Undergraduate Studies Committee

Purpose and Membership

The Undergraduate Studies Committee is a standing committee in the College of Nursing that oversees and administers the undergraduate program. The committee consists of nine faculty members (one of whom serves as chair), an adjunct faculty member from University Hospitals, the undergraduate ombudsperson, and a generic undergraduate student. An alternate generic student attends when the regular student committee member is unable to do so. The assistant dean for pre-licensure studies, the coordinator of the RN to BSN program, and an undergraduate program academic advisor serve as ex-officio members.

Functions

1. Reviews and recommends to the faculty for approval modifications of the aims, objectives, philosophy, conceptual framework and offerings of the undergraduate program.

2. Reviews new courses and approves revisions in existing courses, changes in course content, and changes in course titles or credits, and forwards to the faculty for approval.

3. Initiates and/or reviews proposals for new courses and/or any reorganization of the curriculum, and makes recommendations to the faculty for approval.

4. Establishes and implements a process for evaluating outcomes of the undergraduate curriculum.

5. Recommends to the faculty criteria consistent with those of the university to be utilized in selecting, progressing, and graduating students in the undergraduate curriculum.

6. Develops policies, practices, and procedures to expedite progression through the program, subject to faculty or administrative approval.

7. Receives and acts upon student petitions for any exceptions to or modifications of prevailing policies or procedures for progress in and graduation from the undergraduate program.

8. Implements policies to guide decisions about progression, graduation, and requests for reinstatement to the undergraduate program.

9. Appoints one member to serve as voting member and liaison to the Undergraduate Admissions Committee.

10. Appoints one member to serve on the Professional Misconduct Committee.

Frequency of Meetings

The Undergraduate Studies Committee meets usually twice a month during the academic year, with specific meeting dates arranged around the academic calendar.

Student Input

The Undergraduate Studies Committee is the formal channel whereby students can be involved in the policy- and decision-making of the undergraduate program. Students are, therefore, encouraged to familiarize themselves with the responsibilities of the Undergraduate Studies Committee and to provide input to this committee for its tasks. When students would like the committee to discuss policy, they may request through their representative or the student ombudsperson that an item be placed on the committee’s agenda for discussion. In addition to the ombudsperson, another generic baccalaureate student is on the committee. The students are chosen from those who are interested in serving on the committee by the Undergraduate Studies Committee.

Student Ombudsperson

Each year the Dean appoints a student ombudsperson to help fellow students identify and resolve issues of concern within the college. This person works as a student advocate, serves as a liaison between students and faculty, serves on the Undergraduate Studies Committee, and assists students with common concerns related to their academic program. The student ombudsperson has an office in 106 Newton Hall.