Curriculum Development Policy - Instructional Systems Policy and Procedures

  1. Back to Policies and Procedures Page
  1. Purpose
    1. Curriculum development at the Davis Technical College (Davis Tech) follows all relevant institutional policies and procedures. This document clarifies the roles, responsibilities, and processes of creating and maintaining a quality curriculum at Davis Tech.
  2. References
    1. Council on Occupational Education Handbook of Accreditation (COE)
    2. Quality Curriculum Review (QCR)
    3. Educational Excellence Department (EdEx)
    4. Learning Management System (LMS)
    5. Utah House Bill (HB) 261 – Syllabi accessible to the public
  3. Definitions
    1. Intellectual Property – Davis Technical College retains full ownership of all originally created instructional content, materials, and works regardless of whether the employee remains employed at the institution. These materials are not to be used, distributed, or shared outside of Davis Technical College without explicit permission (Intellectual property includes but is not limited to course materials, syllabi, lectures, presentations, assignments, assessments, videos, interactive tools, and discussions).
    2. 3rd Party Materials and Copyright - Davis Technical College programs may purchase and utilize licensed third-party educational resources, such as IA Bookshelf, digital books, CDX, Electude, or other licensed materials for instructional purposes. These materials are only accessible to authorized users and must be used by their licensing agreements. Users may not copy, share, or distribute content beyond the permitted educational use. Davis Tech faculty must also obtain express permission and cite the source t o use any other materials in a course unless the material is from a licensed third-party educational resource which Davis Tech has purchased.
    3. Syllabus – Is an official document created by Davis Tech’s Simple Syllabus Software within Canvas LMS communicates course objectives, content, policies, and expectations, providing students with a structured overview of topics, grading criteria, and key deadlines. It serves as a guiding framework to ensure alignment with institutional policies, support student success, and clarify academic requirements.
    4. Curriculum - A structured educational plan that outlines learning objectives, content, instructional methods, and assessments to guide student learning, which aligns with Davis Tech's Quality Curriculum rubric, COE, and industry requirements needed for career readiness and that is utilized in Davis Technical College's Canvas LMS Software
    5. Course – Specific subject matter comprising part of a program for which instruction is offered within a specified time.
    6. Quality Curriculum Review (QCR) –A rubric used by EdEx and faculty to evaluate new and existing courses based on their alignment with instructional design standards, ensuring they enhance student engagement and knowledge for career readiness.
    7. Student Lounge: The Student Lounge is a virtual hub in the Learning Management System (LMS) that provides students with essential resources, program expectations, and weekly check -ins from enrollment to graduation. It fosters community, supports academic success, and ensures students stay informed and on track.
    8. Work-based Learning – Structured learning activities conducted in work settings that are components of educational programs (e.g., externships, internships, clinical experiences, instructional cooperative education, and similar activities).
    9. Work-based Learning Guides and Agreement – Serves as the course curriculum and includes objectives, competencies, evaluations, and experiences that the student will complete during the work-based learning experience. The agreement designates a Site Supervisor with appropriate qualifications who will oversee the student work-based learning experience. The student, Site Supervisor, and faculty each sign and receive a copy of this agreement.
  4. Policy
    1. Program faculty members are the subject matter experts for their courses and are responsible for selecting textbooks and resources applicable to the program. They create content for course curriculum ensuring it meets standards as per curriculum definition in this document
    2. Program faculty members are the subject matter experts for their courses and are responsible for selecting textbooks and resources applicable to the program. They create content for course curriculum ensuring it meets standards as per curriculum definition in this document
    3. Instructional Designers are experts in learning theories, technology, strategies to design, develop and improve educational experiences with Faculty and Students that meet COE evidence requirements. Instructional Designers in EdEx department work in a collaborative environment with Directors and their Faculty in reviewing, editing, and updating course materials to meet Davis Tech’s standards, COE requirements, student engagement and evaluation methodologies
    4. The curriculum development process for new courses follows these steps in order:
      • The course, including its descriptions and objectives, was designed and approved in accordance with USHE requirements
      • Faculty collaborates with Davis Tech Bookstore for any books and materials
      • Faculty informs EdEx to create Canvas Course Shells and provides them with course name, number, description, and objectives as well as if the book will use IA Bookshelf or other digital format.
      • EdEx creates unpublished shells, marks them ‘Under Construction’ creates a home page, and enables Simple Syllabus and other settings if needed
      • Faculty creates all the modules and their components (curriculum, orientations, work-based learning documentation, etc.) and follows 3 rd party materials and copyright definitions. The curriculum becomes Davis Tech’s Intellectual property.
      • Once completed faculty informs EdEx the course is ready for review
      • EdEx reviews all content and settings using QCR and provides or assists Faculty with any revisions needed to meet QCR Standards
      • Faculty updates Simple Syllabus for that course then EdEx reviews the syllabus updates and finalizes the course. Syllabi will only be used from Simple Syllabus.
      • EdEx then Updates Northstar (modules, curriculum date, linked to Canvas) changes course from ‘Under Construction’ to the current term year and publishes the course
    5. The curriculum update process for existing courses is below:
      • Any curriculum that is more than three years old must be reviewed or updated, as per COE.
        • Faculty may notify EdEx, via eform, if they have reviewed the curriculum and textbook and the content remains current.
        • EdEx will use Simple Syllabus finalized date or the date faculty reviewed the curriculum, as the most recent change or review to the curriculum.
      • Faculty may modify curriculum at any time as long as the course length and title does not change.
        • Faculty will inform EdEx of the need for a course copy to make edits on.
        • EdEx will make a course copy, mark is as ‘Under Construction’ and invite program faculty as needed to the course
        • Faculty will follow curriculum and 3rd party materials/copyright definitions in editing the curriculum and will inform EdEx when edits are completed for review and EdEx will use QCR rubric and inform faculty and instruction director (if needed) of any changes needed. The curriculum is Davis Tech’s Intellectual property.
        • Faculty will edit syllabus using Simple Syllabus
        • EdEx, instruction directors, and faculty work together to determine an appropriate change timeline.
        • EdEx will decide the best option to publish either the copied/edited course or just the modules or assignments EdEx will update Northstar (modules, curriculum date, linked to Northstar) and if needed change course from ‘Under Construction’ to the current term.
      • Faculty can edit syllabi at any time and submit changes,
        • Faculty will use Simple Syllabus to make any changes.
          • Syllabi will only be used from Simple Syllabus.
        • EdEx will then review to ensure standards are met and finalize.
        • Once finalized the updated syllabus is immediately viewed by the public as per HB261.
      • The faculty will inform EdEx of any textbook or material changes to the course
        • EdEx will make the changes in Northstar, which will appear on Davis Tech’s program webpage the next day
  5. All published syllabi are available on Davis Tech’s Public Syllabi website for everyone to view, as per HB261. Course specific syllabus is also available to students and faculty in all published courses via Simple Syllabus. 
  6. Work-based learning courses also require curriculum, which is Davis Tech’s Intellectual property. The work-based learning guides and agreement will serve as the course curriculum. The agreement must be signed by and given to every student participating in a work-based learning course.
  7. Students will have continual access to the most current version of the program orientation, which is Davis Tech’s Intellectual property, in the Student Lounge.
Policy migration in progress

Davis Tech is in the process of migrating our policies from PDF to HTML format to conform to Title II (ADA) requirements. During this transition period, the latest approved version of the policy is available (below) in pdf format, but may contain ADA Compliance errors.

Printable PDF

Effective Date: 03 March 2025

  • Approvals and Notes
  • President’s Council Approval: 3 March 2025
  • President’s Council Approval: 15 May 2023