Curriculum development is the responsibility of the faculty. Course and program development is conducted through dynamic and collaborative processes. The iterative processes include ongoing team activities culminating in the review and approval of curriculum proposals. Well-defined processes including a Curriculum Procedures Handbook and college and district resources support curriculum development.

Curriculum Development and the Roles of the Faculty Instructional Councils

The development of curriculum occurs in stages. During the Consultation and Development Stage, "the proposal is developed informally in consultation with appropriate academic and/or occupational instructional faculty, administrators and advisory committees through an internal process that emphasizes continuing feedback among all concerned instructional personnel." The Recommendation and Approval Stage of the curriculum development process is the formal part of the process that is initiated when the Vice President for Academic Affairs sends the recommended curriculum proposal to the appropriate district-wide Instructional Council(s). The Instructional Councils are responsible for evaluating the course proposals and occupational programs. Program modifications and deletion proposals are sent to the Instructional Councils as informational items.

All involved Instructional Councils shall be given an opportunity to make a recommendation on cross-referenced courses. The Instructional Council:

• Evaluates course and new occupational program proposals received from a college Vice President for Academic Affairs.
• Receives from the initiating college, occupational program modification proposals as informational items.
• Evaluates the quality and appropriateness of the content of a curriculum proposal and the impact of a proposal on the disciplines which have been assigned to it.
• (Chair) receives evaluation of a curriculum proposal from other Council members and submits to the initiating college the written recommendation of the Council based upon these evaluations.
• Submits recommendation within ten (10) instructional days of the date of the Curriculum Transmittal Memorandum. If no recommendation is received from the Instructional Council Chair by the due date, the Vice President for Academic Affairs may proceed with the proposed curriculum.

(Source: Curriculum Procedures Handbook)

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