Guide to New Course Proposals

Who Are the Students? Start by clearly identifying the course’s target audience.

• Expected enrollment: Consult with the division chair and SVD-CP and review enrollment data by program from similar courses to understand School and student needs.
• Program alignment: Which program(s) will this course serve? (MBA, EMBA, MS, PhD)
• Backgrounds: Consider students’ varied academic and professional experiences.
• Student needs: What career and personal development needs will this course address?

What Will Students Achieve? Define clear, measurable learning outcomes that answer the following questions.

• What specific skills or knowledge will students gain?
• How does this course advance their career readiness or academic development?
• What unique value does this course provide for their personal and professional growth?

Curriculum Integration: Map where this course fits within the CBS ecosystem.

• Prerequisites: List foundational courses that students must complete first.
• Unique value: What gap does this course fill that existing offerings don't address?
• Related courses: Review the catalog to identify specialized electives and consult with instructors to determine how this course complements others.
• Foundations: Describe how this course builds on core courses or foundational electives.
• Pathway consideration: If this course might fit into a curriculum pathway, notify the division chair or CIC representative early.

Assessment: How will instructors effectively and fairly measure student learning and foster accountability?

• Multiple touchpoints: Use multiple methods (project, exams, participation) and checkpoints to evaluate progress.
• Balanced approach: Use a combination of team and individual deliverables to enable collaboration and individuality.
• Clear expectations: Provide clear instructions and rubrics for all deliverables.
• Team project guidelines: Clearly define expectations and include evaluations of individuals’ contributions.
• Distributed grading: Avoid excess concentration of grading weight in one (or a few) deliverable(s).
• Participation guidelines: Assign no more than 30% weight on class participation.
• Participation rubric: Create a clear rubric for scoring attendance, poll responses, and other contributions.
• Exam procedures: If using final exams, review exam administration procedures.
• Academic integrity: For remote quizzes/exams, require Proctorio use to promote integrity. Consult the Proctorio faculty guide and Canvas module.

Teaching Strategy: How will instructors’ teaching strategies ensure student engagement and learning?

• Pre-work assignments: Enhance class preparation and maximize in-person learning.
• Multimedia content: Develop brief (2-5 minute) videos to introduce or reinforce key concepts.
• Discussion culture: Foster meaningful dialogue both in and outside the classroom.
• Active learning elements: Replace passive lectures with hands-on activities, simulations, project work, and student presentations that require students to apply concepts and engage directly with the material.
• Strategic participation: Use cold/warm calling thoughtfully to maintain engagement and accountability.
• Technology integration: Identify opportunities to meaningfully incorporate technology and AI into activities and assignments.
• Guest Speakers: Strategically recruit industry experts, designing interactive activities that leverage their unique experiences and insights.

Staffing Strategy: What is the plan for ensuring that qualified instructors will be available?

• Instructor qualifications: Describe instructors’ academic and practical expertise and its relevance.
• Long-term sustainability: If this course might be on a curriculum pathway, devise a plan to staff it every year.
• Co-teaching arrangements: If this course will be co-taught, explain how each instructor adds value. Co-teaching between full-time faculty and adjunct instructors requires approval from both Senior Vice Deans (Curriculum and Programs; and Faculty Affairs).

Course Structure: How will the structure of the course support its learning goals?

• Duration: Determine whether the course should be 6 or 12 weeks (1.5 or 3 credits).
• Session format: Set session length to be 90 minutes (biweekly) or 3 hours (weekly), considering engagement.
• Office hours: List the timing and format of weekly office hours.

Policy Compliance: How will course policies support learning goals?

• Institutional standards: Align with School policies and norms on grading, attendance, device usage, AI, etc.
• Student policies: Clarify grading curve, attendance, class recording, and AI policies.
• Exam standards: Final exams must be during the official exam period, and exam format can be either in person or remote with Proctorio.
• Classroom culture: Foster the CBS core culture of being present, prepared, participating without distractions.
• Course-specific policies: Determine appropriate course policies and practices.
• First-day attendance: Require attendance on the first day if it is essential for enrollment.

Syllabus: How will the syllabus set expectations to ensure students understand all requirements?

• Use the CBS syllabus template. See also the University’s instructions for how to structure a syllabus.
• State coursework expected.
  • Explain the amount and timing of the workload.
  • Provide assignment descriptions, deadlines, and submission procedures.
• State course policies.
  • Cover attendance, device usage, AI usage.
  • Include any special policies, such as travel.
• Provide session information.
  • Include a course outline with topic coverage and reading by session.
  • Clarify the timing of each session, noting any non-standard sessions.

Development Process: Which stakeholders can inform course development?

• Division leadership: Consult with division chair and Dean’s Office (SVD-CP).
• Faculty colleagues: Consult with instructors of related core and elective courses.
• Teaching experts: Consult with Samberg Institute for Teaching Excellence on course design and teaching methods.
• Early feedback: Gather input from each stakeholder before proposal submission.

Submission Process: How should the proposal be submitted?

• Faculty and division review: Submit the syllabus to the division chair for initial review.
• School review: The division submits the approved syllabus to the SVD-CP and CIC.
• Final decision: Expect a decision approximately 3 weeks after divisional submission.
• Approximate deadlines by term in which the course will launch:
  • Spring course: Submit by August.
  • Summer course: Submit by December.
  • Fall course: Submit by March.