Academic Year 2024-2025

4 Subjects: The Communication Requirement

A description of the Communication Requirement may be found in the Bulletin.4 Additional information can be found on the Communication Requirement website and in the section of the Bulletin on the HASS Requirement. Details concerning the CI-M subjects for each major appear in the descriptions of the individual undergraduate degree programs.

The CoC does not generally evaluate a subject's suitability for the Communication Requirement, except when particular issues arise in the context of the normal subject approval process. A subject proposed as satisfying the Communication Requirement is considered first by the Subcommittee on the Communication Requirement (SOCR), which transmits its decision to CoC.

Though SOCR is the first reviewer of proposals for Communication-Intensive subjects, CoC has final approval of subjects and their integration into the departmental program.

CoC requires that subject descriptions for CI subjects include a brief phrase conveying the way that instruction in communication will be accomplished. The recommended wording is: “Instruction and practice in written and oral communication provided.”

 

  • 4.1 CI-H and CI-HW Subjects

    Subjects being proposed for CI-H and CI-HW status are first reviewed by the Subcommittee on the HASS Requirement (SHR) and SOCR. SOCR sets and communicates to departments a deadline for submitting changes to CI-H and CI-HW subjects that falls in early December, well before the normal deadline for other subject proposals. Proposed revisions or removals of these subjects must also be reviewed by SOCR and SHR before CoC reviews them.

    Once SOCR and SHR have reviewed CI-H and CI-HW subject proposals, the committees communicate approval of new, revised, or removed subjects to CoC.

    As stated in the Final Report of the CUP Subcommittee on the Communication Requirement, SOCR periodically reviews existing CI-H subjects. If a subject’s CI-H status is revoked, SOCR will communicate this information to CoC in a timely manner.

  • 4.2 CI-M Subjects

    SOCR is responsible for ensuring that each departmental program includes at least two CI-Ms, and that they are scheduled in the departmental program so that students generally take one in the sophomore or junior year and one in the senior year. Departments can also allow students to substitute a CI-M from another department. Departments must ensure that all degree programs include a CI-M component.

    SOCR sets and communicates to departments a deadline that falls in early December, and normally corresponds with the CoC deadline for curricular proposals, to ensure that SOCR reviews any changes affecting the CI-M component of a degree program before the CoC reviews subject and curricular changes for the next academic year. Departments submit all proposals to create, revise, remove CI-M status, or remove CI-M subjects from the catalog, as well as proposed revisions of undergraduate curricula that affect the CI-Ms, to SOCR and CoC. Once SOCR has reviewed these changes, the Committee communicates its approval to CoC.

    If a subject being proposed as a CI-M has already been approved for a General Institute Requirement (e.g., Institute Lab or REST), CoC ensures that the subject continues to meet the criteria for the Institute Requirement, and relies on SOCR to ensure that the subject meets the criteria for the Communication Requirement.

    If CoC receives changes to undergraduate curricula that it believes affect the Communication Requirement, it refers them to SOCR for review.