Course Scheduling
The course scheduling process begins about nine months before the start of each semester when the primary course scheduler sends the area heads a first draft based on the courses taught in the previous year. The area head leads the creation of the schedule with his/her faculty. The primary course scheduler works with the area heads to check the resulting schedule for accuracy, teaching loads, and conflicts. All changes to the schedule should be completed during chair proof, about four months before the start of each semester.
Any last minute changes that need to be made after it is published on the registrar's website http://registrar.utexas.edu/schedules need to be approved by your area head and then routed to the course scheduler to process.
Course Flags
Course Flags are a university-wide initiative to improve the undergraduate experience. The instructor of each course is responsible for requesting any appropriate flag designation for his/her course from the School of Undergraduate Studies. Details and descriptions of the various flag designations can be found on their website: http://www.utexas.edu/ugs/ccc/flags
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Instructor-level flags must be renewed every three years through the same proposal system. Course-level flags are permanent.
Course Inventory
Adding new course numbers and certain changes to old course numbers (e.g. contact hours, prerequisites, and degree plan statements) can only be proposed once a year (in September), and will not go into effect until the next fall semester. All course inventory changes require area head approval. Contact the primary course scheduler for instructions and to initiate such changes.
Enrollment Minimums
The department follows the College of Fine Arts enrollment minimums and teaching load policies, which can be found online: http://www.utexas.edu/finearts/faculty/teaching-load-and-course-enrollment
Degree Programs
Changing a degree program or adding a new degree can only be done with the biennial publication of a new course catalog and requires approval of the University of Texas System. The department's internal process is managed by the curriculum committee and the chair in consultation with the College of Fine Arts Dean of Student Affairs. Within the department, any degree program updates would need to be vetted by the area faculty, the curriculum committee, and voted on by the full faculty. Subsequent steps are handled by College of Fine Arts Student Affairs.
Signature Courses
All undergraduate students are required to take two signature courses as part of their core curriculum at the University of Texas at Austin. These innovative freshmen courses are taught by senior faculty (tenure-track, tenured, or senior lecturer) and are meant to improve the freshman experience. Individual faculty are responsible for proposing their own signature courses through the School of Undergraduate Studies. For details and to propose a signature course, please visit http://www.utexas.edu/ugs/sig/propose
Signature course proposals are due at the beginning of October every year, and must be proposed one full year before they are offered. To offer a signature course a second (or third) time, you must resubmit it via the same system.
Summer Courses
Summer teaching opportunities are limited and have different enrollment requirements than the long semesters. At the end of the preceding fall semester, the faculty will be prompted to submit requests to teach a course during the summer, indicating the course title, description, and anticipated enrollment. Selection of summer courses is at the discretion of the chair.