be available in each residence area and in specialized areas such as the School of Business or Engineering. 
• There must be substantial coordination between the administrators of the Writing Program and the Admissions Office so that the Writing Program can effectively accommodate students who need specialized instruction, such as E.S.L. or courses in the Communication Skills Center. This coordination should also extend to the continuing dialogue with English departments in high schools. 

These five recommendations are consistent with several recommendations made by other faculty groups in the past. As early as 1968, the Cook Committee made the following suggestions: 

"Since entering students show wide range in an ability to write clear and cogent prose, an effective instructional program in composition depends on an effective system of testing and placement . . . . Proficiency in writing is unlikely to result from the work of a semester or even of a year in a composition course. It results rather from extended practice over time as the student grows in maturity and knowledge, and from the cultivation of writing in as many areas as possible in his education (p. 14). " 

As recently as 1980 the Rhetoric Program’s Status Report anticipated these trends in the teaching of writing: 

"There will be a greater emphasis on both diagnostic and proficiency testing . . . there will be an increasing trend to provide writing centers and communication skills centers . . . . There will be a trend to involve all sectors of the faculty in the teaching of basic and more advanced communication skills. This trend will require a program to assist faculty in this role." 

Using Non-UMass Courses to Satisfy the Junior Year Writing Requirement

The university’s policy is that students must fulfill the junior year writing requirement (JYW) by taking an approved JYW course at UMass. All JYW courses should be upper-level courses in the discipline (i.e., equivalent to major courses offered at the 300-level or above) and meet the university-wide requirements for junior-year writing courses. JYW courses do not only assign writing; more so, as a Gen Ed and major requirement, JYW courses ought to teach advanced writing in the major by engaging students in regular writing and revision based on peer and instructor feedback. This policy supersedes any past policy on JYW course substitutions.

Under exceptional circumstances, a non-UMass course may be approved as fulfilling the JYW requirement at UMass. For example: A student who majors in a modern language may make the case for a writing-intensive, upper-level course offered in a study abroad program, especially if an equivalent course is not offered at UMass. A student who is no longer in residence on the UMass Amherst campus and who must complete his/her/their degree remotely may need to find a non-UMass course that satisfies the requirements above if returning to UMass is not possible. Or a student pursuing a second bachelor’s degree may request to waive the JYW requirement if his/her/their first bachelor’s degree included upper-level courses that taught writing relevant to his/her/their current major at UMass.

Most students should request approval for a JYW course substitution before taking the course. Prior approval will enable students to make informed decisions when planning their courses. However, transfer students may need to request a JYW course substitution after having taken the proposed upper-level course.

To request that a non-UMass course fulfill the JYW requirement at UMass Amherst:

1. Students must submit the following to the Undergraduate Program Director, Chief Undergraduate Advisor, or Department Chair in his/her/their major:
   1. rationale for why it is necessary to take a non-UMass course to fulfill the JYW requirement,
   2. syllabus for the proposed JYW course substitution and other relevant documents as needed, and
   3. an explanation of how the course meets the university-wide JYW requirements.
2. The following would not be approved as JYW course substitutions:
   1. lower-level (equivalent to our university’s 100- or 200-level) undergraduate courses;
   2. upper-level courses that only assign writing but do not teach writing and thus do not meet university-wide requirements;
   3. upper-level courses that teach writing but not writing relevant to the student’s major.
3. If supporting the request, the UPD/CUA or Chair should then indicate his/her/their approval to and forward the student’s request to one of the Associate Directors for the Junior Year Writing Program. The request will be quickly reviewed by the Junior Year Writing Variance Committee (a subcommittee of the University Writing Committee).
4. The JYW Variance Committee will notify UPD/CUA or Chair (and cc-the Registrar) with the decision.
5. The UPD/CUA or Chair should then notify the appropriate College Dean who will then notify the Registrar, attaching the JYW Variance Committee’s approval letter as well as a Registrar Prior Approval Form or the Senior Year in Absentia Form (whichever is appropriate) and forward to the Registrar’s office.

Note: This policy addresses requests to use non-UMass courses to satisfy the JYW course requirement. Students interested in taking a JYW course at UMass that’s outside of their major should (1) make sure that the proposed course is designated as a junior-year writing course and (2) request approval from their UPD/CUA.

The UPD/CUA of the student’s primary major may approve proposals to accept JYW courses offered by a different major at UMass; the University Writing Committee does not need to review these types of course substitutions if the course has already been approved as a junior-year writing course. Because junior-year writing courses are often restricted to particular majors, students may need to request instructor permission to enroll in junior year writing courses outside of their own major.

Source: Sen. Doc. No. 17-013, Sen. Doc. No. 82-057, Sen. Doc. No. 22-025

(Please note that some rubrics are specifically designated for graduate-level or CPE courses)

Source: UMass Amherst Current Course Rubrics
Original source may not reflect updated naming. 

The option of providing a "Y" grading letter will be permissible for all graduate level courses (numbered 500 and above).

Source: Sen. Doc. No. 20-002

Extra credit may be included in course grading policies at the discretion of the instructor. If opportunities for extra credit are offered, they should be equally available to all students, taking into account scheduling, economic, or other obstacles to participation. Reasonable alternatives for extra credit should be considered in cases when such obstacles are likely.

Source: Sen. Doc. No. 10-032