Common reasons UCORE proposals are returned for revision
Welcome to a much deserved winter break!
In Summer 2022, UCORE leadership conducted an inaugural analysis of its course review decisions dating back to Fall 2018. Leadership updated these data after the conclusion of the Fall 2022 semester. We are pleased to offer a brief synopsis here, and we hope that this information will help departments make informed decisions regarding proposal preparation and syllabus and assignment design.
From Fall 2018 to Fall 2022, the UCORE committee reviewed 142 course renewal requests and 64 new course requests for a total of 206 courses. Here is a breakdown by course designator.
| ARTS | BSCI | CAPS | COMM | DIVR | EQJS |
| 25 | 20 | 30 | 10 | 18 | 6 |
| HUM | PSCI | QUAN | ROOT | SSCI | WRTG |
| 43 | 18 | 9 | 2 | 20 | 5 |
Of those 206 courses…
- 52% were approved without changes
- 21% were approved with suggested changes
- 2% were denied their request
- 25% were returned for revision
Most of those returned for revision have since been approved or are pending a second review. The nature of the requested revisions spanned a range of reasons related to UCORE learning outcomes and assignment alignment with those outcomes. Here is a breakdown of the most common reasons* for requests for revisions…
- Information literacy: 38x
- Assignment scaffolding or alignment: 20x
- Program-UCORE goal alignment: 13x
- Quantitative reasoning**: 11x
- Critical thinking instruction: 5x
- Writing instruction: 2x
*Single courses may involve multiple requested revisions
**Quantitative reasoning only applicable to BSCI, PSCI, SSCI, and QUAN
UCORE leadership is happy to consult with units when preparing proposals to discuss any of the aforementioned reasons why courses might be returned for revision. Contact director Clif Stratton at clif.stratton@wsu.edu.