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Undergraduate Curriculum Committee

Terms of Reference

1. Establishment

The Council hereby establishes a standing committee called the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee under the provisions of the Council’s General Terms of Reference for Standing Committees and these Terms of Reference, and delegates to the UCC the authorities set out herein. In the event of a conflict between the provisions of these UCC Terms of Reference and the General Terms of Reference, these UCC Terms of Reference will govern.

2. Membership

The committee shall consist of:

Chair

  • Associate Dean Undergraduate (ex officio, voting)

Recording Secretary

  • Administrative staff member appointed by the Chair (non voting)

Members

  • First Year Academic Director (vice-chair),
  • The undergraduate program director from each of the Faculty departments,
  • Any additional program directors of the Faculty programs, non-voting
  • A faculty member chosen by each Department and from each Department,
  • Two undergraduate students: one member of undergraduate course union executives selected by the union presidents, and one undergraduate student from the Faculty of Science as chosen by the students Toronto Metropolitan Science Society.
  • one OPSEU or MAC technical (non administrative) staff member (*recruited by the Dean)

*committee members recruited by the Dean will be selected in consultation with the committee chair.

Quorum: 6 voting members, where at least one faculty member of each departmental curriculum committee has to be present.

If a faculty member chosen by a department is, for any reason, unable to attend a meeting, then a substitute member of the department may attend that meeting. Such a substitute member will, at that meeting, have all the rights and duties of a regular member of the committee. There shall be no other substitutions.

The committee has the right to invite such people to attend its meetings as may seem useful and fitting, at the discretion of the Chair and the other members of the committee. Such attendance may be either on a regular or an occasional basis.

3. Role

UCC serves as Council’s primary advisory group on curriculum and academic review initiatives, issues and activities.

4. Responsibilities

a) The committee shall be responsible for considering such questions of long-range planning on matters of curriculum of concern to the whole Faculty and for ensuring the integration of courses and programs across the Faculty as a whole.

b) The committee shall be responsible for the review of faculty-level policies applying to undergraduate programs and courses. Where advisable the committee may initiate proposals for changes in these regulations.

a) Approval of calendar submissions: when considering recommendations for calendar submissions from a departmental council, the committee shall consult with and seek approval from the Chair of the department in FOS affected by the curriculum modification. Once approved by the committee, recommendations for curriculum modifications will be forwarded to Senate and circulated to members of Faculty Council for information.

c) The committee shall make recommendations, where appropriate, on questions of course overlap.

d) The committee shall be responsible for the review of proposals concerning the introduction and deletion of undergraduate courses under the control of the Faculty.

e) The committee shall be responsible for quality assurance associated with programs throughout the Faculty and to coordinate program review processes as required.

f) The committee shall maintain close liaison with other academic units regarding course and program matters.                       

5. Meetings

Meetings will be scheduled monthly, with a minimum of four meetings held per academic year. The Recording Secretary shall announce the dates for the year’s meetings no later than the second Friday of September taking into consideration applicable academic deadlines.

An agenda for each meeting should be circulated five working days before any meeting of the committee. Recommendations coming from departmental/program councils shall be brought forward only after all members of the committee have been given an opportunity to respond to them. The agenda should indicate when program changes are to be discussed that may reasonably be seen to impact on a particular Department or Program. Every effort should be made to ensure that a representative from that Department or Program can attend the meeting and provide appropriate representation. (If necessary the Chair will invite an appropriate representative to ensure Faculty Programs are appropriately represented.) Input should be sought by units external to the Faculty when program changes are suggested in accordance with the standard procedures of the University. If a representative cannot be identified for a particular meeting, the item cannot be discussed at that time. The Chair should subsequently notify the Department or Program of the missed meeting and inform them of when it will be discussed at the next meeting. The discussion can proceed even in the absence of a representative in the subsequent meeting. The subsequent meeting should not occur earlier than one week from the notification date.

Minutes of the committee’s meetings shall be kept and a copy of all minutes lodged in the Faculty office. Meetings must occur at least once in each of the fall and winter terms and as deemed necessary by the Chair.

6. Powers

Other than, or in the absence of, specific delegations of authority from Council to act autonomously, the UCC’s powers shall be limited to providing input and ideas, advising and making recommendations to Council and other Council standing committees.

7. Authorities

UCC has the specific delegated authority to act autonomously as described below, on the condition that decisions made or actions taken under this delegated authority are reported to Council.

● Act on behalf of and with full authority of Council on matters related to the approval of calendar submissions (Section 4.c).