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Academic Information for Faculty and Staff

Advising

Virginia Tech demonstrates a commitment to advising through recognizing and supporting the needs of students and advisors. Each undergraduate student at the University is provided information and assistance, which aids the individual student in making responsible academic and career decisions. Each advisor is provided the necessary tools to respond to student needs and the opportunity to be recognized and rewarded for exemplary advising. Virginia Tech, in support of this philosophy will provide student focused advising and assist students in developing skills that lead them to take active responsibility for the advising process.

Curriculum Development

When a new course is being created and put forth to the Registrar’s office for an official name/title/description in the course catalog, typically the instructor will initiate the approval process in his/her department through their appropriate channels first.

Once department channels have reviewed/approved the course, it then goes forward to the Committee of Academic Programs and Policies (CAPP).

After CAPP has approved the course, it then goes on to the Committee on Undergraduate Curricula (CUC) and then on to the Commission on Undergraduate Studies and Policies (CUSP) for undergraduate courses and Commission on Graduate Studies and Policies (CGSP) for graduate courses.

Please look at the appropriate instructions/forms/templates required for new courses or courses with >20% content change.

Special Studies classes

Special studies courses are designed when a new course is first being taught and the instructor is in the guinea pig stage with the course, trying to determine if the course generates enough interest to form into a permanent course, or when the instructor knows that the course will only be offered a very few number of times.

In the former situation a Special Studies class can only be offered as such for two years - at that point, it should have gone through governance and have been approved as a course with a number/title/description for course catalog.

Education Abroad

Teaching and studying in a different country has innumerable rewards for both students and instructors. The office of Academic Programs in CALS supports all faculty in education abroad experiences. If you are considering developing a study abroad course, OIRED has developed a very thorough webpage which includes a Faculty Resource Guide. Both the webpage and Guide outline all steps, recommended time lines, and other essential information you need to plan an education abroad course. Please visit the Faculty Resource Guilde website for planning your study abroad course.