Course & Program Info

New courses, course revisions, special topics, and seminar courses in OLPD are handled and facilitated by the OLPD Curriculum Coordinator, Dan Grafton. Under normal circumstances, they will review your submitted request within two weeks to let you know what steps and forms will be required. They are not responsible for preparing or formatting syllabi or course materials, but will provide guidance on how the proposing faculty member can do so with the greatest chance of success.

Proposed Course Publicizing Restrictions

A proposed course is not allowed to be listed on the class schedule, have books ordered, or be announced/marketed publicly (e.g., posted on the OLPD website, flyers, listservs, handbooks, etc.) until fully approved.

Instructional Time Per Course Credit

When computing instruction time for courses don't forget the U of M administrative policy on instructional time.

• What is an hour of instructional time? An hour of instructional time refers to the 50-minute block of scheduled instructional time. The general expectation for total scheduled instructional time for a 3-credit course during the typical 15-week semester would be 2,250 minutes (3 credits x 15 weeks x 50 minutes).

• How does this policy apply to courses taught in terms other than the full semester? The expectation for total instructional time for a course applies to all academic terms. Courses scheduled during the May session, summer session, or any other special terms have the same expectation for total instructional time per credit. For example, a 3-credit course would be expected to have 2,250 minutes of total scheduled instructional time.

• How does this policy apply to courses delivered via distance education? Courses delivered via distance (e.g., online, interactive video, one-way transmission) must meet the same instructional time per course credit standard as courses delivered in traditional laboratory and classroom settings.

New Course Development / Course Revision Process

Note: the OLPD process for new course submission and course revisions is generally consistent with the steps below. Please consult with Dan Grafton for details such as descriptions of minor vs. major revisions. See relevant process flowcharts at the bottom of this webpage.

Initiation

Identification of the potential need for a new OLPD course typically emerges from one of four sources:

• Individual faculty members (e.g., individually identified course needs or strategic opportunities, aligned with faculty member expertise)

• Program areas (e.g., program specific course needs)

• Department level (e.g., for department core courses – required or elective)

• College directives (e.g., need to add a research course at the undergraduate level)

Process Time

The process has been streamlined, but we want to make sure that due diligence has occurred in reviewing course proposals. The time a faculty member takes to complete their portion of the overall process/changes could reduce or extend the amount of time we have listed for approval below. Please submit all materials no later than 2 weeks prior to the OLPD Curriculum Committee meeting. 

Estimated Timeline for Approval

• New course: 1 semester from submission of documents to the curriculum coordinator until offering of course on Class Schedule

• Major course revision: 1-4 months from submission of documents to the curriculum coordinator until offering of course on Class Schedule

• Minor course revision: 1-3 months from submission of documents to the curriculum coordinator until offering of course on Class Schedule

• Special topics/seminar: 1-2 months from submission of documents to the curriculum coordinator until offering of course on Class Schedule

Check Areas of Redundancy/Collaboration

Upon identification of a potential new course, the developer reviews courses already available in OLPD, CEHD departments, and other colleges and schools across the Twin Cities campus to identify areas of potential redundancy or cross-departmental collaboration. This process must be robust and well-documented as it is the main concern of the University-level Curriculum Council. Keep email correspondence/documentation of these consultations as they will be required in your submission for review. Assuming course potential remains solid, course development continues. In the case of potential redundancy, the course developer consults with lead faculty members of respective course(s). See New Course Consultations.

Syllabus Development

Course development is driven by either an individual faculty member, with appropriate consultation from others within or outside the department, or by a team of faculty members. Use the graduate syllabus template or undergraduate syllabus template to create a syllabus. Your syllabus does not need to match this template exactly but all the elements must be included—we have been successful getting syllabi in this template format approved by the CEHD Curriculum Council. 

OLPD Internal Review

The faculty member proposing the course should consult with Dan Grafton regarding a completed memorandum and syllabus and any other relevant materials asked for by that body.

• For graduate courses: materials will be reviewed first by the program area and then by the DGS and OLPD Curriculum Committee 

• For undergraduate courses: materials will be reviewed first by the Undergraduate Coordinator and then by the DUGS and OLPD Curriculum Committee 

In both cases, the developer is expected to receive feedback from these committees, and revisions are likely to be requested. If an affirmative vote is taken, a final version of the course syllabus and appropriate documentation is sent to Dan Grafton.

Review and Approval by Department Chair

The Chair reviews all materials and seeks further consultation as they deem necessary. Upon approval, they write a cover letter indicating support for the course and requesting formal review by the CEHD Curriculum Council. These materials are then given to Dan Grafton for submission to the CEHD Curriculum Council via Patrick Doble.

Course Entered into Coursedog 

The course syllabus will be entered into Coursedog by Dan Grafton and must be in Coursedog format prior to being reviewed by the CEHD Curriculum Council.

Review by the CEHD Curriculum Council

Dan Grafton must submit materials to Patrick Doble two weeks prior to the Council's meeting at which the course will be reviewed. See calendar dates and deadlines. The course proposal will go through the Council's review and voting process. Please submit all materials no later than 30 days prior to the CEHD Curriculum Committee's two week deadline for requests to go before the CEHD Curriculum Committee.

Outcome of CEHD Curriculum Council Review

Typically, the new course is approved with minor revisions that do not require a second round of review by the CEHD Curriculum Council. Once the course has been approved by the CEHD Curriculum Council, Patrick Doble will notify the course developer and the OLPD Chair.  Dan Grafton will notify the faculty developer who should then inform their Program Coordinator and also send an email request back to Dan Grafton to schedule the course on OneStop for the appropriate semester.

Special Topics/Seminar Courses (3310/5080/8087)

Submission of or changes to these courses do not require a full departmental vote. Approval is needed from the OLPD Chair and Program Coordinator prior to submission to the College. Consult with Dan Grafton.

When referring to these courses for queries, scheduling, advertising, etc. please use the short title as shown in ECAS rather than the full title. Do not use course nicknames or program specific names that are not in ECAS. The short title is what will show on the schedule (Onestop) and anywhere else that a student is searching for one of these courses.

Example:

Full Title: Writing for Publication in HRD and Adult Education

Short Title: Writing for Publication

CEHD Course Policy

Graduate-level special topics/seminar (5080/8087) courses should be taught no more than two times before being converted to regular courses. The following types of topics courses will not be subject to the two times rule: seminars (unless a specific title is being requested, e.g. 8087), Practica, or topics courses that support individualized instruction (e.g., directed study/directed research/directed readings or thesis/dissertation credit)

Undergraduate topics (3310) courses should be taught no more than two times before being converted to regular courses. The following types of topics courses will not be subject to the two-times rule: freshman seminars, honors seminars, or topics courses that support individualized instruction (e.g., directed study/directed research/directed readings, or senior projects/papers/thesis)

With the exception of freshman seminars, honors seminars and study abroad courses, topics courses may not be proposed to meet a Liberal Education requirement.

Deactivating a Course

A Program Track Coordinator (CIDE, EPL, ES, HE, HRD, or Undergrad) must submit a request via email to Dan Grafton to process for approval by the Department Chair. Dan Grafton will update Coursedog and submit the request to the Department Chair for approval. If approved the Department Chair will forward the request to the College for review and approval. Once approved Dan Grafton will send out a notification via email.

Any course that has not had enrollment in the past 2 years should be made inactive.

Before submitting a request, the Program Coordinator must ensure that the course being deactivated does not affect other program plans within their track or the department. If the deactivation does affect a program plan then a Coursedog Program Revision will need to be completed and approved before the course can be deactivated. See below, under Program Changes (Coursedog).

Reactivating a Course

A Program Track Coordinator (CIDE, EPL, ES, HE, HRD, or Undergrad) must submit a request via email to Dan Grafton to process for approval by the Department Chair. Include in the request the reasoning for reactivation, a current syllabus, and the semester the course is to be taught. Dan Grafton will update Coursedog and submit the request to Department Chair for approval. If approved, Dan Grafton will forward the request to the College for review and approval. If the reactivated course affects a program plan, then a Program Revision will need to be completed and approved. See below, under Program Changes (Coursedog).

OLPD Curriculum Coordinator Dan Grafton handles and facilitates new programs or program revisions in OLPD. Under normal circumstances, Dan will review your submitted request within two weeks to let you know what steps and forms will be required. See relevant process flowcharts at the bottom of this webpage for reference/details.

Review Cycle

CEHD no longer requires an annual Coursedog review. OLPD will complete reviews as required by CEHD or if it is determined that an out of cycle review is necessary. 

Proposed Program Publicizing Restrictions

Approval is necessary before programs can be announced or marketed publicly (e.g., posted on the OLPD website, brochures, flyers, listservs, etc.)

Process Time

For proposals/major revisions to potentially go into effect Spring/Summer term they must be submitted to the CEHD  Curriculum Council no later than the May meeting of the previous year.  Example: For the effective term to be Spring 2025, the proposal would need to meet the May 2024 CEHD Curriculum Council Meeting for review;  to go into effect Fall 2026, term they would need to be submitted no later than December 2025 to the CEHD Curriculum Council.)  Remember, however, that the OLPD Curriculum Committee must approve and the Faculty must vote on the proposals and revisions prior to going to the CEHD Curriculum Council.  

The process has been streamlined, but we want to make sure that due diligence has occurred in reviewing program proposals. The length of time can be affected by how long a faculty member takes on the parts of the process they are responsible for/control. The time a faculty member takes to complete their portion of the overall process will reduce or extend the amount of time we have listed for approval below.

See relevant process flowcharts at the bottom of this webpage.

Estimated Timeline for Approval

• New program: 1 full semester (not including summer term) from submission to OLPD Curriculum Coordinator until listing of program by the University and publication on website 

• Program revision: 3 months from ideation until listing of program by the University and publication on website

New Program Development / Program Revision Process

Note: the OLPD process for program revisions is generally consistent with the steps specified below for new program development. Please consult with Dan Grafton. A major revision is any program change that affects more than three courses within a single Ph.D., Ed.D., M.A., M.Ed., certificate, or minor program. Once Dan Grafton has given final approval to the program, the proposal will be submitted to either the Provost’s Office or the Graduate Education Council (GEC), whichever is appropriate.

Initiation
Identification of the potential need for a new OLPD program typically emerges from one of four sources:

• Individual faculty members (e.g., individually identified program needs or strategic opportunities, aligned with faculty member expertise)

• Program areas (e.g., specific program needs)

• Department level (e.g., for department programs)

• College directives (e.g., need to add program)

OLPD Internal Review

The faculty member proposing the program should consult with Dan Grafton regarding a completed memorandum and any other relevant materials asked for by that body.

• For graduate courses: materials will be reviewed first by the program area and then by the DGS and OLPD Curriculum Committee

• For undergraduate courses: materials will be reviewed first by the Undergraduate Coordinator and then by the DUGS and OLPD Curriculum Committee

In both cases, the developer is expected to receive feedback from these committees, and revisions are likely to be requested. If an affirmative vote is taken, a final version appropriate documentation is sent to Dan Grafton.

Review and Approval by Department Chair

The Chair reviews all materials and seeks further consultation as they deem necessary. Upon approval, they writes a cover letter indicating support for the program and requesting formal review by the CEHD Curriculum Council. These materials are then given to Dan Grafton for submission to the CEHD Curriculum Council  via Patrick Doble.

Program Entered into Coursedog

Dan Grafton will make the Coursedog entry.

Review by the CEHD Curriculum Council

Dan Grafton must submit materials to Patrick Doble two weeks prior to the CEHD Curriculum Council's meeting at which the program will be reviewed. See calendar dates and deadlines. The program proposal will go through the Council's review and voting process. Please submit all materials no later than 30days prior to the CEHD Curriculum Committee two week deadline for requests to go before the CEHD Curriculum Committee.

Outcome of CEHD Curriculum Council Review

Once the Curriculum Council  has given final approval to the program, the proposal will be submitted to either the Provost’s Office or the Graduate Education Council (GEC), whichever is appropriate.

Students must contact Dan Grafton at graft003@umn.edu (graduate courses) or Daniel Koza at kozax018@umn.edu (undergraduate courses) for permission numbers with the following information:

• Name

• Student ID #

• Course #/Section/Term

No permission number or student specific permission can be given out without obtaining a student ID # - this is an absolute necessity.

Closed Class

Once a class has been closed and a wait list has started, if seats become available, they will automatically fill from the wait list.  If seats do not become available once the wait list has started, instructor permission will be needed to get a permission number. Students can request approval from the instructor to get into a closed class. If the instructor approves the entrance, the student needs to forward that email to the appropriate graduate or undergraduate contact with Name, Student ID #, and Course #, Section, and Term. A permission number will be sent when the proper information is received.

Cohorts

If the whole class is a cohort, submit a list of the students for “student specific” permission to register eliminating the need for them to contact Dan Grafton or Daniel Koza.

Pre-Reqs Permission

If a course has pre-reqs that need to be fulfilled before a student can register, they can either:

1. Contact the instructor to get approval for the appropriate contact to give them a permission number (if pre-reqs are not met) and then they can forward that email to with Name, Student ID #, and Course #, Section, and Term and they can send them a permission number.

2. Contact with the necessary information above. They can check to see if pre-reqs are met. If not, the student will need to contact the instructor for approval and then forward that email to the appropriate contact, with the information listed above, for a permission number.

The OLPD Scheduling Coordinator (Savannah Greaves) will reach out to coordinators of the Graduate, Undergraduate, and Administrative Licensure programs with a deadline to submit their course schedules for the following summer and academic year (both fall and spring semesters). 

• Graduate course schedules should be submitted to Savannah Greaves and Associate Chair Andy Furco

• Undergraduate course schedules should be submitted to Savannah Greaves and Coordinator of Undergraduate Studies Daniel Koza

Savannah Greaves works together with corresponding coordinators to compile these courses in the scheduling database organized by:

• Undergraduate and graduate programs

• Day and time

Other information that should be included when contacting Savannah Greaves and the respective coordinator:

• Program area/Department designation

• Course rubric and number

• Course title

• Instructor name (or TBD)

Coordinators should also look across programs to determine how to collaborate to meet broader departmental needs and avoid curricular duplication. They also should consider other departments’ offerings to ensure that we are as complementary as possible and that we eliminate overlap of courses that students would commonly want to take in the same term. We will also take into account our curricular commitments, including the regular offering of 8011 in the fall (typically on Friday afternoons), 8015 in the spring (typically on Thursday evenings), and 8812 at least once a year, preferably in the fall. Additional departmental courses (including case studies, ethnography, educational policy analysis, and formal organizations, for example) should be considered in this process.

Savannah Greaves prepares a consolidated spreadsheet and sends it to the Undergraduate Coordinator, Program Coordinators, Department Chair, and Associate Department Chairs, who check it for accuracy and determine if there are any problems or changes that need to be made. We also check if there are any additional opportunities for cross-program collaboration in an effort to ensure that courses are offered to meet the needs of students in our B.S., M.A., M.Ed., Licensure, Certificate, and Ph.D. programs.

Throughout this process, opportunities for innovation and cross-program courses will be encouraged, as we strive to craft a curriculum that facilitates our mission and meets students’ needs. Additionally, we will attempt to ensure that we offer courses that generate sufficient student interest to enable both high-quality learning experiences and a fiscally solvent department (at least 10 students in most cases).

Throughout the year, Savannah Greaves will make schedule changes only when they are submitted via email and from designated people (program coordinators). Requests coming from adjunct faculty or others will be referred to their respective program coordinator.

Graduate Syllabus Resource Guide

Syllabus Templates

Graduate Syllabus Template

Undergraduate Syllabus Template

Teacher Licensure Syllabus Template

Online Graduate Syllabus Template

Online Undergraduate Syllabus Template

Syllabus Checklists

Undergraduate Syllabus Checklist

Online Undergraduate Syllabus Checklist

Graduate Syllabus Checklist

Online Graduate Syllabus Checklist

Teacher Education Syllabus Checklist

Online Instructional Contact Time Grid