Curriculum Committee

The Curriculum Committee is appointed by the Faculty Senate to develop and to supervise the implementation of the curriculum for medical students. Its functions include:

• defining the overall content of the curriculum;
• determining the size and sequencing of courses;
• the review and evaluation of courses;
• approval of course directors;
• overall scheduling of courses;
• overseeing educational policies and activities, consulting as appropriate with the dean, department chairs, division heads, course directors, faculty and students; and
• regularly reporting to the faculty senate regarding its activities.

CURRICULUM COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Committee on the Curriculum (CC) Operational Policy

I. Introduction

The Committee on Curriculum (CC) at the Renaissance School of Medicine (RSOM) holds primary authority—granted by the RSOM Faculty Senate By-laws—for overseeing the MD program curriculum. Guided by the School’s mission, goals and strategic plan, the CC is responsible for defining the educational objectives of the MD degree, determining the curriculum’s overall content, structure, sequencing, and duration. The Committee reviews and approves course directors and conducts regular reviews of individual courses and the curriculum to ensure ongoing quality and relevance.

II. Committee on Curriculum – Charge and Functions

The Committee on Curriculum (CC), under the authority of the RSOM Faculty Senate, is charged with the following responsibilities:

1. Curriculum Goals: Develop, regularly review, and update statements that define the goals and institutional learning objectives of all RSOM curricula.
2. Curriculum Content: Define the overall content of the curriculum, including the approval of the development and design of new courses and curricular topics.
3.  Curricular Structure: Recommend and approve modifications to course content, structure, size, sequencing, academic calendar, and course/clerkship leadership as needed to achieve curricular goals.
4. Curriculum Oversight: Review and manage the evaluation of courses and the overall curriculum to ensure alignment with institutional learning objectives and LCME accreditation standards; monitor student progress and educational outcomes.
5. Academic Policies and Procedures: Develop, review, and approve academic policies and procedures.
6. Stakeholder Consultation: Coordinate with affected departments and schools when curricular changes may impact their programs.
7. Reporting: Report committee actions to the Dean and Faculty Senate.

III. Leadership.

The Chair of the Committee on Curriculum is appointed, approved, and renewed in accordance with RSOM Faculty Senate by-laws for a four-year term. The Vice Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education (UGME) serves as the non-voting, ex officio administrative co-chair.

IV. Voting Membership.

The voting membership on the Committee on Curriculum is comprised of:

• 7 faculty from Basic Science Departments
• 10 faculty from Clinical Departments
• 1 faculty member at-large
• 1 faculty from the Veterans Affairs Medical Center Northport
• 1 faculty from each clinical affiliate sites
• Phase I Subcommittee Chair
• Phase II/III Subcommittee Chair
• 1 student from each medical school class
• 1 MSTP student

No more than one voting member per department, except for the Department of Medicine and at-large positions. Faculty serve 3-year renewable terms (max 3 terms). For the process of election and selection of committee members, please see RSOM Faculty Senate By-laws, Article V, Section 4. Students are chosen by peers and must remain in good academic standing.

V. Ex-officio and Other Non-voting Members

•  Dean, Renaissance School of Medicine
• Vice Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education
• Vice Dean for Faculty Affairs
• Associate Dean for Student Affairs
• Associate Dean for Clinical Education
• Assistant Dean for Phase I Curriculum
• Associate Dean for Education, School of Dental Medicine
• Leadership (Chair, Co-Chairs) Senate Committee on Student Affairs
• Leadership (Chair, Co-Chairs) Senate Committee on Academic and Professional Progress
• Liaison for Academic IT at the Health Sciences Schools
• Director, Academic Evaluation and Assessment
• Medical Education Specialist/Director, Pathways to Success
• Instructional Design and Technology Specialist
• Director, HSC Library (or designee)

VI. Responsibilities of Voting Members

• Commit to a 3-year term
• Attend at least 70% of meetings (unless excused)
• Engage in discussions leading to recommendations put forth by the CC
• Participate in 80% of votes, in person or electronic

VII. Proceedings

The CC meets monthly (typically first Monday at 8:00 a.m. via Zoom). Meetings are open to all faculty and students, except in extraordinary circumstances.

1. Meeting Format
   • Review and approval of minutes
   • Announcements
   • Subcommittee reports
     • Phase I
     • Phase II/III
     • Learner Assessment, Curriculum Evaluation and Scholarship (LACES)
   • Student Curriculum Report
   • LCME Compliance Monitoring Committee Report
   • Old business
   • New business
   • Adjournment
2.  Decision-Making and Actions
   Proposals can be brought directly to the CC from members of the Dean’s Office, course/clerkship directors, faculty, or students. All relevant proposals that have been brought to and approved by the CC subcommittees shall be submitted to the Curriculum Committee (CC) for discussion and final vote for approval. Supporting documents are distributed in advance with the meeting agenda to allow for prior review. A quorum (more than half of all voting members) is required to proceed with voting; if a quorum is not met, the vote occurs electronically. Approval requires a simple majority. Decisions are final and reported to the RSOM Dean and Vice Dean for UGME. The Dean may request reconsideration if a proposal involves unavailable funding or conflicts with RSOM, Stony Brook University, SUNY, NY State, or LCME policies.
3. Revisions to CC Charges and Operations
   Any changes to the charges or responsibilities of the CC or its standing subcommittees must be presented, discussed, and approved by majority vote of the CC, and then submitted to the RSOM Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate for approval, and then to the Faculty Senate for majority vote. The CC is responsible for maintaining a record of all changes to its operational policies.

VIII. Subcommittees of the CC

The CC has three subcommittees: Phase I, Phase II/III, and LACES (Learner Assessment, Curriculum Evaluation, and Scholarship). Each reports monthly to the CC. The Phase I and Phase II/III subcommittees oversee day-to-day operations of the pre-clinical and clinical curricula, implementing CC policies and addressing instructional practices. LACES reviews curriculum content, outcomes, and student performance across all phases, and evaluates the effectiveness of the LEARN curriculum. LACES also promotes curricular innovations and scholarship through evidence-based literature. Detailed descriptions of each subcommittee’s charge, membership, and operations follow.

1. Phase I Subcommittee
   • Charge
     • Oversee pre-clinical curriculum design, delivery, and leadership through collaboration and cooperation between Phase I courses to assure horizontal integration
     • Collaborate with the UGME Office and the LACES Subcommittee in completing periodic reviews of the structure and success of the Phase I curriculum
     • Develop common and consistent policies for the teaching and evaluation of students across segments of the Phase I curriculum
     • Explore innovative teaching and assessment methods and educational technologies
     • Collaborate with the Phase II/III and LACES subcommittees to assure vertical integration of the LEARN curriculum
   • Leadership
     The Chair of the Phase I Subcommittee is appointed by the CC Chair, in consultation with the Vice Dean for UGME, from among current Phase I course directors. Chairs serve a 3-year term and may be reappointed for a second 3-year term. The Assistant Dean for the Phase I Curriculum serves as the ex officio (non-voting) administrative co-chair.
   • Voting Members
     • Phase I Course Directors
     • Phase I Course Co-Directors
     • 2 medical students (one from each of the first two years) selected by the student body through the Student Senate
   • Ex officio and Other Non-voting Members
     •  Vice Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education
     • Associate Dean for Student Affairs
     • Assistant Dean for Phase I Curriculum
     • Associate Dean for Education, School of Dental Medicine
     • Liaison for Academic IT at the Health Sciences Schools
     • Director, Academic Evaluation and Assessment
     • Medical Education Specialist/Director, Pathways to Success
     • Instructional Design and Technology Specialist
     • Director of the Clinical Simulation Center
     • Student Success Coaches
   • Member Responsibilities
     • Attend at least 70% of meetings (unless excused)
     • Engage in discussions leading to recommendations put forth to the CC
     • Participate in 80% of votes, in person or electronic
   • VI.    Proceedings
     • The Phase I Subcommittee meets monthly on the 4th Thursday at 12:00 pm on Zoom.
     • The Phase I Subcommittee meets annually in joint sessions with the Phase II/III Subcommittee.
2. Phase II/III Subcommittee
   • Charge
     • Oversee clinical curriculum design, delivery, and leadership through collaboration and cooperation between Phase II/III clerkships/courses to assure horizontal integration
     • Collaborate with the UGME Office and the LACES Subcommittee in completing periodic reviews of the structure and success of the Phase II/III curriculum
     • Develop common and consistent policies for the teaching and evaluation of students across segments of the Phase II/III curriculum
       •    Explore innovative teaching and assessment methods and educational technologies
       •    Collaborate with the Phase I and LACES subcommittees to assure vertical integration of the LEARN curriculum
   • Leadership
     The Chair of the Phase II/III Subcommittee is appointed by the CC Chair, in consultation with the Vice Dean for UGME, from among current Phase II/III clerkship/course directors. Chairs serve a 3-year term and may be reappointed for a second 3-year term. The Associate Dean for Clinical Education serves as the ex officio (non-voting) administrative co-chair.
   • Voting Members
     • Phase II/III Clerkship/Course Directors
     • Phase II/III Clerkship/Course Co-Directors
     • 2 Phase III medical students selected by the student body through the Student Senate
   • Ex officio and Other Non-voting Members
     • Vice Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education
     • Associate Dean for Student Affairs
     • Assistant Dean for Phase I Curriculum
     • Associate Dean for Clinical Education
     • Liaison for Academic IT at the Health Sciences Schools
     • Director, Academic Evaluation and Assessment
     • Medical Education Specialist/Director, Pathways to Success
     • Instructional Design and Technology Specialist
     • Director of the Clinical Simulation Center
     • Student Success Coaches
   • Member Responsibilities
     • Attend at least 70% of meetings (unless excused)
     • Engage in discussions leading to recommendations put forth to the CC
     • Participate in 80% of votes, in person or electronic
   • Proceedings
     • The Phase II/III Subcommittee meets monthly on the 1st Monday at 12:00 pm on Zoom.
     • The Phase II/III Subcommittee meets annually in joint session with the Phase I Subcommittee.
3. LACES Subcommittee
   • Charge
     • The broad charge of the LACES Subcommittee is to make a positive difference in the way we assess our students, evaluate our curriculum, and promote curricular innovations through evidence-based literature.
     • Promote the use of a variety of formative and summative assessment methods to ensure that the educational goals and institutional learning objectives of RSOM are achieved.
     • Provide quality control and improvement for the curriculum, through careful monitoring of program evaluation data (including student outcomes) and regularly scheduled reviews of courses, clerkships, and phases of the curriculum.
     • Review new courses/programs and take the lead on educational initiatives that will further strengthen and enhance the mission of the RSOM
     • Facilitate a scholarly approach to curriculum development; utilize both quantitative and qualitative methods to advance research in medical education; and disseminate scholarship related to the teaching and learning of medical students.
     • Report regularly its findings and recommendations to the Curriculum Committee, which has responsibility for overall management of the curriculum.
   • Leadership
     The Chair of the LACES Subcommittee is the Director of Academic Evaluation and Assessment. The Vice Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education serves as the administrative co-chair.
   • Voting Membership
     • At least 1 course director from each of the first two years in Phase I, selected from the Phase I Subcommittee
     • At least 1 clinical clerkship director from Phase II, selected from the Phase II/III Subcommittee
     • At least 1 clinical course director from Phase III, selected from the Phase II/III Subcommittee
     • At least 1 medical student from each of the three phases selected by the student body through the Student Senate. Student members must remain in good academic standing.
     • At least 2 faculty members-at-large who have been chosen by the Vice Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education because they have knowledge and skills that are important to the function and charge of the LACES Subcommittee.
   • Ex-officio and Other Non-voting Members
     • Assistant Dean for Phase I Curriculum
     • Associate Dean for Clinical Education
     • Director of the Clinical Simulation Center
     • Liaison for Academic IT at the Health Sciences Schools
     • Medical Education Specialist/Director, Pathways to Success
     • Instructional Design and Technology Specialist
     • Student Success Coaches
   •  Member Responsibilities
     • Serve a 3-year term
     • Attend at least 70% of meetings (unless excused)
     • Serve as a course reviewer for at least one Level 1 or Level 2 Course Review per academic year upon request of the committee co-chairs
     • Participate in school-wide efforts to collect programmatic data, including annual student focus groups
     • Engage in school-wide initiatives that significantly contribute towards the enhancement of programmatic evaluation efforts and curricular improvements
     • Engage in discussions that will lead to findings and recommendations put forth to the Curriculum Committee.
     • Participate in the review of current medical education literature, collaborate on medical education scholarly projects and activities, and, when applicable, provide mentorship to trainees interested in medical education research.
   • Proceedings
     • The LACES Subcommittee meets monthly on the 4th Thursday at 8:00 am on Zoom.
     • LACES meetings are generally open to all RSOM faculty and students.

Approval Date: November 2025