WMU Essential Studies
Faculty and staff in class in the College of Fine Arts

Manage a WMU Essential Studies Course

Administrative information for chairs, deans, and directors of department or programs that manage WMU Essential Studies courses.

Course management responsibilities

Department chairs, deans and program directors play an important role in maintaining the quality and availability of WMU Essential Studies courses. Use the guidance below to manage course information and approvals, support faculty, oversee assessment and prepare for cyclic review.

  • Chairs must ensure that every WMU Essential Studies-designated course in their department remains accurately reflected in the WMU catalog, aligning with the WMU Essential Studies structure of Foundations, Exploration & Discovery, and Connections levels.
  • Any revisions to course descriptions, prerequisites, or credit structure must go through the official Curriculum approval process and follow University deadlines.
  • Chairs approve and route departmental proposals related to new, revised, or cyclical review WMU Essential Studies courses in Curriculum, ensuring that all required supporting documents are attached. The curriculum change process can be slow, so chairs are advised to contact the WMU Essential Studies director for guidance and planning to ensure that proposals are approved before deadlines.
  • Chairs must verify that submissions occur before the Oct. 31 deadline for WMU Essential Studies changes, as modifications only take effect in fall semesters.

  • Chairs ensure that each WMU Essential Studies course continues to meet the required student learning outcomes (SLOs) associated with its assigned level and category.
  • Chairs monitor that instructors use the correct required SLOs (e.g., WCL, ILL, DIL, PSL) and that syllabi accurately reflect these outcomes and their assessments.
  • Chairs monitor whether courses remain aligned with WMU Essential Studies philosophy, mission and outcomes, including diversity and inclusion and sustainability components where applicable.
  • Chairs ensure instructional integrity in WMU Essential Studies courses and intervene when course delivery drifts away from WMU Essential Studies standards.

  • Chairs ensure faculty complete and maintain WMU Essential Studies assessment plans using the official templates for each level/category.
  • This includes verifying that assignments map appropriately to WMU Essential Studies SLOs and align with WMU Essential Studies rubric requirements.
  • Chairs help ensure faculty submit rubric-based WMU Essential Studies assessment data in eLearning (D2L), following the University’s Essential Studies assessment process guidelines.
  • Chairs support instructors in using institutional tutorials and guides for entering assessment data.

  • Chairs direct faculty to the official WMU Essential Studies Faculty Resources, which include the Interactive Model, assessment instructions and best-practice guides.
  • Chairs ensure faculty understand expectations regarding outcomes, assessments and reporting requirements tied to the WMU Essential Studies program.
  • Chairs are responsible for scheduling WMU Essential Studies courses frequently enough to allow students to complete required WMU Essential Studies pathways, as WMU Essential Studies is part of the mandatory undergraduate curriculum.
  • Chairs assign qualified instructors and ensure continuity in assessment and learning outcomes across sections.
  • Chairs serve as a liaison between faculty and the WMU Essential Studies director or committees for questions about course alignment, assessment expectations or proposal procedures.

  • Chairs oversee departmental preparation for WMU Essential Studies cyclic reviews.
  • Chairs ensure syllabi, assessments and outcome documentation remain up to date and compliant for the review process.

FAQs

Have additional questions? Visit the Faculty Senate’s WMU Essential Studies FAQs for guidance on timelines, proposal forms, required materials, course changes and appeals.

Chairs are responsible for ensuring catalog entries remain accurate and aligned with the WMU Essential Studies model, which is outlined across WMU Essential Studies levels, categories, and required student learning outcomes.

Yes. All new, revised, or deleted courses must go through Curriculum; any changes intended to apply to WMU Essential Studies must meet the Oct. 31 deadline for inclusion in the next fall catalog. 

Yes—WMU Essential Studies courses must continue to meet category‑specific learning outcomes and follow guidelines listed in the WMU Essential Studies Handbook and Faculty Guide; failure to maintain alignment can surface during cyclic review. 

Chairs help ensure instructors use the correct required outcomes for each WMU Essential Studies level/category and that syllabi reflect them accurately. WMU Essential Studies SLOs and rubrics are formally defined in the program materials. 

Chairs often oversee compliance with the WMU Essential Studies assessment process, including making sure faculty follow the assessment plan templates and complete rubric reporting.

Yes—assessment plans must align with required outcomes for the WMU Essential Studies category; revisions require updated documentation following the WMU Essential Studies assessment guidelines. 

Chairs are responsible for ensuring WMU Essential Studies courses are scheduled regularly enough for students to meet graduation requirements. WMU Essential Studies is part of the required undergraduate curriculum, so consistent availability is expected. (Program structure and requirements emphasized in catalog.) The requirement is at least once a year.

Chairs often ask about training and are directed to the WMU Essential Studies faculty resources, which include assessment tutorials, interactive models, and outcome guides. 

Chairs must review and forward proposals for new, modified, or cyclic‑reviewed WMU Essential Studies courses; they also ensure that proposals include required WMU Essential Studies assessment plans and the correct learning outcomes. Curriculum instructions and deadlines govern this process. 

Required attachments include the WMU Essential Studies Assessment Plan, appropriate template sections for the level, and any revised syllabi that map SLOs to assessments. This process is detailed in the WMU Essential Studies Handbook.

Chairs need to confirm alignment with WMU Essential Studies category outcomes and deadlines before approving the Curriculum proposal. WMU Essential Studies additions may only take effect in fall and must meet the Oct. 31 deadline.

The WMU Essential Studies Handbook contains the cyclic review checklist and decision tree; chairs oversee faculty preparation of required documents and ensure course outcomes, syllabi, and assessments remain compliant.

Chairs typically work with faculty to revise syllabi, outcomes alignment, or assessment artifacts to maintain WMU Essential Studies placement, guided by the WMU Essential Studies committee and program materials. 

Department chairs frequently point faculty to the WMU Essential Studies Faculty Resources page and to the WMU Essential Studies Director's contact email for program‑specific questions.  

Chairs often recommend using the Interactive Model to explore levels, categories, and SLOs when evaluating curricular fit.