Undergraduate Studies Council

Role statement

The Undergraduate Studies Council (USC) reviews, develops, and recommends policy regarding undergraduate education, except for the WMU Essential Studies curriculum at Western Michigan University. Policy recommendations shall include, but are not limited to, the establishment of new departmental programs, new interdisciplinary undergraduate programs, apparent duplication between existing programs, needs for additional or specialized instruction, and assurance of learning procedures for new and existing undergraduate programs. USC shall, at its discretion of as charged by the Faculty Senate Executive Board, consider any issues it believes directly affects the undergraduate curricula and programs of the University.

Council standing committees

1. Transfer of Credit Committee—reviews transfer policies and procedures.
2. Service Learning Course Approval Committee—reviews proposed service learning course syllabi to ensure courses meet service learning criteria.

Faculty members of USC committees are nominated by deans, directors or chairs and elected by the council to serve three-year terms.

Charges 2025-26

In addition to its specific responsibilities listed in the Undergraduate Studies Council’s role statement and the work of its standing committees including but not limited to the Intellectual Skills Program Advisory Committee, the Transfer of Credit Committee, and the Service-Learning Course Approval Committee, the Faculty Senate Executive Board charges the USC to consider, as a committee of the whole or through the appropriate committee or task force, the following:

1. Review, act, and vote on each undergraduate curriculum proposal that comes before the USC within 30 days and submit decisions to the WMU electronic curriculum system as well as include decisions in the council minutes.
2. Coordinate with the Service-Learning Course Approval Committee, and the Transfer of Credit Committee including providing a USC liaison to each, recruitment of membership, providing changes, monitoring accomplishments, and ensuring a year-end report is submitted on time.
3. Create an Ad Hoc Committee charged with updating WMU's definitions of experiential learning and experience driven learning if necessary. The committee should include a representative from the provost’s office knowledgeable about the expectations of the Higher Learning Commission. The Ad Hoc Committee should also make recommendations regarding whether, and how to, assess both experiential learning and experience driven learning. Conclude the initiative by producing a report to the Executive Board or a Memorandum of Action.
4. Consider how to integrate Service-Learning and Experiential Learning approaches at WMU. Conclude the initiative by producing a report to the Executive Board or a Memorandum of Action.
5. Explore opportunities, threats, and challenges with respect to Artificial Intelligence as it relates to USC and communicate findings to the Academic and Information Technology Council and to the Executive Board.
6. Review and consider reducing credit hours to graduation from 122 to 120. Conclude the initiative by producing a report to the Executive Board or a Memorandum of Action.
7. Collaborate with the International Education Council and the Graduate Studies Council to provide recommendations on how to best support faculty in the area of global learning (e.g., global classrooms, virtual study abroad, and internationalized curriculum). Conclude the initiative by producing a report to the Executive Board or a Memorandum of Action.
8. Review the scope and description of the council's role statement and assess the effectiveness of the council's practices.
9. At the annual April USC meeting, the council members must review the draft year-end report, to be submitted to the Faculty Senate office, by the council chair no later than May 30.
10. Address any continuing or outstanding issues or initiatives as directed by the Faculty Senate Executive Board, members of the council, faculty, and/or academic administrators. Conclude the initiative by producing a report to the Executive Board or a Memorandum of Action.

Approved by the Faculty Senate Executive Board on Aug. 22, 2025

Click here for a printable version of the USC 2025-26 Charges.