According to the College of Engineering bylaws, the Council on Educational Policy shall be responsible for:
- All curricular policy matters at the College level, including general oversight of courses and programs offered in the College for the common benefit of all departments. It shall help to stimulate new educational ideas and developments in individuals and departments.
- Considering and recommending policy and/or procedures relating to student welfare; including, but not restricted to:
- career guidance,
- academic advising and counseling,
- availability and development of educational facilities,
- awarding scholarships and fellowships,
- employment,
- improvement of teaching and of programs and courses, and
- grievance procedures for students.
- Maintaining regular communications with the various student professional, honorary, and service societies and groups.
- Serving, in an informal conciliatory role, on any matter upon request from an individual student.
Meeting schedule 2025-2026
CEP meets five to six times per quarter. Meetings are generally held in Loew Hall from 3:30-5:00pm. Meeting information can be requested by contacting COE Dean’s Office Academic Affairs staff.
| Autumn meetings | Winter meetings | Spring meetings |
|---|---|---|
| Sep. 30 | Jan. 06 | Mar. 31 |
| Oct. 14 | Jan. 20 | Apr. 14 |
| Nov. 04 | Feb. 03 | Apr. 28 |
| Nov. 25 | Feb. 17 | May 12 |
| Dec. 09 | Mar. 03 | May 26 |
| N/A | Mar. 17 | Jun. 09 |
Course proposals
Syllabus guidelines
Resource for faculty who are proposing new courses.
ViewThe Curriculum Office requires the submission of a syllabus for the following types of proposals: new course, changing the course description, adding a general education requirement, changing the number of credits, and adding or removing hyphenation.
In addition, CEP requires the submission of a syllabus for the following types of proposals: adding DL (distance learning), changing prerequisites, changing the course title, and changing the grading type.
Course proposal subcommittee
Courses proposals are reviewed 5-6 times yearly by the course proposal subcommittee. CEP members serve on this rotating subcommittee each academic year so the membership of the subcommittee changes. Based on the recommendations of the subcommittee, CEP votes to approve, approve pending minor changes from the sponsoring unit, or send back to the sponsoring unit for significant changes.
Refer to the Course Proposal Success Checklist to learn about common issues seen in proposals submitted to CEP.
- Start a new course proposal in the UW Curriculum Management (UW CM) online system. Follow the new course proposal guidelines provided by the UW Curriculum Office to complete the proposal. When your proposal is complete, submit your proposal for approval.
- Contact your department’s curriculum contacts for information on getting all necessary departmental approvals for your proposals. Most proposals will need to be approved by the department curriculum committee and the chair.
- CEP will review proposals that have all departmental approvals by the CEP curriculum deadline. After the proposal has been approved by CEP, it will be forwarded to the University Curriculum Committee for final review. You can check the approval status of your course proposal in UW CM.
- Find the course to be changed in the UW Curriculum Management (UW CM) online system and click “Propose Changes” to open a course change proposal. Follow the change course proposal guidelines provided by the UW Curriculum Office to complete the proposal. When your proposal is complete, submit your proposal for approval.
- Contact your department’s curriculum contacts for information on getting all necessary departmental approvals for your proposals. Most proposals will need to be approved by the department curriculum committee and the chair.
- CEP will review proposals that have all departmental approvals by the relevant CEP deadline. After the proposal has been approved by CEP, it will be forwarded to the University Curriculum Office for the next steps in the review process. You can check the status of your course proposal in UW CM.
- In a hybrid course, students and instructors regularly interact in both the physical classroom and online. When not meeting in the physical classroom, students and instructors interact online, either through required synchronous sessions or required asynchronous activities. The time schedule contains information about the course’s required weekly physical classroom and synchronous meeting times (e.g., MW 1–2pm in person, F 1–2pm on Zoom).
- Proposals for hybrid designation must be reviewed by CEP.
- Refer to CoE's hybrid designation policy for approval process and FAQs.
- CoE policy ensures that approved courses go beyond superficial discussion, and that faculty have a clear and deep knowledge of the proposed Diversity content. It is not enough that a course exposes students to a diverse group of individuals. The instructor must discuss that diversity in the context of an evidence-based approach to building and appreciating diversity.
- Refer to CoE's DIV Course Approval Process for decision rubric and example case studies.
Course proposal review schedule
| Proposal submission deadline for departments (5pm) | CEP course proposal subcommittee meetings | CEP meetings | UW Curriculum Office deadlines | Proposed effective Quarter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2025 | n/a | May 27 | Sep. 26 | Winter 2026 |
| Nov. 24, 2025 | ~Dec. 01 | Dec. 09 | Jan. 9 | Spring 2026 |
| Jan. 26, 2026 | ~Jan 27 | Feb. 03 | Mar. 6 | Summer 2026 |
| Feb. 23, 2026 | ~Feb. 24 | Mar. 03 | Mar. 6 | Autumn 2026 |
| May 18, 2026 | ~May 19 | May 26 | ~September | Winter 2027 |
Program proposals
- Notify the COE Dean’s Office Academic Affairs staff as early as possible to coordinate planning and approval for a new major, minor, or degree to be proposed by your unit.
- Complete the Notice of Proposal (NOP) form with a signature from your chair and submit by email to the COE Dean’s Office Academic Affairs staff by the relevant CEP deadline. After the NOP form has been approved by CEP, it will be forwarded to the UW Curriculum Office for the next steps in the NOP approval process.
- Start a new program proposal in the UW Curriculum Management (UW CM) online system. Follow the new program proposal guidelines provided by the UW Curriculum Office to complete the proposal. When your proposal is complete, submit your proposal for approval.
- Contact your department’s curriculum contacts for information on getting all necessary departmental approvals for your proposals. Most proposals will need to be approved by the department curriculum committee and the chair.
- CEP will review proposals that have all departmental approvals by the relevant CEP deadline. After the proposal has been approved by CEP, it will be forwarded to the University Curriculum Office for the next steps in the review process. You can check the status of your proposal in UW CM.
- For substantive program changes, complete the Notice of Proposal (NOP) form with a signature from your chair and submit by email to the COE Dean’s Office Academic Affairs staff by the relevant CEP deadline. After the NOP form has been approved by CEP, it will be forwarded to the UW Curriculum Office for the next steps in the NOP approval process.
- Find the program to be changed in the UW Curriculum Management (UW CM) online system and click “Propose Changes” to open a program change proposal. Follow the change undergraduate program proposal guidelines provided by the UW Curriculum Office to complete the proposal. Please note the additional requirements for programs with multiple credentials. When your proposal is complete, submit your proposal for approval.
- Contact your department’s curriculum contacts for information on getting all necessary departmental approvals for your proposals. Most proposals will need to be approved by the department curriculum committee and the chair.
- CEP will review proposals that have all departmental approvals by the relevant CEP deadline. After the proposal has been approved by CEP, it will be forwarded to the University Curriculum Office for the next steps in the review process. You can check the status of your program proposal in UW CM.
- Review the information from the Graduate School’s Office of Academic Affairs and Planning which coordinates the reviews of all graduate program proposals. For a new graduate degree program, certificate program, or option in an existing degree program, consult with the Graduate School’s Office of Academic Affairs and Planning to complete the relevant cover sheet form.
- Submit the cover sheet with your department chair’s signature by email to the COE Dean’s Office Academic Affairs staff by the relevant CEP deadline. After the cover sheet has been approved by CEP, it will be forwarded to Graduate School’s Office of Academic Affairs and Planning for the next steps in the process.
- Review the information from the Graduate School’s Office of Academic Affairs and Planning which coordinates the reviews of all graduate program proposals. For significant changes, complete the Significant Change Proposal form.
- Submit the proposal form by email to the COE Dean’s Office Academic Affairs staff by the relevant CEP deadline. After the cover sheet has been approved by CEP, it will be forwarded to Graduate School’s Office of Academic Affairs and Planning for the next steps in the process.
Undergraduate program proposal review schedule
| Proposal submission deadline for departments | CEP meetings | UW curriculum office deadlines | Earliest proposed effective quarter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5pm Tuesday the week before intended CEP meeting | 09/30, 10/14*, or 11/04 | Dec. 05, 2025 | Spring 2026 |
| 5pm Tuesday the week before intended CEP meeting | 01/06, 01/20*, 02/03, or 02/17 | Mar. 06, 2026 | Autumn 2026 |
*NOP submission deadline for current quarter review.
Graduate program proposal review schedule
| Proposal submission deadline for departments | CEP meetings | Graduate School deadlines | Earliest proposed effective quarter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5pm Tuesday the week before intended CEP meeting | 09/30, 10/14, or 11/04 | tbd | Spring 2026 |
| 5pm Tuesday the week before intended CEP meeting | 01/06, 01/20, 02/03, or 02/17 | tbd | Autumn 2026 |
Council members 2025-2026
| Department | Representative | Term end* | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assoc. Dean of Academic Affairs (ex-officio) | Dan Ratner | -- | -- |
| A&A | Bhuvana Srinivasan | 2028 | 1 |
| BioE | Herbert Sauro | 2026 | 1 |
| ChemE | Alex Prybutok | 2026 | 2 |
| CEE | Michael Brett | 2026 | 1 |
| CSE | tbd | ||
| ECE | Daniel Kirschen | 2027 | 2 |
| HCDE | tbd | ||
| ISE | Prashanth Rajivan | 2027 | 2 |
| MSE | Lucien Brush | 2028 | 2 |
| ME | Aniruddh Vashisth | 2026 | 1 |
| Adviser Rep (non-voting) | tbd | 2027 | |
| Adviser Rep (non-voting) | Lauren Van Fossen | 2026 | |
| Undergraduate Student Rep (non-voting) | tbd | ||
| Graduate Student Rep (non-voting) | tbd | ||
| Ex-officio non-voting standing guests Dir. Policy & Administration Asst. Director of Academic Affairs Dir. New Programs & Innovation Sr. Dir. Student Academic Services Dir. Engineering Teaching & Learning | Charlotte Goddard Sarah Pauling Cassady Glass-Hastings Shanai Lechtenberg Ken Yasuhara | -- -- -- -- -- | -- -- -- -- -- |
Department curriculum contacts 2024-2025
| Department | Faculty | Staff |
|---|---|---|
| A&A | Uri Shumlak | Betsy Winter (UG), Paul Neubert (GR) |
| BioE | Christopher Neils | Kalei Combs |
| ChemE | Elizabeth Nance | Dave Drischell |
| CEE | Michael Brett, Steve Muench | Brian Kinnear |
| CSE | Dan Grossman | Crystal Eney |
| ECE | Payman Arabshahi | TBD, Stephanie Swanson |
| HCDE | Brock Craft | Meghan Oxley (UG), Kathleen Rascon (GR), Alanna Daniels |
| ISE | tbd | Jennifer Tsai |
| MSE | Lucien Brush | Nichole Fernkes |
| ME | John Kramlich | Kendra Burdett |
Additional guidance and information to assist with course and degree proposals can be found on the UW Curriculum Office website. For questions with any of these processes, please contact COE Dean’s Office Academic Affairs staff, your department curriculum contact, or the UW Curriculum Office.