UUCC Bylaws

Overview

The University Undergraduate Curriculum Committee is responsible for course and program management that affect undergraduate instructional programs of the university. The UUCC meets monthly on Thursday afternoons from 2-5pm during the academic year for review and approval of proposals for new courses and programs, as well as changes in existing programs. The committee is also responsible for facilitating implementation of strategic initiatives related to undergraduate curricula.

Bylaws for the UUCC shall be reviewed at least every three years with a subcommittee appointed in the fall semester and report to the full committee in the subsequent semester.

University Undergraduate Curriculum Committee

1. Membership Because the university faculty handbook acknowledges the responsibility of faculty for the curriculum, the committee shall maintain a simple majority of faculty among its membership.

UUCC members must meet the following criteria:

• Full-time faculty, tenure-track or term, or advisers. University Academic Professionals may also be considered as long as teaching or advising is among their primary responsibilities.
• At least two years of service at VCU
• Faculty must have at least two years of instructional experience, preferably at the undergraduate level; advisers must have two years of experience advising undergraduates.
• Not concurrently serve in an administrative role at the level of department chair or above.

Each unit is encouraged to select members with experience and/or interest in curriculum planning or interpretation due to significant commitment expected of UUCC members. In addition, each unit is encouraged to consider teaching schedules when selecting UUCC members.

Each school, college or unit offering undergraduate curriculum (a major or a minor) must elect one representative to the UUCC. This representative must be a tenured, tenure-track or term faculty member elected by the faculty. The school, college or unit may select a second representative to the UUCC. This second representative may be an appointed or elected faculty member, or a University Academic Professional staff member whose primary responsibility is teaching or advising. Whether directly represented on the committee or not, all programs participating in undergraduate curriculum must submit curriculum matters to the committee for consideration.

Academic Advising must elect or appoint one or two representatives to the UUCC.  

Elections and appointments for representatives are completed in spring semesters with service beginning the following fall semester. Committee members from the same school, college or unit will serve staggered three-year terms. If a member of the committee is unable to serve, a replacement will be appointed within one month by the unit for the remainder of the academic year. In the case of unexpected replacements, an elected or appointed member’s term may be shorter than three years to maintain staggered terms.

With input from the committee, the senior vice provost for academic affairs will appoint one or two faculty members to serve as chair or co-chairs of the UUCC. The chair or co-chairs will be selected from current or previous UUCC members who held the rank of associate professor for a minimum of five years or hold the rank of professor. The term of a chair or co-chair will typically be 3 years; however, a shorter or longer term may be approved by the senior vice provost for academic affairs. Whenever possible, the co-chairs should serve staggered terms so that at least one of the co-chairs always has experience in that role. A UUCC chair or co-chair may serve more than one consecutive term. Co-chairs will be from different units. If a chair or co-chair is selected from the current committee membership, the corresponding unit will select a replacement to serve as a regular voting member. The UUCC membership may recommend a chair elect who will serve alongside the chair to fully learn the chair's role and assist the chair.

The chair or co-chairs, with administrative support, will be responsible for overseeing development of regular schedule of meetings, facilitation of meetings, provision of support to committee members, and circulation of UUCC agendas and minutes to the deans and other appropriate administrators. The chair or designated co-chair will function as a tie-breaking vote during meetings, if necessary. 

Ex-officio members of the committee serve in advisory or implementation capacity to the committee. These representatives consist of the following positions (a designee from the assigned area may substitute when necessary):

• Director of Assessment
• Library representative
• Office of the University Registrar representative(s)
• Additional ex-officio members may be appointed by the senior vice provost for academic affairs

In addition, one of these members or a designee of the senior vice provost for academic affairs will serve as administrative support for the UUCC chair.

2. Committee charge

Through the collaborative work of its members, the UUCC will oversee management of all undergraduate curriculum, including responsibility for general education curriculum (minimum 30 credit hours); review and approve new degree program proposals; review and approve proposed changes to requirements in majors and programs; review and approve proposed curriculum changes, including course additions and deletions; and review other curricular matters affecting the undergraduate curriculum as a whole, including additional sources of academic credit such as AP, IB and Cambridge test scores, and credits from approved organizations for consideration as course equivalency. All schools with undergraduate programs, through their deans, retain responsibility for curriculum development and revisions as well as ongoing management of courses and programs within their respective areas.

Specifically, the primary duty of the committee is to review all undergraduate curriculum proposals, changes and deletions plus other related actions proposed by the schools in order to ensure academic quality, curricular consistency and availability of appropriate resources, as well as to avoid curricular duplication. When appropriate, the committee will make recommendations to schools with undergraduate programs to facilitate the above-stated goals.

The committee will review and vote on all proposals that come before the committee.  When appropriate, proposals may be included in a consent agenda that the committee will vote on.

During the first meeting of the year, a committee chair or co-chair will present a list of possible criteria for proposals to be included on a consent agenda for the current academic year. Committee members may also suggest criteria to be included. The committee will discuss and vote on the criteria. An administrative subcommittee consisting of the chair or one co-chair and 2 - 3 committee members will review the proposals that are under consideration for that month to determine which proposals should undergo a full review by members of the committee and which proposals, based on the predetermined criteria, can be included on the consent agenda.

Committee recommended revisions approved by the Provost on (April 8, 2026)

Next subcommittee review of guidelines: Fall 2028