Northwestern University (Evanston, Ill.). Technological Institute. Curriculum Committee
Biography
In November 1939, the Faculty of the Technological Institute began to discuss the usefulness of creating a subcommittee to deal with matters of curricula, but no such subcommittee was formed, and curriculum matters remained the responsibility of the entire Faculty through at least April 1940. In June and December 1952 an unnamed committee under the chairmanship of Professor John A. M. Lyon was appointed “to study and recommend for the catalog appropriate statements concerning the Requirements for a Degree.” In November 1955 reports were made to an Undergraduate Curriculum Committee, and a Graduate Curriculum Committee was in existence in February 1957, chaired by Professor Miklos Hetenyi. In September 1958 the Technological Institute Faculty minutes report that “the Undergraduate Curriculum and the Graduate Curriculum Committees have been combined” into what was then called the Courses and Curriculum Committee under the chairmanship of George Thodos. Professor William T. Brazelton served as vice-chairman in 1959–60, and became chairman in 1960–61, at which time the present name “Curriculum Committee” was adopted. Brazelton remained chairman through at least 1984–85.
The work of the Curriculum Committee centered primarily on approving proposals for new courses and course changes, managing the process of submitting those proposals to the University Graduate School Curriculum Committee, formulating new curricula and approving changes in curricula, and dealing with other issues relating to requirements for degrees. There were several standing subcommittees whose work is reported in minutes and correspondence. There were also ad hoc subcommittees from time to time, whose work is documented in the years they were active: for the Study of Graduate Programs in 1962–63, on Statistics courses in 1971–72, and on Grading in 1972–73.