CORE CURRICULUM OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE (CCOC)

Who We Are:

The Core Curriculum is designed to provide each CU Denver undergraduate student with a high-quality general education, based on a liberal arts and sciences foundation. Core courses develop multiple literacies, stimulate critical thinking, expand sensitivity to diversity, and encourage students to understand their role in a rapidly changing global environment. The Core Curriculum Oversight Committee (CCOC), an elected body of faculty from each of the seven downtown schools and colleges, is responsible for implementing, maintaining, and coordinating these courses on behalf of the students and faculty. Leadership of the CCOC is supported by the Office of Academic Affairs. Meesh Peel serves as the CCOC program coordinator.

What We Do:

• Review new course proposals from instructors for inclusion into the core curriculum
• Review student petitions for exceptions to core requirements on a case-by-case basis
• Request and review existing core-course syllabi to ensure quality, consistency, and delivery of the learning outcomes within each of the nine Core Areas
• Provide curriculum resources to assist instructors in creating content and developing instructional quality of core courses
• Implement general education assessment strategies adopted by the CU Denver campus 

How We Do It:

The CCOC meets during the academic year to review new course proposals, petitions, syllabi and to update curriculum resources. Petitions and questions can be sent to the CCOC mailbox. CCOC Co-Chairs Kirsten (Kris) Christensen and Ruben Anguiano review the received items, place them on the monthly CCOC agenda, and provide feedback to the requestor, on behalf of the CCOC. Instructors whose core courses are approved are asked to follow up with the Registrar’s Office on submitting gtPathways material.  Students whose petitions are approved should follow up with their academic advisors to ensure that core credits are noted on their transcripts.  

The CCOC welcomes and champions its mission in working with the university community towards integrating critical thinking, writing skills, other core learning outcomes, and high-impact practices into the core curriculum.

CCOC 2026–27 Schedule

Second Friday of the month from 10:30 a.m.–Noon

Kirsten (Kris) Christensen, M.S.S, M.U.R.P.

Co-Chair, Core Curriculum Oversight Committee

Ruben Anguiano

Co-Chair, Core Curriculum Oversight Committee