Westchester Community College, State University of New York

Guidelines for Writing about Academic Programs

Part I: Academic Catalog

What is the Academic Catalog?

The academic catalog provides information about Westchester Community College to prospective students and those already enrolled at the college. It presents all the programs and courses that the college offers. In addition, all the policies and procedures (admissions, academic integrity, student conduct, etc.) of how the college interacts with a student are included. Students follow the catalog year in which they first enroll.

Catalog Program Description

The program description tells what the program aims to do for its students. The overview should be about three – five sentences (125 – 150 words), outlining:

1. The intellectual content of the program – the course material that will be covered.
2. What students gain by enrolling in this program — the knowledge and skills they will develop.
3. What it prepares students for in life and work – what type of careers and opportunities they will have as a result of this program.

Example:

Health & Human Performance A.S.

Program Learning Outcomes

Program learning outcomes describe learning outcomes and concepts – what you want students to learn.

• Describe the ideal student in your program at various phases in your program. What does this student care about and what is this student able to do? List and briefly describe the program experiences that contribute most to the development of the ideal student. Be concrete and focus on those strengths, skills, and values that you feel are the result of your program.
• Write learning outcomes as specific student performance and behaviors that demonstrate student learning and skill development of these outcomes. Before drafting outcomes, it is helpful to consider the following three questions:
  • What are the specific student behaviors, skills or abilities that would tell you this outcome is being achieved?
  • What evidence tells you when students have met these outcomes? How do you know when they’re “getting it?”
  • Describe realistic and achievable outcomes in simple language that focuses on student behavior. Effectively worded objectives use action verbs that describe definite, observable actions (See Bloom’s Taxonomy below).

Example:

Journalism A.S.

Course Descriptions

A course description is a brief synopsis of what students will be taught in a course. For the catalog, a course description includes a course prefix, course number, course title, lecture and lab contact hours (if applicable), semester credit hours, description of the content of the course, and any prerequisites or co-requisites. Rather than sentences, course content should be expressed in concise fragments or phrases.

Catalog course descriptions should not be used to advertise the course, but rather to inform the students of the content. The syllabus course description can be used to further elaborate on the course.

Considerations:

• Titles of courses should convey a clear sense of the course’s overall purview.
• Describe the timeframe, broader concepts, and more important ideas that will be examined in the course. State what the course will cover, not what the course might cover.
• The description is not the place to discuss class requirements or issues of course administration.

Example:

BIOL 103 – Human Biology (and Lab)

Part II: College Website

The college website is the place to market your program. You can do this by creating a relationship with the readers and by being personally engaging.

• Instantly grab the students’ attention by answering the question, “What’s in it for me?” This triggers an emotional response on two levels: students feel like you’re speaking directly to them and that you’re interested in what matters most to them. Write as if you and the student are conversing.
• Speak directly to the students and to their point of view. Use “you,” not “student or applicant.”
• Use an active voice, conversational style (you), direct phrasing and strong adjectives.
• Highlight unique aspects of your program that could be an important part of a student’s decision-making process.
• Consider international students. Many of our figures of speech can confuse international students, so be careful that the text is clear for all audiences.
• This degree can help you begin a career in business.
• Not: This degree can help you get your foot in the door of a career in business.

Some ways to establish a relationship:

• Start with a question so the students can immediately determine if this program might be of interest to them. For example, “Do you have a passion for science?”
• Set the tone with a strong, catchy statement or fact. For example, “The medical field is one of the fastest growing professions in this area.”
• Use emotion to convey the importance of the degree (and the importance of people who hold the degree). For example, “The education of our children is one of the noblest professions you can enter.”
• Describe the ideal student in that program and relate it to them. (If they don’t fit the description, they’ll know right off that the degree may not be right for them.) For example, “As someone who embraces justice and order, a criminology degree can help you…”
• Explicitly state what they will gain from the degree and how it will help them in the future. For example, “You’ll learn about the fashion consumer which will prepare you to be a clothing buyer.”

Example:

Cybersecurity A.A.S.

Message from Curricular Chair

The message from the curricular chair should begin with a welcome to students. Highlight the strengths of the program including faculty achievements and the career/transfer opportunities the program provides to its graduates. The chair should invite students to contact them with additional questions.

Part III: Website vs Catalog

Program Descriptions

The following chart shows the difference in wording between the catalog and website.

	Website	Academic Catalog
Audience	Prospective students	Prospective students, current students, faculty, future employers, funding sources other educators and schools, accreditation bodies
Word Count	70-word limit	150-word limit
Style	Makes an emotional connection with a student to draw them in so they continue reading	Presents factual and specialized information about the program to help a student decide if the program is the right fit for them

Program	Website	Catalog
Health & Human Performance A.S.	Interested in the fields of health, fitness, and wellness? The Health and Human Performance program builds a strong foundation for students interested in transferring to a four-year college with related degree programs including: Exercise Science, Exercise Physiology, Sports Medicine, Athletic Training, Kinesiology, Movement Science, Physical Education Instruction, Sports Studies, and more.	The Associate in Science (AS) degree program in Health & Human Performance is an innovative program designed for students who are interested in the fields of health, fitness and wellness. Coursework is focused in the essential areas of: Exercise Physiology, Kinesiology, Human Performance, Nutrition and Fitness, which provide both a strong foundation and great flexibility to students interested in transferring to a four-year college with health-, fitness-, and wellness-related degree programs including: Pre-Professional Programs, Exercise Science, Exercise Physiology, Sports Medicine, Athletic Training, Sports Team Coaching, Physical Education Instruction, Personal Training, Sports Studies, Kinesiology, and Movement Science (to name a few). The Health and Human Performance program also provides students the opportunity to pursue entry-level careers in the rapidly growing, and dynamic fields of health, fitness and wellness.

Bloom’s Taxonomy

Bloom’s Taxonomy is a classification of learning objectives. Six levels, which move from the lowest order processes to the highest, are often used to describe the cognitive behaviors of student learning.

Level	Cognitive Behaviors
1. Knowledge (lowest process)	to know specific facts, terms, concepts, principles, or theories
2. Comprehension	to understand, interpret, compare and contrast, explain
3. Application	to apply knowledge to new situations, to solve problems
4. Analysis	to identify the organizational structure of something; to identify parts, relationships, and organizing principles.
5. Synthesis	to create something, to integrate ideas into a solution, to propose an action plan, to formulate a new classification scheme
6. Evaluation (highest process)	to judge the quality of something based on its adequacy, value, logic, or use

 
Word Power

Verbs such as “define,” “argue,” or “create” are more helpful for assessment than vague verbs such as “know,” “understand,” or passive verbs such as “be exposed to.” The following are some examples of action words frequently used in objectives:

Knowledge	Comprehension	Application	Analysis	Synthesis	Evaluation
define identify indicate know label list memorize name recall record relate repeat select underline tell translate sketch translate use	classify describe discuss explain express identify locate paraphrase recognize report restate review suggest summarize schedule shop question relate solve	apply compute construct demonstrate dramatize employ give examples illustrate interpret investigate operate organize practice predict inspect inventory	analyze appraise calculate categorize compare contrast criticize debate determine diagram differentiate distinguish examine experiment propose set-up	arrange assemble collect compose construct create design formulate manage organize perform plan prepare produce select value	appraise assess choose compare contrast decide estimate evaluate grade judge measure rate revise score

Sources

Arizona State University
Texas A&M University
Vanderbilt University