Core Curriculum Oversight Committee

The Core Curriculum Oversight Committee (CCOC) oversees the core curriculum's implementation, interpreting it and making changes when necessary. It holds the authority to approve, deny or revoke designations for courses proposed by divisions as part of the core curriculum. The committee can appoint subcommittees for specific course categories and seek advice from faculty and students. Oversight committee decisions are subject to approval and can be appealed to the Office for Academic Affairs and the president.

Core Curriculum Oversight Committee

For four decades, the CCOC has overseen the maintenance of the university’s general education curriculum. Comprised of faculty from every undergraduate degree-granting college, the CCOC approves designations for courses submitted by divisions to be a part of the Built by Bama Core Curriculum. In conjunction with the Associate Provosts for General Education, the CCOC updates the core to comply with Alabama and SACSCOC requirements.

The CCOC is divided into five subcommittees. Each faculty-led subcommittee plays a crucial role in the course approval process: reviewing submitted course materials, providing recommendations for core designations to the Associate Provost for General Education and working with programs and departments to bring core courses into compliance with state and SACSCOC regulations. The goal of the subcommittees is to make the Built by Bama Core Curriculum flexible, responsive to faculty and student needs and able to meet regulatory obligations.

The CCOC is divided into the following subcommittees:

  • Mathematical and Natural Sciences
  • Humanities, Foreign Language, Fine Arts, and Literature
  • Social & Behavioral Sciences and History
  • Advanced Writing
  • US and Global Citizenship

The General Education Pathways subcommittee also caucuses with the CCOC to ensure the proper functioning of the Built by Bama Core Pathways.

  • The CCOC consists of the following voting members:
    • At least twenty and no more than thirty faculty members. The faculty members will be chosen by OAA after consultation with the Academic Affairs Committee of the Faculty Senate. For the sake of continuity, the faculty members appointed by the Office for Academic Affairs will serve three-year terms scheduled so that the terms of one-third of this group would end each year. CCOC members may be reappointed to consecutive terms. The faculty members must be selected so that each college conferring undergraduate degrees plus the Honors College is represented by at least one voting member.
    • One representative of the Faculty Senate appointed by that body, plus a number of students equal to the number of CCOC subcommittees, to be appointed by the Student Government Association Academic Affairs Committee.
    • The Associate Provost(s) of General Education or a designee from the Office of Academic Affairs and a representative of the University Registrar shall serve as non-voting members.

The CCOC will have two co-chairs who will serve three-year terms, which will be staggered.  The co-chairs will be elected by the CCOC.  The co-chairs must have served on CCOC for at least one year prior to being elected co-chair. If a co-chair’s term exceeds the length of their current appointment to the CCOC, they would agree to serve one additional term as a CCOC member.

Submission of core designation proposals by departments or divisions: 

Courses being submitted for a new core designation will be proposed through the course submission process determined by the CCOC in conjunction with the University Registrar and OAA.  All course proposals will require approval by the division chair/head and by the division’s dean or designate.  Course proposals seeking a core designation will be routed by the Registrar to the CCOC for review.  All core course proposals must include a syllabus that complies with the UA Syllabus Policy and responds to any specific requirements of the core designation templates.  During submission of the core designation proposal, additional discursive comments of how the course meets the requirements of the designation will be requested in the course proposal.  If the course is cross-listed by two or more departments or divisions then the proposal must be approved by the chair/head of each department or division offering the course.  If the course is cross-listed across more than one college then the course must be additionally approved by the dean (or designate) of each college or division. In each case, the proposal must affirm that if multiple sections of a course are taught, each instructor and all sections will abide by the core eligibility requirements as outlined in the course approval templates.  

To be considered for implementation in the catalog for the following academic year, core course proposals must be submitted by the first Monday of November.

REPORTING CHANNEL: Associate Provost of General Education

Member
Kevin Shaughnessy, Co-ChairA&SProfessor, Dept of Chemistry & Biochemistry2026
Amy Pardo, Co-ChairA&SInstructor, English2027
Jan JonesBusinessInstructor, Management2025
Jim GleasonA&SProfessor, Math2027
Cori CraneA&SAssociate Professor of German, German Language Program Dir., Modern Language & Classics2027
Nick DavisA&SAssistant Professor, Political Science2027
Becky TottenA&SAssociate Professor, Geological Sciences2026
Patrick KungEngineeringAssociate Professor, Assoc. Dept. Head for Undergraduate Programs, Electrical & Computer Engineering2027
Nathan ChilcuttBusinessSenior Instructor, Operations Management2027
Diana GomezBusinessSenior Instructor, International Business2027
Steven YatesC&ISAssociate Dean, Undergraduate Studies2026
Cory CallahanEducationAssociate Professor, Department of Curriculum & Instruction2025
Oleg SinelnikovEducationProfessor, Kinesiology2027
Alex HainenEngineeringAssociate Professor, Dir. Center for Transportation Operations, Planning, & Safety Civil, Construction & Environmental Engineering2026
Sundar KrishnanEngineeringProfessor, Mechanical Engineering2024
Weihua SuEngineeringAssociate Professor, Departmental Undergraduate Program Director, Aerospace & Engineering Mechanics2025
Morgan MilsteadHESInstructor, Human Nutrition & Hospitality Management2027
Cassander SmithHonorsAssociate Dean, Academic Affairs2025
Emy DeckerLibrariesAssociate Dean, Professor2025
Staci SimmonsNursingClinical Assistant Professor2025
Sherron WilkesSocial WorkClinical Assistant Professor, BSW Program Director2027
Margaret PeacockA&SAssistant Professor, History2027
John BurgessA&SAssistant Professor, School of Library & Information Sciences2027
Lizzie ElderHESAssociate Professor & Athletic Training Program Director and Chair of UGC Curriculum Committee2027
Amy TraylorSocial WorkAssociate Professor, Washington D.C. Practicum Director2027
Marissa GraysonA&SAssistant Professor, Director of Public Policy Studies, Political Science2027
Annaliese BollandC&ISAssistant Professor, Communication and Information Research Institute, Faculty Senate Representative2027
Ex Officio Members
Chris ColemanInterim Director, OIE
Mary Ellen HannaAssociate University Registrar, OUR
Amanda IngramExecutive Director Online & Continuing Education, OTIDE
Katie Lupica-EwsukAssociate University Registrar, OUR
Chapman GreerAssociate Provost for General Education, OAA
Erik PetersonAssociate Provost for General Education, OAA