Driven by student success, the University of Missouri–St. Louis is engaging in a Curriculum Alignment Process as part of an initiative to establish streamlined degree pathways. The process seeks to:
Charged with leading the Curriculum Alignment Process (CAP), Keeta Holmes and her team work closely with faculty, department chairs and deans to align our curriculum with the needs of students while establishing a clear path to graduation. the team assists departments by providing a framework and resources for each phase of the project, particularly in the areas of program outcomes, curriculum mapping, and assessment of student learning. They further assist departments by providing guidance on best practices for successful pathways to degree completion and by assisting departments when setting priorities.
While academic departments regularly review their specific curriculum, this effort allows the university to look globally at a student’s education path from start to finish and challenges faculty to reflect critically on how to streamline course offerings to provide a clear path to graduation without excess costs for students.
In CAP, each department considers the courses students need to meet their program outcomes and trims what does not contribute to that end. While some departments may not have to cut a single course or section, other departments find they have several that do not effectively contribute to their defined outcomes.
The Curriculum Alignment Process is a concurrent step that supports the university’s strategic planning efforts, specifically the Compact for Excellence in Student Success, as well as the university’s academic program prioritization, five-year fiscal plan and HLC Accreditation efforts. As part of CAP, academic departments review and revise program outcomes with help and resources provided by Holmes and her team. CAP liaisons in each academic unit work with faculty colleagues to develop a streamlined curriculum, sustainable 2-year schedule, and academic map for each major, minor and certificate program that aligns with the revised outcomes. CAP liaisons, department chairs, and college administrators collaborate with Holmes and her team on institutional strategies to refresh and revitalize our degree programs. We also build materials to share with students the exciting opportunities that our UMSL degree programs provide.
As with any proposed curriculum changes, the Curriculum & Instruction (C&I) committee of each college, as well as the Faculty Senate, approve any changes to degree programs. Each department submits all changes to their designated programs to the committee for review, approvals and subsequent updates to the UMSL Bulletin.
1) Review and update outcomes for all degree programs
2) Differentiate between BA and BS degrees
3) Differentiate between major, minor and certificate programs
Following the UMSL Degree Program Assessment Handbook to
More information will be available on this website as the process continues.
Keeta M. Holmes
holmeskm@umsl.edu
Assistant Vice Provost for Academic Innovation
Director, Center for Teaching and Learning
Office: 517 Lucas Hall
Phone: (314) 516-7134
Jennifer McKanry
mckanryj@umsl.edu
Assistant Director, Center for Teaching and Learning
Phone: (314) 516-4513
Office: 515 Lucas Hall
