Multiple departments on the campus of Waynesburg University are currently going through the lengthy process of changing or updating curricula.

Such changes can be small or large in scale; however, plenty of work goes into ensuring the changes are appropriate for the university while also benefitting students.

“It may be a single course or it may be the entire curriculum they’re looking at,” said Assistant Provost Marie Leichliter-Krause. “It goes through multiple desks… we’re looking at a whole lot of different pieces so that we can give feedback to the department.”

The paperwork documenting the changes that departments would like to make goes through the registrar’s office, the provost’s office and is seen by many other faculty members to make sure the proposed changes make sense while also checking how it would affect students at the university as a whole.

Once approved the proposed changes go to the Curriculum Committee, made up of representatives from all departments at the university. Their job is to evaluate the changes from all avenues.

“That way they have time to really review every piece of the proposal and look and share perspectives from across campus,” said Leichliter-Krause. “Once that piece is complete and it passes that stage, it goes before the full faculty. Typically, at the point, it’s been vetted enough that it then passes.”

For changes to be made, such proposed changes must pass with a majority vote by both the Curriculum Committee and by the faculty.

However, these guidelines are for changes being made to existing programs.

When departments propose new programs that Waynesburg University does not yet have or offer, there are a few additional steps that need to be taken.

“That process is a little bit different; when adepartment is proposing an entirely new program, there’s an additional step before the proposal goes to the committee,” said Provost Dana Baer. “We do a feasibility study, a cost-benefit analysis. We’re looking at the market, whether there’s a market for that particular career. So, on the way out, is there a job market for that. Also, we’re looking at the front end. Are perspective students interested in that?”

Additionally, it is also important for the university to examine if it currently has the resources to handle the proposed new program, and what additional resources would be needed, if it were added, to make it useful for students.

Such additions can include implements or materials, lab time or even new faculty.

One department expected to make big changes at Waynesburg University is the athletic training program.

The university currently offers a bachelor’s degree in athletic training, however as a profession, such a degree has been elevated to require a master’s degree.

“Here on campus, we’ve decided to go ahead and do that transition,” said Joseph Shaffer, athletic training program director. “We actually are starting our first cohort of graduate athletic training courses this summer. That’s a professional standard that is being met.”

As with all programs, changes that are made are expected to help students. Both the provost and assistant provost stated changes are never made with the intentions of keeping students on campus longer than necessary.

For example, with the changes being made to the athletic training program, students already enrolled in the university while the proposed changes are made will still receive a degree and are not expected to have problems after graduation.

“Students that are enrolled in the program already will continue to go through their progression,” said Shaffer. “This will not hinder their ability to find job placement once they graduate.”