Course Cap Procedure

Purpose

To establish and manage all course caps to aid in meeting various student and stakeholder needs. Those needs include, but are not limited to: student learning, accreditation expectations, safety, clinical sites and Minnesota State system guidelines and collective bargaining agreements. All courses are required to have a course cap per the guidelines in the College’s Course Cap Policy.

Definitions

Academic Affairs and Standards Council (AASC)

Faculty have fundamental and unique responsibility in matters affecting the academic well-being of the state colleges. The parties agree that faculty hold the critical role in academic decision-making at the colleges. In order to ensure such role, the parties agree to establish an Academic Affairs and Standards Council (“AASC”) to which management and faculty will bring all proposals regarding academic affairs and standards.

Collective Bargaining Unit Agreement (CBU)

The master agreement between the Minnesota State Board of Trustees and the Minnesota State College Faculty. This may be referred to as the MSCF Agreement. 

Shared Governance Council (SGC)

The Shared Governance Council is established per the CBU to make recommendations to the College on the personnel, student affairs, facilities, fiscal matters and general matters.

Course Cap

The maximum class size for all instruction at the College. Course caps are consistent across delivery modes. 

Course Cap Master List

The official list of established course caps.

Curriculum Design and Management System (CDM) 

The College’s online curriculum approval system and repository of curriculum.

Procedure

All courses must have a course cap established. 

For new courses and courses undergoing revisions:

1. Faculty will consult with colleagues and their dean to propose a course cap and will enter that information into the Curriculum Design and Management (CDM) system.
2. The dean will recommend a course cap decision to the faculty member and the provost/vice president of academic affairs in the CDM system.
3. A report will be generated from the CDM system and will be sent to the assistant to the provost/vice president of academic affairs and the executive assistant to the president after each AASC meeting to be placed on the subsequent SGC agenda.
4. The provost/vice president of academic affairs will communicate the final course cap decision after SGC approval to the assistant to the provost/vice president of academic affairs, the dean, faculty member, college registrar and curriculum technician.
5. The assistant to the provost/vice president of academic affairs will update the course cap master list and repost it in the academic section of the employee portal.

 For existing courses not in a revision process through AASC:

1. Faculty may propose changes to a course cap to their dean.
2. The dean will recommend a course cap decision to the faculty member and the provost/vice president of academic affairs.
3. The provost/vice president of academic affairs will place the proposed course cap change on the subsequent SGC agenda. The provost/vice president of academic affairs will communicate the course cap decision to the assistant to the provost/vice president of academic affairs, dean, faculty member, college registrar and curriculum technician.
4. The assistant to the provost/vice president of academic affairs will update the course cap master list in the employee portal.

Responsibility

Provost/Vice President of  Academic Affairs

Responsible for  maintaining a comprehensive and current master list of course caps within the employee portal.

Faculty

Course caps for new courses or courses undergoing revisions:

• Responsible for consulting with colleagues and their dean prior to entering a course cap into CDM.

Course caps for existing courses not in revision status:

• Responsible for consulting with colleagues and their dean prior to the dean making a course cap change  

Academic Deans

Responsible for communicating with faculty, the provost/vice president of academic affairs, adhering to course cap guidelines outlined in this policy, and collaborating and considering collegewide implications for course caps.

Other Supporting References

Master Agreement between Minnesota State Board of Trustees and Minnesota State College Faculty (MSCF)

Related Policies and Procedures

Minnesota State Community and Technical College Course Cap Policy