Academic Committee
The Academic Committee considers proposals for new and revised courses, programs, and academic policies in the Faculty of Science.
Contact person: josie.damico [at] mcgill.ca (Josie D'Amico) (Secretary)
Meeting Dates and Submission Deadlines
via Zoom - 3:00 p.m.
Meeting date | Submission Deadline |
---|---|
Tuesday, September 17, 2024 | Friday, September 6, 2024 |
Tuesday, October 22, 2024 | Friday, October 11, 2024 |
Tuesday, November 19, 2024 | Friday, November 8, 2024 |
Tuesday, January 21, 2025 | Friday, January 10, 2025 |
Tuesday, February 18, 2025 | Friday, February 7, 2025 |
Tuesday, March 18, 2025 | Friday, March 7, 2025 |
Tuesday, April 15, 2025 | Friday, April 4, 2025 |
Proposal forms should be submitted via e-mail to josie.damico [at] mcgill.ca (Josie D’Amico). Forms should be submitted seven working days prior to a meeting. This allows time for proposals to be given a preliminary review and potential problems resolved.
Membership
The Academic Committee of the Faculty of Science consists of a representative from each unit offering a B.Sc. degree, seven undergraduate students, one graduate student, and a library representative. The Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Science serves as Chair, and the Associate Dean (Academic) serves as Vice-Chair.
Chair: Vice-Dean David Stephens
Vice-Chair: Associate Dean (Academic) Axel Hundemer
Advisor; Science Office for Undergraduate Student Advising: Peter Barry
Members from Departments:
Anatomy & Cell Biology: Prof. Mikaela Stiver
Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences: Prof. Carolina Dufour
Biochemistry: Prof. Maxime Denis
Biology: Prof. Joseph Dent
Chemistry: Prof. Amy Szuchmacher Blum
Computer Science: Prof. Jin Guo
Earth & Planetary Sciences: Prof. Jeanne Paquette
Geography: Prof. Sarah Moser
Mathematics & Statistics: Prof. Djivede Armel Kelome
Bieler School of Environment: Ms. Kathy Roulet
Microbiology & Immunology: Prof. Greg Marczynski
Pharmacology: Prof. Barbara Hales (Fall Term)
Pharmacology: Prof. Bastien Castagner (Winter Term)
Physics: Prof. Daryl Haggard
Physiology: Prof. Ana Nijnik
Psychology: Jennifer Bartz
Schulich Library of Science & Engineering: Jennifer Zhao (Fall Term)
Schulich Library of Science & Engineering: Francesca Frati (Winter Term)
Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Science: Alice Cherestes
Undergraduate Students:
Yashar Aghazadeh Habashi (Interdepartmental Immunology)
Javena Shahi (Pharmacology)
Melina Chen (Biochemistry)
Ronit Mohapatra (Biochemistry)
Alexandre Morin (Neuroscience)
Neelab Wafasharefe (Software Engineering)
Dymetri Taylor (Psychology)
Graduate Students:
None
Meeting records
2023-2024
Tuesday, April 16, 2024
Minutes
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Minutes
Tuesday, February 20, 2024
Minutes
Tuesday, January 23, 2024
Minutes
Tuesday, November 21, 2023
Minutes
Tuesday, October 24, 2023
Minutes
Tuesday, September 19, 2023
Minutes
2022-2023
Tuesday, April 11, 2023
Minutes
Tuesday, March 7, 2023
Minutes
Tuesday, February 7, 2023
Minutes
Tuesday, Janurary 10, 2023
Minutes
Tuesday, November 22, 2022
Minutes
Tuesday, October 25, 2022
Minutes
Tuesday, September 20, 2022
Minutes
2021-2022
Friday, April 15, 2022
Minutes
Tuesday, March 15, 2022
Minutes
Tuesday, February 15, 2022
Minutes
Tuesday, January 11, 2022
Minutes
Tuesday, November 23, 2021 (2:30 p.m.)
Minutes
Tuesday, October 19, 2021
Minutes
Tuesday, September 21, 2021
Minutes
2020-2021
April 27, 2021
Minutes
March 23, 2021
Minutes
February 16, 2021
Minutes
January 19, 2021
Minutes
November 17, 2020 (2:30 p.m.)
Minutes
October 27, 2020
Minutes
September 29, 2020 Cancelled
2019-2020
April 28, 2020
Minutes
March 24, 2020 Cancelled
February 25, 2020
Minutes
January 21, 2020
Minutes
November 19, 2019
Minutes
October 29, 2019
Minutes
September 24, 2019
Minutes
2018-2019
April 23, 2019
Minutes
March 26, 2019
Minutes
February 26, 2019
Minutes
January 22, 2019
Minutes
November 20, 2018
Minutes
October 30, 2018
Minutes
September 25, 2018
Minutes
2017-2018
April 24, 2018
Minutes
March 27, 2018
Minutes
February 27, 2018
Minutes
January 23, 2018
Minutes
November 21, 2017
Minutes
October 31, 2017
Minutes
September 26, 2017
Minutes
2016-2017
April 25, 2017
Minutes
March 21, 2017
Minutes
February 21, 2017
Minutes
January 17, 2017 - Cancelled
December 12, 2016
Minutes
November 22, 2016
Minutes
October 25, 2016
Minutes
September 20, 2016 - Cancelled
2015-2016
April 26, 2016
Minutes
March 22, 2016
Minutes
February 23, 2016
Minutes
January 19, 2016
Minutes
November 24, 2015
Minutes
October 27, 2015
Minutes
September 22, 2015
Minutes
2014-2015
April 28, 2015
Minutes
February 24, 2015
Minutes
November 25, 2014
Minutes
October 28, 2014
Minutes
September 23, 2014
Minutes
2013-2014
April 29, 2014
Minutes
March 25, 2014
Minutes
February 25, 2014
Minutes
January 28, 2014
Minutes
November 26, 2013
Minutes
October 29, 2013
Minutes
September 24, 2013
Minutes
2012-2013
April 30, 2013
Minutes
March 26, 2013
Minutes
December 11, 2012
Minutes
November 20, 2012
Minutes
October 30, 2012
Minutes
September 25, 2012
Minutes
2011-2012
May 25, 2012 - There was an electronic AC meeting and the following items were approved:
- HGEN 396
- HGEN 400
May 8, 2012
Minutes
March 6, 2012
Minutes
February_7. 2012
Minutes
January 17, 2012
Minutes
December 13, 2011
Minutes
November 22, 2011
Minutes
September 27, 2011
Minutes
2010-2011
May 10, 2011- There was an electronic AC meeting and the following items were approved:
- MIMM 387
- PSYC 211
April 19, 2011- There was an electronic AC meeting and the following items were approved:
- Jt. Major in Atmospheric Science & Physics
- PHGY 499
- GEOG 423
- GEOG 514
March 15, 2011
Minutes
February 8, 2011
Minutes
January 18, 2011 - There was an electronic AC meeting and the following items were approved:
- PSYT 455
- COMP 46
- COMP 561
- COMP 554
2009-2010
May 4, 2010
Minutes
March 23, 2010
Minutes
January 26, 2010
Minutes
December 8, 2009
Minutes
November 17, 2009
Minutes
October 20, 2009
Minutes
September 29, 2009
Minutes
2008-2009
April 21, 2009
Minutes
March 24, 2009
Minutes
February 17, 2009
Minutes
January 27, 2009
Minutes
November 18, 2008
Minutes
October 28, 2008
Minutes
September 30, 2008
Minutes
2007-2008
April 22, 2008
Minutes
March 25, 2008
Minutes
February 19, 2008
Minutes
January 29, 2008
Minutes
December 11, 2007
Minutes
November 20, 2007
Minutes
October 16, 2007
Minutes
September 18, 2007
Minutes
2006-2007
April 24, 2007
Minutes
March 27, 2007
Minutes
February 27, 2007
Minutes
January 30, 2007
Minutes
December 12, 2006
Minutes
November 21, 2006
Minutes
October 17, 2006
Minutes
September 26, 2006
Minutes
2005-2006
May 9, 2006
Minutes
April 25, 2006
Minutes
February 28, 2006
Minutes
January 31, 2006
Minutes
December 13, 2005
Minutes
November 29, 2005
Minutes
November 1, 2005
Minutes
September 27, 2005
Minutes
2004-2005
April 19, 2005
Minutes
March 15, 2005
Minutes
January 18, 2005
Minutes
December 14, 2004
Minutes
November 23, 2004
Minutes
October 26, 2004
Minutes
September 28, 2004
Minutes
2003-2004
May 4, 2004
Minutes
March 16, 2004
Minutes
February 24, 2004
Minutes
January 20, 2004
Minutes
December 9, 2003
Minutes
November 18, 2003
Minutes
October 21, 2003
Minutes
September 23, 2003
Minutes
2002-2003
April 29, 2003
Minutes
March 18, 2003
Minutes
February 25, 2003
Minutes
January 24, 2003
Minutes
December 10, 2002
Minutes
November 19, 2002
Minutes
October 22, 2002
Minutes
September 24, 2002
Minutes
2001-2002
April 16, 2002
Minutes
February 26, 2002
Minutes
January 22, 2002
Minutes
December 11, 2001
Minutes
November 20, 2001
Minutes
October 23, 2001
Minutes
September 25, 2001
Minutes
2000-2001
May 1, 2001
Minutes
April 17, 2001
Minutes
March 20, 2001
Minutes
February 20, 2001
Minutes
January 16, 2001
Minutes
December 12, 2000
Minutes
November 21, 2000
Minutes
October 24, 2000
Minutes
September 26, 2000
Minutes
1999-2000
May 2, 2000
Minutes
April 18, 2000
Minutes
March 21, 2000
Minutes
February 22, 2000
Minutes
January 18, 2000
Minutes
December 14, 1999
Minutes
November 23, 1999
Minutes
October 19, 1999
Minutes
September 21, 1999
Minutes
1998-1999
May 4, 1999
Minutes
April 20, 1999
Minutes
March 23, 1999
Minutes
February 23, 1999
Minutes
January 19, 1999
Minutes
December 8, 1998
Minutes
November 17, 1998
Minutes
October 20, 1998
Minutes
September 23, 1998
Minutes
1997-1998
April 28, 1998
Minutes
March 24, 1998
Minutes
February 10, 1998
Minutes
January 20, 1998
Minutes
December 9, 1997
Minutes
November 18, 1997
Minutes
October 21, 1997
Minutes
September 23, 1997
Minutes
1996-1997
May 6, 1997
Minutes
April 29, 1997
Minutes
February 25, 1997
Minutes
January 21, 1997
Minutes
December 10, 1996
Minutes
November 19, 1996
Minutes
October 22, 1996
Minutes
September 17, 1996
Minutes
Overview
Summary of Approval Process
Proposal forms for new courses and programs and changes to existing courses and programs are filled out by units for submission to the Faculty of Science Academic Committee.
Approval Path:
Department >> Faculty of Science Academic Committee >> Faculty of Science Meeting >> SCTP >> APC >> Senate
How to modify courses and programs in the eCalendar
Departments fill out and submit course/program proposal/revision forms and submit them to the Academic Committee. After approval by the Academic Committee and by the Faculty of Science, the proposal/revision forms are considered by university committees. After approval by the relevant university committee (SCTP, APC or Senate, as appropriate), new and revised programs will be recorded in the e-Calendar by the Degree Evaluation Office, and new and revised courses by the Class Scheduling Office. During yearly preparation of the e-Calendar for publishing, departments have the opportunity to check their program entries via Webtop.
Departments are urged to begin the approval process early in the Spring (April) in order to ensure that courses and programs are approved in time for the following academic year's e-Calendar publication.
How to modify regulations in the eCalendar
- There are three types of regulations: University, Faculty and Departmental. Faculty of Science regulations (at the beginning of the Faculty's section of the Calendar) must be approved by the Academic Committee and then by the Faculty of Science.
- Departmental regulations (such as GPA and other requirements for admission to and maintenance of standing in departmental programs) must be approved by the individual department. These are normally modified in the Calendar during the Calendar preparation period (November to January).
Changes not requiring Submission to the Academic Committee
- Course term change — e-mail should be sent to the classschedule [at] mcgill.ca (Class Schedule Coordinator) informing her of the term change. Please note that any term changes that would affect many students or many programs should be carefully considered, and where appropriate affected units should be consulted.
- GPA cut-off for acceptance into departmental programs and for maintaining standing in departmental programs — e-mail should be sent to kristina.kotoulas [at] mcgill.ca (Kristina Kotoulas) (Degree Evaluation Officer) to inform her. GPA requirements must be listed in the Calendar
Approval by Memo
In certain cases a memo can be used for course/program changes, e.g., where a simple change affects a number of different programs, or where many similar changes are being submitted simultaneously, such as multiple course retirements. Check with the Faculty office to verify if a memo is appropriate.
See example Approval by Memo Example [.pdf].
Course-Specific Information
Course Outlines/ Example Grading Rubrics
Course outlines are required when submitting either proposals for new courses or major revisions to existing courses to the Academic Committee. Course outlines should include a breakdown of marks for the course, and a reading list.Courses in Science normally require at least one midterm exam as well as a final exam, and often assignments are required. A small percentage of the final grade may come from class participation (5%). If participation (which may include attendance) is to exceed 5%, instructors must include a clear rubric in the course outline.
Please find below several example rubrics for different types of assignments:
Journal | Leading Workshops | Participation | Participation 2 | Presentation | Presentation 2 | Research Proposal | Written Abstract
How to decide whether course proposals/revisions require program revision forms
Course Retirements Program Revision Forms ARE Required
- when a course to be retired appears in the list of required Courses.
- when a course to be retired appears in a list of Complementary Courses where the choice is only two courses and similar situations where the removal of the course(s) eliminates any choice.
Course Retirements Program Revisions Forms are NOT Required
- when a course to be retired appears in a list of Complementary Courses or Elective Courses and the number of credits to be chosen is not affected.
- when a course to be retired appears as an alternative Required Course and the number of credits to be chosen is not affected.
Course Credit Weight Changes Program Revision Forms ARE Required
- when a course whose credit weight is to be changed appears in a list of Required Courses.
- when a course whose credit weight is to be changed appears in a list of Complementary or Elective Courses where the number of credits to be chosen is affected.
- when credit weights of research, project or thesis courses listed in an honours or graduate program is changed.
Course Credit Weight Changes Program Revisions Forms are NOT Required
- when a course whose credit weight is to be changed is listed in a group of Complementary or Elective Courses and the number of credits to be chosen in the program is not affected.
Course Number Changes Program Revision Forms ARE Required
- when a 600-level course is renumbered to a 700-level course or renumbered to an undergraduate level course.
- when a 700-level course is renumbered to a 600-level course or below.
- when a 500-level or other undergraduate-level course is renumbered to a 600 or 700-level course.
Coures Number Changes Program Revision Forms are NOT Required
- when a 200-, 300-, 400-, or 500-level course is renumbered at the undergraduate level.
- when a 600or 700-level course is renumbered at the 600or 700-level.
- when a subject code changes, but the number remains the same.
Thesis, Project, Special Activity Courses Program Revision Forms ARE Required
- Changes to thesis (Honours, Master's), project, or special activity courses (that are listed in a graduate program) require a program revision form.
How to obtain and fill out forms for new (proposed) and revised courses
The forms for new and revised courses are available online via Minerva.
To obtain and complete these forms:
- Log in to Minerva
- On the “Main Menu,” academic staff should choose the “Faculty Menu” while administrative staff should choose the “Student Records Administration Menu”
- Choose “Catalog and Schedule Menu”
- Choose “Course Proposal/Revision”
- Choose either “New Course” or “Course Revision”
- Fill out the required fields
Note: for New Courses, the forms must be filled out from scratch whereas for Revised Courses, the Course Revision Forms already have the current data entered on the left. New data is to be entered on the right and will show in red)
- If not ready to submit, save the data you've entered by choosing “validate” and then “save”
- Please be sure to indicate departmental approval for each course
How to edit previously saved online forms for new and revised courses
- Log in to Minerva
- On the “Main Menu,” academic staff should choose the “Faculty Menu” while administrative staff should choose the “Student Records Administration Menu”
- Choose “Catalog and Schedule Menu”
- Choose “Course Proposal/Revision”
- Choose "Search"
- When the "Course Search" menu opens, you may search by: course number, proposal reference number (PRN), department, etc.
- When the desired proposal is located, choose the "Edit" button to the right of the proposal and then edit the appropriate fields
- If not ready to submit, save the data you've entered by choosing “validate” and then “save”
- Consultation reports and other files (for example, a course outline) may be attached to the form in a variety of formats (i.e. Word, Text, PDF, etc.)
How to submit, and how to approve and submit to the next level
To submit a form:
- First, save it by choosing "validate" then choose "Submit."
- If the form is successfully saved, choose "Send Email to next Approver" and, in the "to" field, enter the e-mail address of the person to whom you are submitting the form (most often Josie D'Amico at josie.damico [at] mcgill.ca). In the "Body," a generic e-mail with the appropriate PRN and version will be automatically created - this text does not need to be amended.
To approve and submit a form:
- First, search for the form (for instructions, see "How to edit previously saved online forms for new and revised courses").
- When the desired proposal is located, choose the "Approve/Reject" button to the right of the proposal
- On the "Course Approval" page, under "New Status", select the appropriate status for the proposal and fill in the "Meeting Date" at which this proposal was approved. Please be sure that the date of departmental approval is properly indicated.
- Choose "Submit"
- If the form is successfully submitted, choose "Send Email to next Approver" and, in the "to" field, enter the e-mail address of the person to whom you are submitting the form (most often Josie D'Amico at josie.damico [at] mcgill.ca). In the "Body," a generic e-mail with the appropriate PRN and version will be automatically created - this text does not need to be amended.
Guidelines on Course Levels
- The Faculty of Science has devised Guidelines on Course Levels to be used for determining course levels.
Choosing Course Numbers when Creating New Courses
- Numbers for new courses must not have been used in the last five years. To verify whether a course number has been used in the last five years, units should check on Banner for information effective September 2002 and onward.
Login to Banner by entering USERNAME, your personal password, and under 'DATABASE' enter Banner:
- Go to SCACRSE
- Enter the subject code
- Go to the Course field, and click on down arrow
- In the Existing Courses box, expand the box and scroll down to see your unit’s course numbers, to see the start and end dates of courses
For years prior to September 2002, contact the Faculty office, as this information is on the cumulative course table.
Double-Prefix Courses
Double-prefix courses are courses given by two units. The two courses are identical, and the course number, title, description, credit weight, etc., must be the same. However, there are two subject codes, e.g., ANAT 205/EPSC 205, Astrobiology. In the example given, Anatomy & Cell Biology students would take ANAT 205, and Earth & Planetary Sciences students would take EPSC 205. See also Restrictions, below.
How to retire courses
- To retire only one course, submit a course revision form.
- To retire a number of courses, list the courses in the Retirement Master Excel file with the following column headings:
Faculty code, subject code, course number, course title, unit code, name of unit, credit weight, effective term of retirement (year/month), status (inactive or active). Group the Excel entries according to the reason for retirement.
See example/template Retirement Template [.xls].
Forms Explained…
Course Titles
- There are two fields for course titles in course proposal and revision forms. Course Title on Transcript: This will be the course title that will appear on the student's transcript (max 30 character), including abbreviations, punctuation and spaces. Any abbreviated words will be written in full in the Calendar title and on the web course catalog (see next item).
- Course Title to Appear in the Calendar: Optional, maximum 59 characters. This can only be an expansion of word (s) abbreviated in the Course Title on Transcript field (this allows for abbreviated words to be spelt in full). Words may not be added/deleted from the 30 character title.
Example:
Exptl. Methods in Org. Chem.
Experimental Methods in Organic Chemistry
Rationale
The reason or explanation for new course or program proposals or for revisions to courses or programs. The rationale is not an expansion of the course description. Explain why the new course/new program/revision is required and how it relates to the overall offerings of your unit.
Course Descriptions
Descriptions should reflect course content only: teaching and grading methods, restrictions, etc. are maintained elsewhere. Descriptions should give a brief, concise, and clear idea of the course content and must be limited to 50 words. Avoid using “A study of the relationships…..” or “An in depth analysis of…” instead use “The relationships….” or “An analysis of….”.
Administering Faculty for Courses and Programs
For undergraduate Science programs, the administering faculty is Science. For 100 to 500-level courses, the administering faculty is Science.
The Faculty of Science also administers programs and 100 to 500-level courses offered by the Departments of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Biochemistry, Microbiology & Immunology, Physiology and of Pharmacology. Thus, for these courses and programs, the administering faculty is Science and the offering faculty is Medicine.
The Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies Office (GPSO) is the administering unit for 600 and 700-level courses, and for graduate programs.
Permission of Instructor: Requirement for Background but NOT Specific Prerequisites
"Permission of Instructor" may be used in the prerequisite field on course proposal/revision forms, either with or without listing specific prerequisite courses. If no specific courses are listed, it is useful for advising purposes to give some indication of the background required, e.g., "Six credits of calculus courses and permission of instructor."
Restrictions
Restrictions are designed to prevent students from taking for credit two or more courses that overlap substantially in content. Restrictions are always in place for Double-Prefix Courses. Another common use is in the case of a course renumbering. Also, many statistics courses have mutual restrictions applied. The standard format for a restriction is "Not open to students who have taken or are taking WXYZ 123."
Required Fees
For new courses, if additional course charges must be paid by students, the proposal should be submitted to the Fee Policy Committee as soon as possible. For example, field courses may require additional charges.
Required Teaching, Physical or Financial Resources
For new courses or new programs requiring teaching, physical or financial resources not currently available in the unit(s) involved, the proposal must be submitted to the Dean of your faculty before submission to the Academic Committee. When submitting such a proposal to the Academic Committee, confirmation of funding must be attached.
Consultation Reports
Consultation reports should be obtained, and included with submissions to the Academic Committee. Among other situations, consultation reports should be obtained when a proposed course could overlap with an existing course anywhere in the university; when a change to a course would have an effect on another unit's program; when students for a proposed course could potentially come from other units; and when one unit lists another unit's course as a prerequisite.
Program-Specific Information
How to obtain and fill out forms for new and revised programs
The forms for the new and revised programs are electronic (Word and editable PDF format) and can be obtained from the Web at the Guidelines page. Guidelines for filling out the forms are available at the same link.
Normally, the forms should be filled out completely, including the side-by-side comparison of programs in the program revision form. The current program information must be copied directly from the eCalendar, not from any other source. For Program Revision Forms, if you are adding new courses, these should be underlined in the proposed lists of courses. If you are deleting courses, these should be in strikethrough text in the list of current courses. Finally, please note that under item 6.0 - "Revised Program Description" - the CURRENT Program Description should be included as well as the proposed program description.
After unit approval, both electronic and hard copies of these forms should be submitted via e-mail to ac.science [at] mcgill.ca though they may also be sent to josie.damico [at] mcgill.ca (Josie D’Amico).
Hidden Prerequisites in Programs
To avoid upper level students being previously unaware of prerequisites for Required Courses, programs should not have 'hidden' prerequisites. Prerequisites for upper level Required Courses should be listed in the program description.Additionally, if students are required to choose among a very limited number of Complementary Courses, prerequisites for these courses should be indicated as part of the program. Where prerequisites are given by other units, these units should be consulted as appropriate.
How to retire programs
To retire a program, submit a program revision form and include a rationale as well as the effective date of retirement (e.g. Fall 2012).
BSc and BA&Sc Interdisciplinary Programs
This document provides a snap shot and some insight into the B.Sc. and B.A. & Sc. interdisciplinary programs.
Below please find a full listing of interdisciplinary programs both within the B.A.&Sc. and the BSc.
BA&Sc PROGRAMS |
---|
BSc PROGRAMS |
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Guidelines for Ad Hoc Programs
Ad hoc programs are initiated by the student, and are usually joint programs. Normally, the student discusses the proposal with advisors in the two departments involved, and once approved by the departments, an advisor is assigned from each department. Next, the student submits the proposal to the Director of Advising Services, nicole.allard [at] mcgill.ca (Nicole Allard). Ad hoc programs must then be approved by the Academic Committee and by the Faculty of Science.
The following are guidelines for ad hoc programs:
- Students should propose ad hoc programs near the beginning of their undergraduate degree.
- The Director of Advising Services will check to see if an existing program could accommodate the student, and if so, will propose that the student follow the existing program.
- The number of credits for a joint honours program should not exceed 81, and for a majors program should not exceed 75 (with the aim of 72).
Credits in Ph.D. Proposals
Ph.D. programs have "0" credit value. This "0" value should be indicated on the proposal/revision program form for Ph.D. programs. If courses have "0" credit weight, this should be indicated as well, rather than leaving a field blank.