As specified in the CSUSB Academic Catalog, to be eligible for admission to the English Department’s Self-Directed Study Concentration, students must submit a proposal for departmental approval of their program plans. Before declaring the concentration, a student must have completed the following core classes: ENG 2000, ENG 2400, ENG 2500, ENG 3110, and either ENG 3010 or ENG 3030. (The course of study proposal may be submitted for review during the semester in which a student is completing these pre-requisite courses.)
The proposal submission process:
1. Students will work with a faculty advisor/mentor to discuss their proposed course of study and its rationale.
The faculty advisor will also verify that the pre-requisite courses have all been completed, or are in-progress. In their proposal, students will be required to include a brief narrative explaining the rationale for their course of study and list all of the courses they will take in their self-directed concentration.
2. The Faculty Advisor will initiate the proposal review process, which will employ Adobe Sign for the relevant signatures.
The advisor should initiate the process. Adobe Sign can be accessed through the Faculty Member’s My Coyote portal, in the “Collaborate” Section, under “E-Signature.”
An overview of how to initiate the Adobe Sign process, including screenshots, can be found here, in the Self Directed Study Concentration Adobe Sign Instructions.
As a reminder, the Faculty Advisor must enter the following information, in this order, to ensure the proposal goes through the proper workflow:
a. Student’s email address
b. Faculty Advisor’s email address
c. Curriculum Committee Chair’s email address. (Current committee assignments are available on the department web-page.)
d. Department Chair’s email address
3. The Student will receive an email with a link to fill out the form and sign it, at which point it moves to #4.
4. The Faculty Advisor will receive an email with a link to review the form (ensuring it is correct) and sign it.
At this point the procedure moves to #5.
5. The Curriculum Committee Chair receives an email with a link to access the form.
The Chair will download the form to share with the Curriculum committee for review.
Once a decision has been made, the Committee Chair will enter the decision and sign the form. At this point it moves to #6.
The committee may elect to (A) Accept the proposal. (B) Decline the proposal. (C) Request that the proposal be revised and resubmitted for a second review.
Typical grounds for rejection of a proposal may include the following: (1) An insufficiently clear/compelling rationale for proposing the self-directed study program. (2) Excessive overlap between the proposed course of study and an existing concentration in the major. (3) Submission of a proposal at a point that is exceedingly close to a student’s expected graduation date.
NOTE: The “revise and resubmit” option will only be extended to proposals that the committee finds generally satisfactory but need some relatively modest alterations. Proposals may only be revised and resubmitted one time. The committee decision at that point will be final
6. The Department Chair receives an email with a link to review the form and sign.
At this point it moves to #7. If the proposal was approved, the Department Chair will input the planned coursework on the student’s PAWS report.
7. Whatever decision has been made, all participants will receive an email of completion notice with an attached completed form.