Teaching and Academic Programs

Charge

The Committee on Teaching and Academic Programs is responsible for advising the provost on multi-school curricula and on undergraduate curricular issues and policies arising from recommendations from the Undergraduate Studies Committee (UGSC); on unit requirements, residency requirements, and broad-based policies and issues related to the academic appeals process under the purview of the Committee on Academic Policies and Procedures (CAPP); on student conduct matters under the purview of the Office of Student Affairs; on policies and programs related to the Center for Excellence in Teaching (CET), including the improvement of faculty teaching or training for classroom technology; on setting priorities and launching initiatives in support of interdisciplinary teaching; and on policies and initiatives recommended by the Graduation and Retention Committee (GRC). The committee also advises the provost on strategic issues that fall under the purview of the Coupling Implementation Committee, the University Writing Committee, the Provost’s Oversight Committee on Athletic Academic Affairs (OCAAA) and the Undergraduate Admission and Financial Aid Committee (UAFAC).

Meetings: Contact committee chair for the date/locations of the committee meetings.

Specific Charge for 2019-2020 Academic Year

Committee on Teaching and Academic Programs will examine and making recommendations concerning;

  1. whether USC should have any type of universal attendance policy or whether attendance policies should be left  to the discretion of individual units or faculty;
  2. how we can improve USC’s excused-absence policies, possibly differentiating between what kind of documentation students should use to justify short-term absences versus longer term absences; 
  3. how we can improve USC’s accommodation policies, including whether all faculty and departments should be required to allow make-up exams when students have a medical justification; and 
  4. how to better communicate these policies to all faculty and students.

Chair

Laura Ferguson (Co-Chair) – laurafer@usc.edu

Jeffrey Chisum (Co-Chair) – chisum@email.usc.edu

Committee members

Ex Officio Members

  • Ginger Clark (Associate Vice Provost for Academic and Faculty Affairs; Director CET), ginger.clark@usc.edu, Rossier School of Education
  • Andrea Hodge (Vice Provost, Undergraduate Programs), ahodge@usc.edu, Viterbi School
  • Sally Pratt (Vice Provost, Graduate Programs), pratt@usc.edu, Dornsife College
  • Christine Street (Assoc Vice Provost for Student Affairs),  streetc@usc.edu, Student Affairs
  • Sarah Van-Orman (Assoc Vice Provost for Student Affairs; Chief Health Officer, Engemann), svanorma@usc.edu, Keck School ­

Reports