Policy on Programme / Curricular Designing

Policy Title –Policy on Programme / Curricular Designing

Policy Number – 15

Functional Area – Academic

Effective and Revised Dates – 08.11.2018

Approving Authority – The Council, University of Sri Jayewardenepura

Administrative Responsibility – Heads of Departments, Dean of the Faculty, Faculty Boards, Curriculum Development Committee, Senate


Rationale & Purpose

This policy covers protocol and other administrative matters related to the process of curriculum development in the University. The process of curriculum development is primarily two-fold; major and minor developments/revisions. Major revisions are conducted in order to incorporate contemporary trends in benchmarking, accreditation and to adhere to new/changing qualification frameworks. This should be a collaborative exercise which is conducted with the participation of all stakeholders. Comparatively, minor revisions facilitate urgent requirements and requests submitted by individuals or departments relating to specific programmes. The Curriculum Development Committee of each faculty holds the key responsibility of organizing, administrating and assisting the faculty with all matters and issues relating to curriculum development. The Internal Quality Assurance Cell of faculty is entrusted with the responsibility of monitoring the process of curriculum review in order to ensure that matter of quality assurance are adequately adhered to in this process.

 

Scope – Academic staff members, Administrative staff, Undergraduate and postgraduate students,

Policy Statement

  • Designing/ revising a curriculum or a programme will be the shared responsibility of all the staff members who shall collaborate to develop and deliver the curriculum or the programme.
  • The programme or curriculum should comply with the latest/current qualification frameworks, Subject Benchmark Statements (if available), and professional standards (where relevant).
  • Curriculum/programme will be developed taking into account the Institutional Vision and Mission, National goals and objectives, UGC guidelines, desired graduate attributes (e.g. developing students core values and critical thinking, so that they are able to contribute meaningfully and creatively to society), meet labor market needs/demands, meet emerging needs in the field of study, workplace/ industry, occupational/ professional requirements, stakeholder inputs, university policies, educational and other technological advancements while taking into consideration the available resources.
  • The curriculum/ programme design and development will use outcomes-based and learner-centered approaches. Graduate Profile and Programme Outcomes will form the basis for selecting the content, learning resources, learning activities, and determining the learning outcomes, and assessment approaches for each course offered under the respective programme.
  • Learning activities and assessment methods should align with, program and/or course learning outcomes taking into account the guidelines provided in qualification frameworks and Subject Benchmark Statements.
  • Work-based placements or other such opportunities which provide exposure to the world of work should be incorporated into the curriculum at appropriate times in the delivery of the programme. Opportunities to use and explore the most contemporary aspects of modern technology shall also be made available in the process of designing and delivering the curriculum.
  • The program/curriculum should align with institutional Mission and Vision.
  • Key factors relating to the administration of the degree programme such as minimum qualifications for enrolment, different windows of enrolment to the degree prograame/ information on compulsory, optional and elective courses as well as pre-requisites to follow particular courses should be clearly stated.
  • Opportunities should be made available for credit transfer among different degree programmes/ streams of study as well as faculties and universities both local and international depending on the programme requirements.

 

Definitions

New Programme: a programme which has not been offered before in any faculty or is a modified version of a programme that is no longer offered by any faculty whose purpose, outcomes and field of study, mode or site of delivery has been considerably changed.

Outcomes-based education: Outcome-based education is an approach to education in which decisions about the curriculum are driven by the exit learning outcomes that the students should display at the end of the study programme.

Study Programme: A purposefully structured set of learning experiences that leads to a qualification. Programmes may be disciplined-based, professional, career-focused, or trans, inter-or multi disciplinary in nature.  A programme has recognized entry and exit points.  All taught higher education programmes should have core and elective elements.  This requirement is optional for research-based programmes.

Learning outcomes: High quality, culminating demonstrations of significant learning in context

Credits: The value assigned to a given number of notional hours of learning which may be accumulated until conditions have been met for the award of a module/course/programme/qualification.

Titles of related Policies, Procedures, Forms, Guidelines – SLQF, USJP curriculum development procedures, learning outcome policy, teaching and learning policy

 

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