Purpose

As is the practice in many colleges and universities, Lindenwood University cross-lists a selected set of undergraduate courses as available for graduate credit. Selected programs at the university have been doing this for a number of years, and it seems incumbent upon the university to have a clear academic policy for this.

While stand alone graduate courses are generally best, courses may be cross-listed when a graduate program creates the demand for this action, generally when enrollment in the graduate program’s curricula is insufficient to offer coursework in the program at the graduate level alone. Courses may also be cross-listed when there are sound pedagogical reasons for doing so, e.g. when faculty expertise at the undergraduate level can be made available to graduate students by cross-listing, (or vice-versa), or when programmatic needs arise that make delivery of content area curricula most effective in a cross-listed content-level course. Careful attention to syllabi design and to differences in student learning outcomes between graduate and undergraduate students, as well as an appropriate review and approval for courses and program requirements will assure the integrity of cross-listed courses.

Scope

This policy applies to undergraduate and graduate credit-bearing courses.

Policy

1. Only upper-division undergraduate courses (300-400) may be cross-listed with graduate courses.
2. Separate syllabi (undergraduate and graduate) will be designed for cross-listed courses.
3. Courses that are cross-listed may have the Canvas shells for each course section merged into one single Canvas shell.
4. Courses that are cross-listed will be calculated as a single course for faculty deployment purposes.
5. As a general principle, the graduate learning experience in a cross-listed course is marked by an emphasis on problem solving based on case studies and other relevant materials, a significant amount of reading and analyzing, a large amount of data analysis, the application of concepts within the field of study. (See Cross-listed Graduate and Undergraduate Course Differentiation guidance document).
6. The educational needs of one cohort should not supersede the needs of the other. For example, if the graduate cohort is smaller than the undergraduate cohort, the instructor must ensure they uphold the rigor and pacing of the graduate cohort.
7. Faculty teaching cross-listed courses need to be appropriately qualified in the relevant disciplines to teach at both the graduate and undergraduate levels.
8. New/Proposed cross-listed courses must be approved by the Department Head and Curriculum Committee of their respective college(s) who will review the syllabus and the Course Rigor Form and provide feedback as necessary. These records will be shared with the Office of the Provost for final approval and archiving.
9. A sampling of existing cross-listed courses will be reviewed annually by the University Curriculum Committee with the cooperation of the Department Heads and the College Curriculum Committees. These records will be shared with the Office of the Provost for final approval and archiving.
10. A thorough review of all cross-listed courses in a program will be conducted during that program’s (quinquennial) cyclical review. These records will be shared with the Office of the Provost for final approval and archiving.

Please direct any questions about this policy to the Office of the Provost.

Approved by UCC 12/14/2021
Approved by Deans Council (with revisions) 2/15/2022
Revisions approved by the UCC 2/16/2022
Approved by Provost and VP for Academic Affairs, Bethany Alden-Rivers 3/15/2022