Faculty are responsible for initiating development and revision, including establishing prerequisites and planning courses within disciplines [Title 5 §53200(b)], the content of their classes; the method of presentation; and the cohesiveness and comprehensiveness of their academic program.
The Curriculum Committee maintains responsibility for the development, review, renewal, and proposal of curriculum, including curriculum-related policy. The purpose of the Curriculum Committee is to provide guidance, advocacy, and oversight for Folsom Lake College’s curriculum by ensuring that the curriculum is academically sound, comprehensive, and responsive to the evolving needs of FLC’s students, community, regional work places, and global society; to maintain a commitment to the college mission, vision, and goals and to the principles of the collegial contact with colleagues across the district; and to forward proposals regarding academic and professional matters to the Academic Senate.
Curriculum Development
Curriculum is a primary responsibility of the faculty. Curriculum conceptions and/or recommendations may be considered from such sources as colleagues, students, alumni, and advisory committees. Department faculty are essential to the development of formal course and program proposals for the college. In order for an idea to become reality, the college utilizes an official curriculum process managed by the Curriculum Committee. The Curriculum Committee reviews and approves new and revised curricula. Included in the process are reviews by the appropriate subcommittees: Distance Education, General Education/Baccalaureate/Multicultural Degree Requirement, Prerequisite/Corequisite/Advisory, Program Review and Department Planning, and Technical Review. After local approval, new curriculum proposals are forwarded to the District Curriculum Coordinating Committee, which in turn presents all district curricula to the Board of Trustees for approval. In some cases, curricula are also forwarded to the State Chancellor’s Office for state level review and approval. Programs for career and technical education (CTE) programs must also seek approval from North/Far North Regional Consortia. Because of the many layers of review and approval that are sometimes required, the college has established a set of timelines for processing curriculum as efficiently and quickly as possible. Agendas, minutes, end of year reports, and more updated information can be found in the Curriculum Committee page.
Curriculum Management Software/SOCRATES
The district has chosen commonality in curriculum in course number, title, units, academic level, and similar, but not necessarily identical course descriptions and course content. Los Rios uses SOCRATES (System for Online Curriculum Review and Technical Education Support), a curriculum management software program, for the online development and updating of courses and programs.