Programs and Committee Projects

Committees with faculty representatives carefully scrutinize existing programs or recommend new ones to ensure that TCU continues to be a premier institution of higher education now and for the future.

 

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE FUNDS 

Academic Excellence Funds augment TCU’s support for research and teaching. Unique to each college and school, the funds support faculty, staff and students to advance their research, professional development and educational requirements to further their careers and education. Contact your Dean’s Office for more information about your college’s or school’s specific funds and guidelines.

 

ADVISING

Stellic academic advising software platform with predictive analysis provides faculty and professional advisors with a cohesive means to deliver student support.

 

CLASS SIZE POLICY WORKGROUP

A Class Size Policy workgroup was formed in the summer 2023 in response to the Trustees’ request to evaluate small undergraduate classes in relation to fiscal sustainability. The goal is to clean up inefficiencies and misclassifications while maintaining important classes.

 

COURSE APPROVAL PROCESS UPDATED

A new process for reviewing and approving proposed new courses, both undergraduate and graduate, was implemented in 2024 to clearly define the process for University Council, Undergraduate Council and Graduate Council, and provide a checklist to guide their review at each step. Beginning 2025, all new courses must be reviewed by the new process prior to scheduling for the next semester.

 

CREDIT HOUR RESIDENCY IMPLEMENTATION COMMIITTEE

In the fall of 2024, the University Council approved a recommendation to lower TCU’s credit hour residency requirements for upper-division course requirements in residence from 42 to 36 credit hours, and residency requirements from 58 to 45 credit hours. The Credit Hour Residency Implementation Committee consists of representatives from each college/school to implement the change while ensuring TCU’s adherence to curricular, accreditation and licensure requirements for all academic programs in each college/school.

 

EQUITABLE STUDENT SUCCESS

The Associate Provost for Undergraduate Affairs formed and is leading an Equitable Student Success advisory board to design and develop processes to enhance equitable student success.

 

FACULTY EQUITABLE WORK EXPECTATIONS

To ensure that TCU has and is implementing a clear Faculty Equitable Work Expectations and policies for SACSCOC reaffirmation, all TCU Deans, led by Associate Provost of Faculty Affairs Francyne Huckaby, partnered in 2021 to develop university-level, adaptable work expectations to be used as a guideline for colleges and schools to assess equitable faculty work.

 

PROMOTION & TENURE POLICY UPDATED

The Promotion and Tenure Policies Review Committee, appointed by Faculty Senate and the Provost, was formed in the Spring of 2021 with a charge to “review the process and timeline for promotion and tenure and the faculty appeal process, and then make recommendations for improving the efficacy and clarity of these processes.” The committee was composed of academic affairs level leadership (Vice Provost and Associate Provost), college-level leadership (4 academic deans), faculty representatives from each college (mixture of tenure-track, professional practice, and instructor), staff representatives (2 staff members), and the TCU General Counsel. In Fall 2023, the committee submitted recommendations to the Provost for a new Promotion, Tenure and Emeritus Policy. The recommendations were reviewed by various university committees, deans, chairs, faculty senate and the entire faculty before being approved by the President’s Cabinet in Spring 2024.

 

SYLLABUS TEMPLATE

In Spring 2023, the Streamlining the Syllabus Template Committee of faculty members and student representatives streamlined the TCU syllabus template by putting common information online with links from the syllabus, which greatly shortened the syllabus. Work continued on simplifying and codifying information for a required TCU syllabus template to be used across the university beginning in spring 2025. The new template includes learning outcomes, QEP outcomes (where appropriate), academic honesty and more, to keep TCU in line with SACSCOC requirements. A syllabus checklist and workshops help faculty easily adopt the new template. Click here to access the syllabus template, checklist and support services.

 

STUDENT PROGRESSION AD HOC COMMITTEE

The Student Progression Ad Hoc Committee identifies possibilities for facilitating the academic progression of all students, particularly transfer students, by considering and making proposals that would remove barriers, thereby better advancing students’ academic progression to degree completion at TCU. The ad hoc committee is chaired by the vice provost for student success and includes the dean of admission, dean of graduate studies, core director, two college deans, faculty senate chair and three additional senate representatives chosen by the senate chair.

 

UNSATISFACTORY GRADE REPORTING

Per the Faculty Handbook, Unsatisfactory grades, or U grades, are submitted by professors mid-semester. As of Fall 2024, approximately 70 percent of faculty submit U grade reports. Early intervention ensures that  students are aware that they are not doing satisfactorily in a course and gives the Student Success team the remainder of the semester to work with the student to address concerns and deficits and access academic support services to make improvements before final grades are calculated. Faculty participation is key to these students’ success.