College of Arts and Sciences Curriculum Committee
  Dispute Resolution Policy


Since the ULM College of Arts and Sciences Curriculum Committee’s charge includes oversight of the college’s departmental structure, disputes over academic boundaries naturally fall under its scrutiny. The following procedures specify in what manner and under what circumstances the ASCC will become engaged in conflict resolution. In providing a clear definition of its role in this process, the Committee seeks to strike a balance between the need to facilitate negotiation and the need to provide an adjudicatory function should negotiation fail.

ASCC Jurisdiction

The ASCC will engage in a process of conflict resolution only in the case of disagreements between departments within the College of Arts and Sciences. If one of the departments involved in a dispute belongs to another college, the matter will be referred to the university-level Undergraduate Curriculum Committee. Any proposal that proves to be the object of an intradepartmental dispute will be tabled and returned to the submitting department. An objection that does not represent the official position of a department, as stated by the head of that department, will not necessarily result in the tabling of a proposal, but will be taken into consideration by the Committee in its usual closed session. Individuals with concerns about a proposal are therefore advised to consult with their department heads in advance of an ASCC meeting.

Resolution Process

In the event of a disagreement between two departments within the College of Arts and Sciences, the proposal in dispute will be tabled, and parties will enter into negotiations mediated by the ASCC Chair. During this time no other member of the ASCC may be contacted in regard to the proposal. If after a period of one month an agreement has not been reached, the Committee will invite from each disputing party the department head and no more than one faculty representative to present arguments at its next scheduled meeting. The ASCC Chair will establish a time limit for each presenter. Following presentations and a question-and-answer period, the ASCC will deliberate in closed session and submit its majority decision as a recommendation to the Dean.

Evaluation Criteria

Arguments presented by departments will be assessed based on both academic and curricular considerations (for example, is a proposed course to be a simple elective, a degree requirement, or necessary for accreditation?). Inadmissible material includes personal accusations, new objections to a proposal, and any reference to disputes—whether past or ongoing, whether between the same two parties or different parties—that are not directly related to the case at hand. During the entire conflict resolution process, it is expected that all parties concerned will adhere to the standards of appropriate professional conduct as specified on the ASCC Procedures page of this website.