University Curriculum

Various curricular concerns of the College of Arts and Sciences, and therefore of the College's Academic Council, extend beyond the College and its supervision.

• The Office of the Provost, Division of Academic Affairs, posts links relating to curriculum development: in particular,
  • the Operational Subcommittee, represents all operational areas within Academic Affairs responsible for implementing proposals after review and approval: it reviews proposals after approval at the level of their originating School, particularly for concerns of policy alignment and viability, with an eye to operational issues that may arise as a result of the proposal;
  • the Board of Undergraduate Studies is designed to bring together in a single forum the undergraduate Schools of Loyola University Chicago (the College of Arts & Sciences, the Quinlan School of Business, the School of Communication, the School of Education, the School of Environmental Sustainability, the School of Health Sciences and Public Health, the Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing, the School of Social Work, the School of Continuing and Professional Studies, and Arrupe College) together with other academic and student development units, for the purpose of coordinating, reviewing, and making recommendations about matters affecting the quality of undergraduate education at Loyola University Chicago;
  • the Graduate Studies Coordinating Board is established as an oversight board for the purpose of coordinating, reviewing, and providing recommendations about graduate studies and program issues across the Schools that provide graduate education at Loyola University Chicago;
  • the page Curriculum Development links to resources including the Chart of Academic Approvals and Principles Governing Criteria for Review;
  • the Guidelines for New Program Development outline steps to propose new academic programs;
  • the Program Incubator supports development of mission-consistent graduate and professional programs, or redesign of existing ones, in ways that have strong potential for high enrollments;
  • summary lists of new academic programs created in the different Schools in different academic years are indexed here;
  • the University's Program Review Processes, inspired by the Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm, are intended to foster a coordinated, holistic approach to assessment, reflection, and continuous improvement of academic programs.
• The University Core Curriculum plays a central educational role in every Loyola student's undergraduate experience and is a critical component of the transformative education characteristic of Ignatian (Jesuit) pedagogy. The current Core was launched in Fall 2012. Individual courses approved for inclusion in the University Core are overseen by their home academic units in their Schools on an ongoing basis, but any substantive modifications must be approved also by the University Core Committee.
• The Engaged Learning Requirement was instituted in Fall 2012 as part of the University Core Curriculum. Courses in five categories of engaged learning (Academic Internships, Fieldwork, Public Performance, Service-Learning, and Undergraduate Research) may be approved on a permanent or a semester-specific basis to satisfy the Engaged Learing Requirement, by application to the Engaged Learning Subcommittee of the Board of Undergraduate Studies.
• The Interdisciplinary Honors Program selectively admits academically high-achieving students who demonstrate maturity, responsibility, and leadership. Honors Program students pursue majors and minors in their undergraduate Schools, but also complete a sequence of courses specially designed for the Interdisciplinary Honors Program and overseen by it. All Honors courses satisfy University Core requirements.
• Undergraduate Writing Requirements include the College Writing Seminar that is required in the University Core Curriculum, plus additional Writing-Intensive courses as mandated by the School of the student's primary registration: the College of Arts and Sciences requires its undergraduate students to complete successfully two writing-intensive courses in addition to the College Writing Seminar. The College Writing Seminar and writing-intensive courses generally are overseen by the Writing Program administered by the Department of English. The Writing Center offers support for writing across the curriculum and other academic projects.
• University Policy announcements - see too the Academic Affairs Policy page:
  • Loyola University Chicago's culture of academic integrity and excellence requires that students shall not use any form of AI-assisted technology in connection with course work, except as explicitly authorized to do so by their instructors in specific connection with the assigned work of that particular class. (See further University Standards & Regulations for all undergraduate students and programs and College of Arts & Sciences policy and procedures. Many College departments and interdisciplinary programs also post Academic Integrity statements detailing particular concerns of their fields.)
  • Midterm Grades should be submitted in LOCUS for all students in all undergraduate classes every Fall and Spring term, no later than the deadlines published in the Academic Calendar (deadlines for special terms within the Fall and Spring semesters are published on the Midterm Grades page); faculty also are encouraged to submit Midterm Grades in the Summer terms.
  • As a Jesuit, Catholic university, Loyola University Chicago is committed to respecting the observance of major religious holidays by the members of its community. The Office of Campus Ministry annually publishes lists of major religious observances.
  • The Course Syllabus Policy outlines minimum required information for all courses taught at Loyola University Chicago. All faculty teaching graduate or undergraduate courses are expected to upload to the centralized repository Simple Syllabus the final, official copy of their syllabus for each course taught, in every term within an academic year.