The College of Nursing case includes some ideas about organizing for curriculum development. The questions that follow provide a basis for analysis of the situation. Subsequently, questions are posed that might assist you when organizing for curriculum development in your own settings. The nursing curriculum at University, which was developed over a three-year span, has been offered in its present form for almost 10 years. One-third of current faculty members participated in the original curriculum development. Now, nursing faculty, university administrators, and alumni of University have agreed that the current four-year nursing curriculum warrants replacement. Although periodic curriculum adjustments have been made, it has become apparent that small changes are no longer sufficient to ensure excellence in the curriculum. In particular, many faculty members believe the curriculum’s medical model is outmoded and does not allow sufficient opportunity for community nursing and the inclusion of important concepts such as determinants of health. Not all faculty are convinced, but there is consensus that after 10 years, it is time to begin the development of a new curriculum. The school leader, Dr.P, has appointed Dr. Lakeisha W, the current chair of the Curriculum Committee, to lead curriculum development. Dr. P believes that Dr. W has the necessary curriculum expertise, relational skills, organizational ability, and knowledge of the university to spearhead the curriculum endeavor. Dr. W meets with the Curriculum Committee to consider possible ways of organizing for the curriculum undertaking. The committee decides that it should serve as the Steering Committee with the following responsibilities: • Coordinating, overseeing, and supporting the work of faculty and stakeholders • Receiving regular progress reports • Serving as a communication link for the curriculum work The Curriculum Committee also considers committee structure and whether it would be more advantageous to have one design team to create all necessary elements of the curriculum, leaving the details of course development to the relevant faculty, or several committees, each with defined responsibilities. Finally, committee members propose stakeholders who might be involved and, briefly, an overall timeline. Dr. W informs the group that she will consolidate their ideas into an overall plan, with deadlines, and then call a meeting of faculty to present the plan and discuss organizing for curriculum development. Committee members agree that decisions will have to be made about organizational matters at that meeting so that the work of curriculum development can begin quickly. As Dr. W prepares for the faculty meeting, she recognizes that whichever committee structure is decided, she will have to assist each committee or subcommittee to define the precise nature of work and determine a critical path for completion of the work. She intends to make clear that she will do that and will assist the faculty with their work. She is also cognizant of the need for communication among working groups, and she will give attention to this in the faculty meeting. Dr. W also considers other matters to raise with faculty members, and whether or not to invite key stakeholders to the organizing meeting. • Appraise the merits of the two forms of curriculum structure that were considered by the Curriculum Committee. • Propose committees that could be created in order to facilitate curriculum development. What purposes would they serve? Who should the members be? • Explain how Dr. W can help faculty to view scholarship as an integral part of curriculum work. • Suggest faculty development activities that could be helpful as curriculum development begins.
