Student-Initiated Courses allow UVa students or student groups to create and teach their own CR/NC courses to their peers. Student-Initiators work closely with a faculty adviser of their choice to craft and carry out the course. The goal of the SIC program is to give students the opportunity to take charge of their academic experience: to allow them to share their passion and knowledge with their peers and fill holes they might see in the curriculum.

Have an interesting or unique idea for a course? If you are serious about implementing it with care, commitment, knowledge, and passion, we are interested in working with you to make it happen.

  Student-Initiated Courses App (256.3 KiB, 425 hits)

Deadline for Application Submissions: Monday, October 19th at 5 pm in the Student Council office.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can initiate or instruct a course?

Any student can initiate a class individually, or as a Student Organization (for example, Global Development Organization initiated a class for Fall ’08). Your class instructor might be yourself, or a friend you think has enough knowledge, courage and ability to teach a class. The class instructor may also be more than one person. Just remember! It is a semester-long commitment and you should pick the right person.

What kind of credit will my students get for taking my course?

SICs are Credit/Non-Credit classes, which means that students who take the class can only get credit(s) from it and it does not count towards your GPA. SICs can count for anywhere from 1-3 credits, as determined by the instructor and faculty advisor. CR/NC classes cannot be taken to fulfill requirements for a degree; however, up to 24 credits of CR/NC may be used towards a degree. For more information, go to UVA Grading Options.

What does a faculty advisor do, and what should I look for in a faculty advisor?

The role of your faculty advisor is to work with you to craft your course syllabus and write you a support letter at the beginning. Moreover, if your course is accepted by the Student Council and appears on COD, your faculty sponsor is the one who will be grading the assignments for the class. Since the course instructor is a student and does not have an instructor code, he/she does not also have the power of grading. Furthermore, the faculty sponsor should stay in contact with the course instructor over the semester and be informed about the progress of the class. Although the faculty sponsor may come and sit in the class, his/her duty is not to teach the course; the class instructor is the one who is responsible for leading the class. Try to pick a professor whom you are close with or who has an interest in the topic that you chose for your class; remember, it is a time commitment for the faculty sponsor as much as it is for you. The faculty sponsor can also be a graduate student who has an instructor code.

How will I make sure my course fits with my schedule?

The application includes a request for the day and time you would like your course to be held, as well as how many credits you would like your course to count for. These requests are usually honored by the University Registrar.

What makes a successful SIC application?

Your syllabus will be the centerpiece of your application. Past successful applications have included a course description, class expectations, and a grading system as well as a week-by-week schedule of classes and assignments in their syllabi. We understand that your syllabus may change between the time you submit your application and the time your course begins, but we urge you to be as thorough in your syllabus as possible.

This year, we are also asking you to submit a budget proposal for your course. Line items may include handout printings, selected textbooks, and other relevant course materials. If approved, Student Council will compensate you for these materials on a reimbursement basis.

Some Tips

• Start looking for a faculty sponsor early. Since faculty members are always busy, it is hard to get one at the last minute!
• Contact the Curry School of Education, Center for Technology and Teacher Education. They may give you many ideas about how to make your class interesting and innovative.
• Although its not required, you are welcome to include additional materials in your application (ex: your resume, an additional support letter from other faculty members, etc…)

For more information, contact Sena Aydin or Tatiana Matthews, or check out the SIC Facebook group.