Streamlined Department Endorsement
Department Endorsement Streamlined Submittal Instructions
As the "endorser" for your department, you are a department chair, director of undergraduate studies, faculty curriculum director, or equivalent. Now that your department is approved for the Ways streamlined program, a department endorsement will trigger an abbreviated or “streamlined" review for your approved Way. If you are a faculty member or instructor wishing to submit your course, please return to the Streamlined Process or Standard Process webpage for guidance.
How do I endorse streamlined courses?
- As endorser, please inform your instructors about the Ways streamlined process and your department’s approved streamlined Way.
- Ask your instructors to submit their streamlined courses on the Ways portal.
- Confirm the course(s) have been submitted on the Ways portal at wtwd.stanford.edu and select the “View/Edit” button. Enter your “Department”, "Requirement" which is the approved Way, and click the "Search" button. The list of your department's pending courses will appear.
- Email the Ways program with your endorement or if more than one course, please download the Ways Pending Report Form (Excel spreadsheet) by clicking the "Pending Export" button.
- Please enter the approved Way, authorizing Endorser, and check ("X") the streamlined courses that you are submitting for expedited review. Save changes.
- Send the form to the Ways program at waysofthinking@stanford.edu no later than the Ways course submission deadline date. Another option, you can send an email to Ways with the list of courses that you are endorsing. If the endorsement form is received late, the course(s) may be reviewed via the standard process.
- Once the BGB has completed the streamlined review, you will receive a certification notice typically within 2-3 weeks following a quarterly deadline date.
Ways Deadlines
To view the quarterly deadlines for submitting new courses for academic year 2021-22, please view them here. Please submit your list of endorsed courses on the endorsement form no later than the quarterly deadline dates or courses will be reviewed via the standard review process.
Department Coordination
You may want to enlist the help of your Student Services Officer (SSO) or course administrator to coordinate the streamlined submittal process for your department or help instructors submit courses. Fellows, PhDs, and grad students do not have access to the Ways portal since they are classified as students. They will need the help of a SSO, faculty, or staff member to submit their courses.
Streamlined Questions
Does the new streamlined process affect courses previously approved for Ways?
No, courses that were previously approved are not affected. The streamlined process is only for new course submissions.
What happens if an instructor is submitting the course for two Ways?
The instructor should submit the course for both Ways on the Ways portal. The streamlined Way will have an abbreviated review, but the second Way will be reviewed via the standard review process.
Can a course be submitted through the standard submittal process?
Participating in the streamlined process is optional. Any course may be submitted through the standard submittal process. Also, an instructor may be unaware of the streamlined process or s/he is submitting a course that may not be an obvious fit for the department approved Way. If so, it will be reviewed via the standard process.
Can my department be approved for two Ways for the streamlined review process?
Most departments are only qualified for one Way. Based on the number of previously certified Ways courses from your department, the streamlined Way(s) have been identified.
Why is my department not included in the streamlined pilot program?
We have only included departments with a natural fit to one Way category. At this time, the courses not included in the pilot program are: Exploring Difference and Power (EDP) courses, Ethical Reasoning (ER) courses, Interdisciplinary Programs (IDPs), professional schools (e.g., Medicine, Law, Education, etc.), off campus programs (BOSP, SiNY, SIW), and VPUE programs (e.g., ILEs, COLLEGE/Thinking Matters, and PWR).
If I have questions regarding the streamlined process, who do I contact?
- Contact waysofthinking@stanford.edu