The importance of the system-wide discipline committees has increased with the attention on establishing a consistent, common course numbering process throughout NSHE. All disciplines need to review the offerings in their domain to determine common versus unique courses and make the appropriate changes to ensure that students are able to readily transfer from one institution to another. While this is not a change in the charges made to discipline committees, the resolution passed by the Board of Regents regarding common course numbering has made achieving common course numbering a top priority.

The discipline committee is central to making important decisions about courses. In fact, only in situations where the discipline committee cannot reach a consensus will other bodies enter into the decision-making process. The Common Course Numbering Committee met with representatives from all institutions and developed the following points to clarify the role of the discipline committees and their relationship to the Common Course Numbering Committee (CCNC).

1. Discipline committees are the primary source for decisions about which courses are common and which are unique. Other committees will step into this discussion only when the discipline committees are not able or willing to solve problems with courses in a timely and appropriate manner.

2. Each discipline committee may have at least one representative from each NSHE teaching institution. It is important that each institution select a representative who is able to represent the institution and develop agreements with other institutions that the institution is willing to respect and support. Discipline committee representatives will serve a minimum of two-years.

3. The Board of Regents requires that the common course numbering process be fully implemented within the 2000-2001 academic year. This necessitates that discipline committees need to act in a timely manner. Discipline committees should start to meet as soon as all members have been appointed. The meetings may be in person, over interactive video, via e-mail, or via mail.

4. The chancellor’s office should provide a list of discipline committee members. As soon as possible, this list will be published on the NSHE’s web site so that it is available at all institutions. Those interested in understanding the status of common course numbering for each discipline will be encouraged to contact the members of the discipline committee.

5. The CCNC will assign a member of the CCNC to each discipline committee to be the liaison. The liaison’s role is to facilitate consensus agreements within discipline committees and to provide aid in helping the committees complete the task of implementing agreed upon changes. The liaison is an ex-officio member of the discipline committee.

6. The representative from the same institution as the liaison will serve as the chair for the discipline committee, unless the discipline committee arrives at a different decision about who will chair the discipline committee. The chair of the discipline committee is responsible for producing all required reports for the discipline committee.

7. The discipline committee must review each course taught within the discipline’s area, and decide if the course is common or unique. The Common Course Numbering Guidelines shall be used to direct this process.

8. The procedure for arriving at decisions within each discipline committee shall be a consensus of the committee.

9. Institution representatives who are unable to attend a discipline committee meeting should contact the liaison to provide input regarding the institution’s views on common course numbering, including recommendations regarding designation of specific courses as common or unique.

10. Discipline committees must generate a complete report (which may be set of minutes for meetings) and submit this document to all members of the committee, the liaison and/or Chancellor’s Office within two weeks of the date of meeting for face-to-face meetings or within 30 days of electronic meetings. The minutes or report must include agreements and how agreements were achieved. The committee, with the help of the liaison, must also make changes in course titles, names, and designators on the appropriate spreadsheets provided by the Chancellor’s Office. Discipline committees make request a 30-day extension for the completion of the report by identifying the specific course or courses under review.

11. The process for discipline committee review allows a 30-day period from the date of the completion of the report to allow for review by member institutions.

12. The liaison will submit a report on the discipline committee’s progress and possible problems to the Common Course Numbering Committee within 45 days of the completion of the discipline committee’s meeting.

13. Discipline committees need to consider the transfer status of courses for core curricula.