Automatic Designations
Courses with the following prefixes will automatically count for College Core Requirements as indicated.
Disciplines
| Acronym | College Core Discipline |
| BS | Belief Systems |
| BSCP | Behavioral, Social, or Cultural Perspectives |
| HP | Historical Perspectives |
| LVPA | Literary, Visual and Performing Arts |
| NS | Natural Sciences |
| QR | Quantitative Reasoning |
- AAH (Art and Art History)—LVPA
- ANT (Anthropology)—BSCP
- BIO (Biology)—NS
- CHE (Chemistry)—NS
- CMP (Comparative Literature)—LVPA
- CSC (Computer Science) —QR
- ECO (Economics)—BSCP
- HIS (History)—HP
- LIT (Literature)—LVPA
- MAT (Mathematics)—QR
- PHL (Philosophy)—BS
- PHY (Physics)—NS
- POL (Political Science)—BSCP
- PSY (Psychology)—BSCP
- REL (Religion)—BS
- SCI (Interdisciplinary Science)—NS
- SOC (Sociology)—BSCP
- VPA (Visual and Performing Arts)—LVPA
Social Justice
- AAS (African American Studies) – Race & Ethnicity
- INB (International Business) – Global Perspectives
- INT (International Studies) – Global Perspectives
- WGS (Women’s and Gender Studies) – Gender & Sexuality
Approval Process
Overview
The College Core Council serves as the curriculum committee for College Core designations and IDS courses.
Approved Courses
Courses can be submitted for approval of College Core designations once they have been approved as courses through the Course Approval Process, either immediately after approval or at some point in the future. Guidelines on submission for approval for College Core designations are provided below under “Submissions.”
Special Topics Courses
Special topics courses are new courses developed and offered by faculty members that will subsequently go through the curricular approval process, or courses that are highly specialized and may be taught for a limited time. Faculty can seek provisional approval for College Core designations for these courses by contacting Christopher “Kit” Murphy (murphych@tcnj.edu), Associate Provost. Special topics courses can receive provisional College Core designations for the first three times they are taught, thereafter they will need to be submitted as permanent courses to school curriculum committees and thereafter submitted to the College Core Council for approval of the College Core designations.
Writing-Intensive Courses
Guidance on creating writing-intensive courses can be found on the Writing Program website.
Submissions
Submissions must be made through Google Forms. Each form is self-contained, in that it contains all of the instructions on how to apply, as well as helpful hints on how to make the case for designations and examples of well-crafted rationales.
During the academic year, questions about the submission process should be directed to the current Chair of the College Core Council; during the summer, questions should be directed to Kit Murphy, Associate Provost at murphych@tcnj.edu.
Proposals for College Core Designations
Complete the College Core Designation Approval Application. To access the information in the form before completing it, please review the pdf copy of the form.
Proposals for the Writing-Intensive Designation
Complete the College Core Writing-Intensive Approval Application. To access the information in the form before completing it, please review the pdf copy of the form.
Timeline
Proposals for College Core designation(s) should be submitted six months before the registration period of the semester in which the course will be first taught with the new designation (if approved). For example, faculty seeking a College Core designation for a course to be offered in Spring 2025 should submit a proposal no later than the beginning of March 2024. Doing so will allow faculty ample time to revise and resubmit a proposal, if necessary, will enable Records & Registration to enter new College Core designations into PAWS prior to student registration, and will ensure that students and their advisors have sufficient time to plan appropriate course schedules.
The College Core Council strives to review proposals as soon as possible after their submission, but the time until review will depend on the number of other proposals submitted and other tasks and charges in front of the Council. The Chair of the College Core Council will notify faculty of the decision(s) regarding College Core Course Designation Proposals typically within a week of proposal review.
Decisions
College Core Course Designation Proposals will be evaluated by the College Core Council and, if necessary, by any relevant consultants approved by the Faculty Senate. Faculty members who submit a Course Designation Proposal while serving on the College Core Council must recuse themselves from all discussion of their course.
College Core Council decisions will be based on the extent to which, as evidenced in the course syllabus and Rationale, specific course materials (readings, assignments) indicated on the course syllabus support the College Core outcomes for the requested designation(s); assignments relevant to the College Core outcomes for the requested designation contribute substantially to the final course grade; the requested College Core designation(s) represent(s) a substantial focus in the course, as indicated by the proportion of the course schedule, content, and/or readings that target College Core outcomes.
The College Core Council, in conjunction with any consultants approved by the Faculty Senate, reviews and decides whether a College Core Course Designation Proposal is to be:
Approved The faculty member, department chair, Records & Registration, and the Associate Provost for Curriculum and College Core are notified by the Chair of the College Core Council that the College Core Course Designation Proposal has been approved. Records & Registration will record the approved College Core Course Designation(s) in PAWS, and the Associate Provost will add the course to the Table of Approved College Core Courses on the College Core website.
Approved, with Minor Revisions The faculty member and department chair are notified by the Chair of the College Core Council that the College Core Course Designation Proposal has been provisionally approved, pending minor revisions. In accordance with TCNJ’s Course Approval Policy, College Core Course Designation Proposals that are approved pending minor revisions will be given written feedback specifically identifying the minor revision that must be made. Faculty must complete these revisions and resubmit their proposal to the Chair of College Core Council no later than December 15th (for Fall submissions) or May 15th (for Spring submissions). The College Core Council, in conjunction with any consultants approved by the Faculty Senate for the current academic year, will review the revised proposal to ensure that the suggested minor revisions have been completed.
Revise & Resubmit The faculty member and department chair are notified by the Chair of the College Core Council that the College Core Course Designation Proposal must be revised and resubmitted. In accordance with TCNJ’s Course Approval Policy, College Core Course Designation Proposals that receive a “revise & resubmit” decision will be given “written feedback specifically identifying deficiencies” that must be revised and/or remedied prior to resubmission. This feedback will be indicated on the College Core Designation Evaluation Form. Proposals receiving a “revise & resubmit” decision should be resubmitted in accordance with the submission deadlines indicated under “Timeline.”
Declined The faculty member and department chair are notified by the Chair of the College Core Council that the Council has declined the College Core Course Designation Proposal. In accordance with TCNJ’s Course Approval Policy, College Core Course Designation Proposals that are declined will be given “written feedback specifically identifying deficiencies.” The faculty member and dept. chair may appeal the decision of the College Core Council.
College Core Course Designation Proposals that have been declined by the College Core Council may be appealed; a Proposal that has received a “revise & resubmit” decision may not be appealed unless and until it is declined. If the College Core Council determines that the College Core Course Designation Proposal remains insufficient after it has been revised and resubmitted, the Proposal must be declined.
Appeals
Faculty may appeal College Core Course Designation Proposals that have been declined by the College Core Council by notifying the Chair of the College Core Council and the Associate Provost of Curriculum and College Core, in writing, of their intention to appeal no later than two weeks after receiving the decision of the College Core Council.
Appeals of College Core Course Designation Proposals that have been declined by the College Core Council will occur no later than March 15th (for proposals declined the previous fall) or November 15th (for proposals declined the previous spring).
Review of appeals will be conducted by the members of the College Core Council and any relevant expert consultants who have been appointed by the Faculty Senate to serve in this capacity for the academic year.
Faculty who appeal a Course Designation Proposal that has been declined must address the written feedback on the Evaluation Form. They may submit additional materials and/or request the opportunity to appear in person before the College Core Council and any relevant expert consultants who have been appointed by the Faculty Senate to serve in this capacity for the academic year in order to provide additional amplification and explanation regarding the Rationale, course syllabus, and/or assignments.