School of Veterinary Medicine Policy 10.56: Curriculum Committee

GOVERNING TTU OP: Not applicable.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM) policy document is to define the role and membership of the SVM Curriculum Committee.

DATE OF POLICY: 14AUG2024

REVIEW: This SVM Policy shall be reviewed in the summer of even numbered years by the SVM Curriculum Committee. Revisions will be forwarded to the Dean’s Executive Leadership Council for review and disposition.

POLICY/PROCEDURE

BACKGROUND: The curriculum shall be solely designed to help the SVM achieve its purpose of serving rural and regional communities. Within this purpose, the design and delivery of curricular content is the purview of the SVM faculty while being managed centrally based on the mission and resources of the school. Curricular oversight and revision is provided through the Curriculum Committee. The Curriculum Committee membership is comprised of TTU SVM faculty, students, and clinical partners. The Curriculum Committee will make recommendations for action to the Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs who will then consult with the Executive Leadership Council to implement recommendations pending available resources and the mission of the SVM.

ROLES OF THE COMMITTEE: The roles of the TTU SVM Curriculum Committee are to:

1. Consider all matters pertaining to the establishment, review, and refinement of the DVM curriculum;
2. Facilitate and enhance vertical and horizontal integration of the curriculum;
3. Approve new syllabi and syllabi that have substantive (e.g., >10%) cumulative change in content, major changes in assessment, or other significant course changes;
4. Develop academic policies for delivery of the DVM program;
5. Review end-of-semester course outcomes and provide feedback to course coordinators, and conduct, where needed, course reviews based on course outcomes;
6. Provide end-of-semester teaching evaluation reports, course evaluation reports, and course review reports to the Data Synthesis and Analysis Committee, and other reports as needed for outcomes assessment;
7. Review, at least annually, reports from the Data Synthesis and Analysis Committee;
8. Initiate a comprehensive curricular review every seven years as required by the Standards of Accreditation; and
9. A standing subcommittee will established to review Library and Information Services. This subcommittee will be chaired by the SVM Librarian.

ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE: The Committee will perform its work relative to the Core Values of the School, and the objectives of the TTU SVM to:

• Graduate practice-ready, competent, and confident veterinarians who will serve rural and regional communities across Texas;
• Provide access to affordable, high-quality veterinary medical education for Texans;
• Develop a research-intensive School that enhances and complements the strengths of TTU and the TTUHSC and addresses the needs for research and expertise in veterinary medicine, food- and fiber-animal production, and the health sciences;
• Provide opportunities for graduate education and research, and advanced clinical training in internships and residencies;
• Support sustainability of livestock industries as they feed growing state, national, and global populations; and
• To improve human, animal, and ecosystem health by integrating innovative One Health activities into our education, scholarship, and service activities.

REPORTING: The Curriculum Committee reports to the Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs. Recommendations from the Curriculum Committee will be reviewed by the Dean’s Executive Leadership Council.

COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP AND MEETINGS: This committee will be made up of 15 members (12 of whom are voting members), representing faculty and student(s), and community members. Each Committee member, except for student members, will be appointed by the Dean or the Associate Dean for Faculty:

• 4 faculty members representing foundational disciplines;
• 4 faculty members representing on- and off-campus clinical instruction;
• 1 non-TTU veterinarian;
• SVM Librarian;
• 2 DVM students (proposed by the SVM chapter of the Student American Veterinary Medical Association).
• Instructional Technologist – ex officio (non-voting);
• Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs – ex officio (non-voting);
• Faculty member with expertise in curricular design and/or assessment – ex officio (nonvoting); and
• Outcomes Assessment Supervisor – ex officio (non-voting).

LEADERSHIP AND TERM LENGTHS: Term lengths will be three years. Members can be renominated upon completion of their terms. Student representatives will be selected each year. The Committee Chair, elected by the committee, will serve a one year appointment which may be renewed by the Committee. The chair shall coordinate with the Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs to develop the meeting agenda. The Committee Chair will record attendance.

QUORUM:

A quorum, which will consist of a simple majority of the voting membership (12 voting members, 7 for majority) of the Committee, will be required for all meetings in which issues are to be brought to a vote. The Committee Chair will record attendance which will be reported to the Associate Dean for Faculty. Committee members may be removed by the Associate Dean for Faculty for repeated absenteeism. The Chair votes in cases of a tie. Minutes may be generated using an approved AI software application, or manually by a noncommittee staff member.

MEETING FREQUENCY AND AGENDA:

The Curriculum Committee will meet at a minimum of twice per long semester or more frequently as need arises, and the agenda will be shared among Committee members at least one week prior to the scheduled meetings. If voting members agree, electronic voting may occur in the absence of an in-person meeting.