Internal Resources

Tucson Curriculum Management Subcommittee (TCMS)

Overview

The Tucson Curriculum Management Subcommittee (TCMS) is a standing subcommittee of the Tucson Education Policy Committee (TEPC). It is the principal subcommittee that oversees content, content delivery and quality of pre-clerkship curriculum. The charge to the TCMS is to make policy recommendations to the TEPC concerning the structure, development, and delivery of the educational program, but does not establish such policy.  TCMS also contributes to the annual review of blocks. TCMS produces one of the review reports that covers the evaluation of block content, examinations and instructional effectiveness. The TCMS block review report is delivered to the TEPC.  TCMS may establish guidelines and procedures required to fulfill its charges.  It also assists in the development and implementation of curricular innovations.

Membership

Voting Members

  • All Block and Course Directors (limited to one Director or designee per block or course)
  • All thread directors
  • Director of the Societies Program
  • Director of the Doctor and Patient Program
  • Director of Clinical Reasoning Course
  • Director of Scholarly Project
  • Discipline Directors who are not Block or Thread Directors
  • Supervisor of Preclerkship Coordinators

Supporting Members

  •  Vice Dean for Education
  • Associate Dean for Curricular Affairs
  • Associate Dean for Student Affairs
  • One voting member of the Tucson Clinical Curriculum Subcommittee of the TEPC
  • Block Coordinators
  • Director, Program Evaluation and Student Assessment
  • Other Education Support Staff, as required by committee task

Leadership

  • The Chair of the Tucson Curriculum Management Subcommittee will serve as the officer of the whole Committee. The position of Chair of the Committee begins on July 1 and lasts for one year. Devotes 3-4 hours/month to pre-meetings designed to set and approve the meeting agenda, chairing the meetings, and answering emails in between meetings.
  • Any voting member of TCMS will be eligible to serve as Chairperson. The term of service will be two years, the first year as Vice-Chair and the second year as Chair. A new Vice-Chair will be elected each year.
  • If exceptions to term length need to be made to accommodate retirement, prolonged illness, etc., adjusted term duration will be made in consultation with University Legal Counsel for alignment with faculty bylaws and will be voted on at TEPC for approval.

Responsibilities

Related to Development and Delivery of the program

  • Recommends to TEPC a curriculum management plan, which includes procedures and schedules for the tasks required to prepare, deliver, and manages all pre-clerkship courses, threads, and scholarly project.
  • Implements the curriculum management plan established by TEPC.
  • Ensures compliance with the management plan and assesses its effectiveness.
  • Anticipates or responds to operational concerns with respect to the ongoing delivery of courses.

Related to Management of the Curriculum:

  • Advises TEPC on the sequence and length of content for courses, which is driven by the EPO’s and reviewed annually for breadth and depth, vertical and horizontal integration within pre-clerkship as well as across all four years
  • Recommends and approves the assignment of content topics to courses, driven by the EPOs.
  • May conduct specific audits of content for integration and completeness, as necessary.

Related to Instruction:

  • Assures that the content and educational activities of courses fulfill institutional objectives.
  • Develops guidelines concerning the role and the performance of participating faculty.
  • Ensures compliance with established processes for faculty instructional development.
  • Monitors procedures for the recruitment, training, assignment, and performance of faculty facilitators.
  • Ensures that content and instructional methods are delivered as approved.

Related to Assessment of Student Performance:

  • Recommends to TEPC policies concerning assessment of student performance.
  • Ensures that the content of examinations matches learning objectives and that examinations are consistent with goals of student development as established by the subcommittee and TEPC and oversees post-administration analysis of examinations to assure their validity and reliability.
  • Develops new assessment methods and instruments, consistent with TEPC policies.
  • Monitors grading practices and outcomes.

Related to Operations, Evaluation and Oversight:

  • Members are considered to represent constituencies within the faculty and staff (e.g., Block and Discipline Directors represent the faculty who teach in their areas) and are expected to consult with their constituents on matters arising before the subcommittee and to inform them about policies and procedures established by the subcommittee.
  • Provides regular reports to TEPC concerning the delivery and quality of pre-clerkship curriculum.
  • Implements TEPC Evaluation Plan for pre-clerkship blocks and produces review reports on individual blocks.
  • Generates and compiles other evaluation and review data as directed.
  • Oversees changes to the pre-clerkship curriculum as required by TEPC.
  • Participates as required in comprehensive review processes, including reviews related to LCME accreditation.