Course Development and Approval

Develop a Course of Study

If you wish to develop a new course or revise a course, your first action is to develop a course of study for the new or revised course.  You will need to discuss this with the chairperson of your department.  

Review these resources: 

There are differences between a course of study and a syllabus.  The course of study (COS) functions as the course framework, essential for instructors of future sections. A COS includes an explanation of why the course was created, how the course functions, what students will learn, how student learning will be assessed and how instructors assigned to teach the course will understand what students are expected to be able to do at the end of course.  Further, a course of study includes recommended and/or required readings, activities, assignments and materials that support student learning.  A course of study is developed by faculty and approved through governance.

A syllabus is created by the instructor of a course after reviewing the COS for that course and functions as a contract with the students enrolled into a particular course section.   It serves as a common reference point that sets the stage for learning throughout the course.  A syllabus includes: an accurate course description, the topics to be covered, the assignments and assessments students will be responsible for, readings, materials and is a source for policies and expectations.  A syllabus is derived from an approved course of study.

To propose a new course or change to a course, you must submit a course admin form using CourseLeaf.  For information on how to use CourseLeaf, including training materials and FAQ's, visit the Curriculum Forms page in MyFIT. 

Course Approval Steps

Please be mindful that courses submitted during the fall semester will not be available for registration until the following fall semester. Please refer to the FIT Curricular Calendar for meeting dates.

  1. Department Chair recommends action on behalf of department 
  2. School Dean recommends action of behalf of School
  3. College-Wide Curriculum Committee recommends action
  4. Deans Council approves
  5. Academic Affairs notifies Chairs and Deans of approval
  6. Registrar reviews action fo Banner input
  7. Banner and relevant catalog pages updated

Workflow for Curriculum