Academic Catalog

Purpose and Definitions for Co-Convening

Co-Convening refers to convening graduate and undergraduate courses on the same topic together, in the same room, at the same time (e.g., Agricultural Political Economy course is listed as both AGR 4xx and AGR 5xx).

Co-convening of courses allows for beneficial interaction between undergraduate and graduate students. Co-convened courses strengthen the undergraduate experience (“raise the level of the class”) with interaction and discourse among graduate students and strengthen the graduate experience by offering graduate students leadership opportunities and mentoring roles over undergraduate projects and presentations.

Two processes are represented: One-Time Co-Convening of Courses and Permanent Co-Convening of Courses.

One-Time Co-Convening of Courses

Submission Process

Faculty members complete the following and forward it via email to their Department Chair/Director and Associate Dean.

• Syllabus for the Undergraduate/400-level Course
• Differentiated Syllabus for the Graduate/500-level Course that includes:
  • The following statement is present in both syllabi:
    • “If a student takes a co-convened course at the 400-level, the student may not retake the same course at the 500-level (and vice versa).”
  • Different expectations when assessing levels of work
  • Different required projects
  • Expanded reading at the graduate level
  • Graduate students take on a leadership or mentoring role at some point during the semester, whether they lead group discussions or become a leader of a group project.
• Written explanation of the differences between the graduate-level and undergraduate-level courses.
• Written justification for the one-time co-convening.

Process for Review/Approval and Implementation

Associate Deans are responsible for completing the following evaluation of the one-time co-convened course proposals they receive:

• Ensure the courses are 400- and 500-level for the co-convene.
  • (ABOR policy 2-226: “Courses numbered 600 through 699 are graduate courses which are not open to undergraduate students.”
  • (ABOR policy 2-226: “Courses numbered from 300 through 399 are advanced/intermediate-level courses and are not available for graduate credit.”
  • ABOR does not allow for exceptions to either of these policies.
• Ensure two syllabi clearly differentiate between expectations for the 400- and 500-level courses. Differences require overall higher standards for the graduate students as follows (refer to the Co-Convened Course Standards approved by the University Graduate Committee (2014)):
  • The following statement is present in both syllabi:
    • “If a student takes a co-convened course at the 400-level, the student may not retake the same course at the 500-level (and vice versa).”
  • Different expectations when assessing levels of work,
  • Different required projects,
  • Expanded reading at the graduate level, and
  • Graduate students take on a leadership or mentoring role at some point during the semester, whether they lead group discussions or become a leader of a group project.
• If approved, the Associate Dean notifies:
  • Faculty submitter and Department Chair/Director
  • Assistant Director of Curriculum, Assessment, and General Studies to build the course
• The Office of Curriculum, Assessment, and General Studies will:
  • Build the course (Curriculum Catalog Manager)
  • Notify Registrar.ScheduleOfClasses@nau.edu of update to course and ability to schedule course

Permanent Co-Convening of Courses

Process for Review/Approval and Implementation

• Faculty will complete New Course and/or Course Change materials with their Curriculum Process Associate (CPA).

• Refer to the Co-Convened Best Practices and Examples approved by the University Graduate Committee (2014) and complete the following differentiated Syllabi for submission with the course materials.

  • Syllabus for the Undergraduate/400-level Course
  • Differentiated Syllabus for the Graduate/500-level Course that includes:
    • The following statement is present in both syllabi:
      • “If a student takes a co-convened course at the 400-level, the student may not retake the same course at the 500-level (and vice versa).”
    • Different expectations when assessing levels of work
    • Different required projects
    • Expanded reading at the graduate level
    • Graduate students take on a leadership or mentoring role at some point during the semester, whether they lead group discussions or become a leader of a group project.
• Obtain approvals from the Chair/Director for the Curriculum Proposal Process.
• Submit all materials for review and approval through the Curriculum Proposal Process.