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

Manage a WES Course

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

WMU Essential Studies
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo MI 49008-4411 USA
(269) 387-4174

Tasks

Maintain Accurate Catalog Listings for All WES Courses 

  • Chairs must ensure that every WES‑designated course in their department remains accurately reflected in the WMU catalog, aligning with the WES 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. 

Oversee WES Course Proposals, Revisions, and Routing in Curriculum

  • Chairs approve and route departmental proposals related to new, revised, or cyclical review WES courses in Curriculum, ensuring that all required supporting documents are attached. 
  • They must verify that submissions occur before the Oct. 31 deadline for WES changes, as WES modifications only take effect in fall semesters. 

Ensure Proper Alignment with WES Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) 

  • Chairs ensure that each WES course continues to meet the required student learning outcomes associated with its assigned level and category. 
  • They monitor that instructors use the correct required SLOs (e.g., WCL, ILL, DIL, PSL) and that syllabi accurately reflect these outcomes and their assessments. 

Oversee Completion and Maintenance of WES Assessment Plans 

  • Chairs ensure faculty complete and maintain WES Assessment Plans using the official templates for each level/category.
  • This includes verifying that assignments map appropriately to WES SLOs and align with WES rubric requirements. 

Monitor WES Assessment Reporting in eLearning (D2L) 

  • Chairs help ensure faculty submit rubric‑based WES assessment data in D2L, following the university’s Essential Studies assessment process guidelines. 
  • They support instructors in using institutional tutorials and guides for entering assessment data. 

Support Faculty Teaching WES Courses 

  • Chairs direct faculty to the official WES Faculty Resources, which include the Interactive Model, assessment instructions, and best‑practice guides. 
  • They ensure faculty understand expectations regarding outcomes, assessments, and reporting requirements tied to the WES program. 

Ensure Adequate Scheduling and Staffing of WES Courses 

  • Chairs are responsible for scheduling WES courses frequently enough to allow students to complete required WES pathways, as WES is part of the mandatory undergraduate curriculum. 
  • They assign qualified instructors and ensure continuity in assessment and learning outcomes across sections. 

Manage WES Course Cyclic Review Requirements 

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

Serve as the Compliance and Quality Assurance Lead 

  • Chairs monitor whether courses remain aligned with WES philosophy, mission, and outcomes—including diversity & inclusion and sustainability components where applicable. 
  • They ensure instructional integrity in WES courses and intervene when course delivery drifts away from WES standards. 

Communicate With WES Governance and Support Structures 

  • Chairs serve as a liaison between faculty and the WES Director or committees for questions about course alignment, assessment expectations, or proposal procedures. 

FAQs

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

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

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

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

Chairs often oversee compliance with the WES 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 WES category; revisions require updated documentation following the WES assessment guidelines. 

Chairs are responsible for ensuring WES courses are scheduled regularly enough for students to meet graduation requirements. WES is part of the required undergraduate curriculum, so consistent availability is expected. (Program structure and requirements emphasized in catalog.)

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

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

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

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

The WES 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 WES placement, guided by the WES committee and program materials. 

Department chairs frequently point faculty to the WES Faculty Resources page and to the WES 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.