Curriculum Governance Committees

Welcome to the School of Medicine’s Curriculum Governance webpage! Here you will find information about the curriculum governance committees including meeting schedules, bylaws, membership rosters, and meeting minutes.

Curriculum Governance Overview
The Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) accredits medical education programs leading to the MD degree in the United States. To achieve and maintain accreditation, a medical school must demonstrate appropriate performance in LCME’s 12 standards, each with an accompanying set of elements. The UWSOM’s governance committees fulfill LCME requirements around leadership, administration, faculty participation, policies, and curriculum management, evaluation, and enhancement.

In 2014, the Medical School Executive Committee and the Dean of the School of Medicine approved the Curriculum Governance Committee Oversight Report establishing the curriculum governance structure and committees. These committees are the main driver of curricular quality improvement and are accountable for all curriculum-related components of the medical education program.

Curriculum Committee

Curriculum Committee is delegated authority by the Dean of the School of Medicine and is accountable for the oversight of learning objectives, curriculum implementation, and evaluation procedures for the entire medical student education program’s curriculum. It serves as the LCME-mandated committee assuring continuous oversight and evaluation of the curriculum.

Committee meetings are open for any interested individual in the UWSOM community to attend as a guest. Meetings are held Mondays from 4-5:30PM PT via zoom. E-mail the Curriculum Office at somgov@uw.edu to be added to the e-mail list.

2023-2024 Academic Year Meeting Schedule:

  • September 11, 2023
  • October 2, 2023
  • November 6, 2023
  • December 4, 2023
  • January 8, 2024
  • February 5, 2024
  • March 4, 2024
  • April 1, 2024
  • May 6, 2024
  • June 3, 2024

Curriculum Committee Bylaws

Section 1: Curriculum Committee

Article 1: General Governance

The following Bylaws govern the organization and procedures of the Curriculum Committee and its related committees and subcommittees at the University of Washington School of Medicine and have been adopted in accordance with the Curriculum Governance Committee Report that was finalized in February 2014 and approved by the Medical School Executive Committee and the Dean.

Article 2: Authority and Accountability

  1. Authority: The Curriculum Committee is delegated authority by the Dean of the School of Medicine and has accountability for oversight of learning objectives, curriculum implementation, and evaluation procedures for the curriculum.  Per Liaison Committee for Medical Education (LCME) accreditation requirements, it serves as the LCME-mandated committee that assures continuous oversight and evaluation of the curriculum.  Standing committees will be formed to address specific aspects of the curriculum and will be represented on the Curriculum Committee.
  2. Accountability: The Curriculum Committee reports to and provides recommendations to the Vice Dean for Academic, Rural and Regional Affairs as the Chief Academic Officer designated by the Dean.  Once a year, the Curriculum Committee will provide a summary of the past year’s activities, issues and resolutions to the Vice Dean for Academic, Rural and Regional Affairs and to the Dean of the School of Medicine.
  3. Relationship to Faculty Council on Academic Affairs: The Faculty Council on Academic Affairs (FCAA) is chaired by the Vice Dean for Academic, Rural and Regional Affairs and provides a monthly forum for presentation and discussion of topics of importance to the development of the medical student educational program, for reports from the educational standing committees on current issues and activities, and for approval of recommended changes in operational or program management. Under the leadership of the Vice Dean, FCAA can provide advisory oversight for the curriculum and related policy decisions, may initiate further discussion of curricular issues with regional leadership, and other stakeholders as appropriate to the issue under discussion, or respond to issues raised by the Curriculum Committee.
  4. In the event of conflicts in the course of management or oversight of the curriculum that cannot be resolved in the committee setting, the Curriculum Committee can seek further advisory input from the FCAA, regional leadership, and other stakeholders as appropriate to the issue under discussion.

Article 3: Guiding Principles

  1. Governance procedures are consistent with LCME requirements.
  2. Governance procedures incorporate appropriate representation from across the WWAMI region.
  3. Curriculum management allows for an appropriate balance between central oversight and local initiative, innovation, and site optimization.
  4. The governance process encourages continuous improvement of the curriculum.
  5. All SOM students have equal access to an equivalent curriculum designed to achieve the learning objectives defined in the curriculum renewal process.
  6. Processes leading to decision-making are based on open discussion, transparency, shared governance, and iterative consensus development.

Article 4: Membership

  1. Expectation of members: Although members are elected to ensure broad representation of the SOM, members have the responsibility to function as “members of the whole,” working to optimize the curriculum, rather than to represent the interests of a particular constituency.
  2. Faculty: The Curriculum Committee will consist of twelve elected faculty members in good standing, with a minimum of four regional faculty members. The four chairs of the Phase/Theme committees will also serve as members of the committee.
  3. Students: The Curriculum Committee will include five student representatives who are students in good standing:  two students from the WWAMI region and one from Seattle Foundations Phase; and two students in the Clinical Phases, one of whom completed Foundations in the region and one of whom completed Foundations in Seattle.
  4. Terms: Faculty committee members will serve three-year terms.  Members may serve two consecutive terms.  One third of the committee membership will rotate (or be re-elected) each year.  No person will serve more than six consecutive years.  Student committee members serve two-year terms, with half rotating each year.  No student will serve more than two consecutive years.  At the founding of the Curriculum Committee, terms will be staggered for founding members in order to establish the above rotation pattern for subsequent years.
  5. Election of faculty members: Each fall, a call for faculty candidates for open positions on the Curriculum Committee will be issued by the Dean of the School of Medicine.

This call for candidates will be sent to all faculty throughout the entire WWAMI program.  Individuals interested in serving on the Curriculum Committee will be asked to submit a statement of interest and eligibility to their department chair, regional dean, or, if neither of these is relevant, the Associate Dean for Curriculum.  Individuals also need to send a copy of their statement of interest to the Curriculum Office. Individuals who submit nominations through the School of Medicine will be contacted by the Curriculum Office with the requirement to also contact their chair.  After two weeks, these chairs and deans will submit the names and statements of all interested individuals whom they deem appropriate to be candidates for the Curriculum Committee.

A Nominating Committee, consisting of five people (the Executive Co-Chair, the Academic Co-Chair, Co-Chair Elect and Past Co-Chair, and a fifth member selected from the elected members) will prepare a slate of up to 24 candidates to elect a total of twelve elected faculty members, of whom a minimum of eight candidates will be from WWAMI regional sites (defined as Wyoming, Eastern Washington, Western Washington greater than 90 miles from Seattle, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho).   The WWAMI candidates may be either university-based or based in clinical settings but must be current active participants in WWAMI education as teachers or administrators.   All other candidates must also be current active participants in UW School of Medicine education as teachers or administrators.  The 24 candidates selected for the candidate slate will consist of one-third basic scientists, one-third clinicians, and one-third WWAMI faculty (either basic science or clinical).  If there are insufficient candidates for a category, the nominating committee can elect to issue fewer candidates for that category.

The slate of up to 24 candidates selected by the Nominating Committee will be presented to the entire faculty, both in Seattle and throughout the WWAMI region, for an electronic vote of the faculty.  The voting process will be open for ten days.  In order to ensure that no faculty member votes twice, the vote will be confidential rather than anonymous.  The committee members will be selected as the four individuals in each category (basic science, clinical, WWAMI) who receive the greatest number of votes in that category.  In the event of a tie vote, a run-off election will be held.

In the event that an elected committee member must step down from the Curriculum Committee prior to the completion of his/her term, the co-chairs will assign another faculty member to serve in an interim status, with that position open to applicants at the next faculty-wide election.   As soon as that election occurs, the interim committee member will step down (unless that individual is a candidate and is elected to the committee during the election).

  1. Election of student members: A Nominating Committee consisting of four people (Associate Dean for Student Affairs; a regional Assistant Dean; and two Medical Student Association representatives, one from the WWAMI region and one from Seattle) will prepare a slate of eight student candidates to elect four student representatives.   Of the candidates, two each will be from the WWAMI and Seattle Foundations Phase; and four students in the Clinical Phases, two of whom completed Foundations in the WWAMI region and two of whom completed Foundations in Seattle.  The slate of candidates will be put to an electronic vote of the entire UW School of Medicine student body.  The voting process will be open for ten days.  In order to ensure that no student votes twice, the vote will be confidential rather than anonymous.  The student committee representatives selected will be one each from WWAMI and Seattle Foundations, and two from the Clinical phase (one of whom completed Foundations in the WWAMI region and one of whom completed Foundations in the Seattle region).
  2. Faculty or student member resignation or replacement: In the case of resignation of an elected faculty or student member of the Committee, the Academic Co-chair and Executive Co-chair shall appoint a member from the same category (basic scientist, clinician, WWAMI faculty, student).  Members who replace departed members will finish the term of the member whose seat they are replacing and then add their name to the ballot to be elected to serve another term, if eligible. An election to replace the member will take place during the following election cycle.
  3. Possible replacement for absenteeism: Members who miss three or more committee meetings in a six-month period can be dismissed by the Academic Co-chair and Executive Co-chair after discussion with the member.

Article 5: Officers

  1. Designation: The Curriculum Committee will be co-chaired by a committee member (Academic Co-chair) and the Associate Dean for Curriculum (Executive Co-Chair).  The Academic Co-Chair will be selected from faculty members who have served for at least one year by expressed interest of committee members and, in the event of multiple candidates, a vote of the Curriculum Committee members.
  2. Terms: Academic co-chairs will serve three years:  as co-chair elect; co-chair; and past co-chair.  It is expected that the founding co-chair will serve at least a two-year term:  as founding co-chair and as past co-chair.
  3. Duties: The Executive Co-Chair and Academic Co-Chair are expected to work together to set agendas, lead meetings, ensure adequate and appropriate documentation of meetings and decisions, convene task forces and special groups as needed, serve as liaison to the Foundations Phase, Patient Care Phase, Explore and Focus Phase, and Themes Committees and Faculty Council on Academic Affairs, oversee or delegate oversight as appropriate the work of appointed committees and subcommittees, report recommendations from the committee to the  Vice Dean for Academic, Rural and Regional Affairs and for placement on the FCAA agenda, and provide regular updates to the Medical School Executive Committee.   The office of the Executive Co-Chair will be responsible for record-keeping associated with the responsibilities of the co-chairs and Curriculum Committee.

Article 6: Procedures

  1. Meetings:
    • Meetings of the Curriculum Committee will be called by the co-chairs.
    • Each committee meeting will be chaired by the Executive Co-Chair, the Academic Co-Chair, or both co-chairs, at the discretion of the co-chairs. At least one co-chair will be present at each meeting.
    • The Curriculum Committee will meet at least monthly for a minimum of nine months of the year.
    • The co-chairs may call special meetings for the purpose of hearing reports, discussing matters of interest to the curriculum and seeking the committee’s advice.
    • Associate and assistant deans and other representatives of the dean may attend Curriculum Committee and Phase/Theme Committee meetings as ex-officio members. The co-chairs may also invite other members of the faculty, staff and students to serve as ex-officio members.  Ex-officio members will not vote.
  2. Parliamentary authority: The conduct of meetings will be governed by Robert’s Rules of Order.
  3. Voting:
    • Voting members: Voting members are the faculty and student members, not including the Executive Co-Chair and ex-officio members.
    • Quorum: The quorum required for meetings will be more than 50 percent of the voting members.
    • Voting: Approval of educational policies and program level changes will be decided on by sixty percent vote of all voting members.  Voting on matters except policies and program level changes will be decided on by majority vote of voting members present, including the Academic Co-Chair but not the Executive Co-Chair.  Voting may occur electronically.  Meeting recordings are available to voting members, upon request.
    • Tie votes: The vote of the Executive Co-Chair will be cast only in the event of a tie vote of the committee members, including the Academic Co-Chair.

Article 7: Communications, records and approval

  1. The co-chairs of the Curriculum Committee will be responsible for ensuring that administrative staff keep accurate records of all meetings. A full set of minutes of each meeting of the Curriculum Committee will be retained for at least 10 years. Minutes of the meetings will be posted on the curriculum website within one month of the meeting.
  2. All decisions and recommendations made by the Curriculum Committee will be kept in a permanent, dated log and will be transmitted to the Vice Dean for Academic, Rural and Regional Affairs.

Section 2: Standing Phase and Theme Committees and Subcommittees

  1. Definition and Jurisdiction
    1. Foundations Phase Committee: This committee is responsible for oversight of content and learning objectives for the Foundations Phase, identifying opportunities for continuous curriculum improvement, and assuring evaluation of student performance, teaching effectiveness, and curricular quality.  The committee will assure that the Foundations curriculum is delivered as planned and that there is equivalency of the curriculum across sites, including an acceptable range of diversity in contemporary pedagogical methods and other course elements.  The chair from this committee will serve on the Curriculum Committee as a full voting member.  A separate and complementary set of bylaws developed by the Curriculum Committee will address the proceedings of the Foundations Phase Committee.
    2. Patient Care Phase Committee: This committee is responsible for oversight of content and learning objectives for the Patient Care Phase, identifying opportunities for continuous curriculum improvement, and assuring evaluation of student performance, teaching effectiveness, and curricular quality.  The committee will assure that the Patient Care Phase curriculum is delivered as planned and that there is equivalency of the curriculum across sites, including an acceptable range of diversity in contemporary pedagogical methods, clinical experiences and opportunities, and other course elements.  The chair of this committee will serve on the Curriculum Committee as a full voting member. A separate and complementary set of bylaws developed by the Curriculum Committee will address the proceedings of the Patient Care Phase Committee.
    3. Explore and Focus Phase Committee: This committee is responsible for oversight of content and learning objectives for the Explore and Focus Phase, identifying opportunities for continuous curriculum improvement, and assuring evaluation of student performance, teaching effectiveness, and curricular quality.  The committee will assure that the Explore and Focus curriculum is delivered as planned and that there is equivalency of the curriculum across sites, including an acceptable range of diversity in contemporary pedagogical methods, clinical experiences and opportunities, and other course elements.   The chair from this committee will serve on the Curriculum Committee as a full voting member. A separate and complementary set of bylaws developed by the Curriculum Committee will address the proceedings of the Explore and Focus Phase Committee.
    4. Themes Committee: This committee is responsible for oversight of content and learning objectives for the themes that are integrated into the entire curriculum (Foundations Phase, Patient Care Phase and Explore and Focus Phase). It will identify opportunities for continuous curriculum improvement and assure that the themes are well represented and evaluated.  The committee will ensure that the curriculum is delivered as planned and that there is equivalency of the curriculum across sites, including an acceptable range of diversity in contemporary pedagogical methods, clinical experiences and opportunities, and other course elements as appropriate to each phase.  The chair of this committee will serve on the Curriculum Committee as a full voting member. A separate and complementary set of bylaws developed by the Curriculum Committee will address the proceedings of the Patient Care Phase Committee.
    5. Assessment Committee: This standing committee is responsible for defining methods and options for evaluation of students as presented to and approved by the Curriculum Committee and the Phase and Theme committees.  The Assessment Committee will monitor and assure equivalent assessment across all regional sites, including timing, content, administration, grading and interpretation.  A representative of the Assessment Committee will sit as an ex-officio, non-voting member of the Curriculum Committee.
  2. Election of faculty members for phase committees: Faculty representatives who qualify for a category may self-nominate for a phase committee. A Nominating Committee, consisting of five people (the Executive Co-Chair, the Academic Co-Chair, Co-Chair Elect and Past Co-Chair, and a fifth member selected from the elected members) will review the roster of candidates and prepare a slate of candidates for a vote by the Curriculum Committee.

Section 3: Management of Conflicts

When conflicts occur in the course of management or oversight of the curriculum, resolution will be attempted through iterative discussion at the phase/theme committee or Curriculum Committee level.  If conflicts cannot be resolved in this way, further advisory input will be sought from the Vice Dean for Academic, Rural and Regional Affairs. The Vice Dean may decide to place the issue on the agenda of the Faculty Council on Academic Affairs and/or request broader discussion and input from the regional leadership and other stakeholders as appropriate to the issue under discussion.  Ultimate authority and decisions rest with the Dean of the UW School of Medicine and are delegated by the Dean to the Vice Dean for Academic, Rural and Regional Affairs as Chief Academic Officer.

Section 4: Ad hoc Subcommittees

In conducting its business, the Curriculum Committee may appoint ad hoc subcommittees from time to time, as these may become necessary for transaction of business and supervision of the curriculum, provided the purpose of any such subcommittee does not fall within the jurisdiction of an existing Committee, i.e. Foundations Phase, Patient Care Phase, Explore and Focus Phase, Themes, and Assessment.  Ad hoc subcommittees may be composed of members of the Curriculum Committee, phase/theme committees, or faculty and staff at large, or a combination thereof.  No ad hoc subcommittee will be appointed for a term longer than two calendar years.

Section 5: Additional Areas of Responsibility

Business, content, and areas related to the medical school curriculum that are not enumerated or delegated to another committee and that require committee attention will be the purview of the Curriculum Committee.

Section 6: Amendments and Other Provisions

Amendments to the Curriculum Committee bylaws will be presented to the Curriculum Committee for review, discussion and a vote.

Approval date: June 8, 2015
Revision: March 13, 2017
Revision: December 11, 2017
Revision: August 6, 2018
Revision: December 2, 2019
Revision: August 20, 2020

Curriculum Committee Voting Members TERM 1 TERM 2
SEAT POSITION SITE FIRST NAME LAST NAME INITIATION EXPIRY INITIATION EXPIRY
CHR Executive Co-Chair Seattle Heather McPhillips Appointed Term-exempt position
FCACC Foundations Phase Committee Representative Seattle Matt Cunningham Elected Term as dictated by Foundations Phase Committee
PCCACC Patient Care Phase Committee Representative Seattle Kristine Calhoun Elected Term as dictated by Patient Care Phase Committee
EFCACC Explore and Focus Phase Committee Representative Seattle Esther Chung Elected Term as dictated by Explore and Focus Phase Committee
TCACC Themes Committee Representative Elected Term as dictated by Themes Committee
ACC Academic Co-Chair Seattle Laura Goodell Elected 2022 2025 NA NA
ACCP Academic Co-Chair Past Seattle Sherilyn Smith Elected
Seat 1 Clinical Member 1 Seattle Eric LaMotte Elected 2019 2022 2022 2025
Seat 2 Clinical Member 2 VACANT
Seat 3 Clinical Member 3 UWMC-Northwest Colette Inaba Elected 2023 2026
Seat 4 Clinical Member 4 Missoula Chris Jons Elected 2023 2026
Seat 5 Basic Scientist 1 Spokane Zach Gallaher Elected 2019 2022 2022 2025
Seat 6 Basic Scientist 2 Idaho Peter Fuerst Elected 2018 2021 2021 2024
Seat 7 Basic Scientist 3 Bozeman Seth Pincus Elected 2023 2026
Seat 8 Basic Scientist 4 VACANT
Seat 9 Regional Member 1 Wyoming John Willford Elected 2019 2022 2022 2025
Seat 10 Regional Member 2 Montana Laura Goodell Elected 2018 2021 2021 2024
Seat 11 Regional Member 3 Alaska Cindy Knall Elected 2020 2023 2023 2026
Seat 12 Regional Member 4 Idaho Leanne Rousseau Elected 2019 2022 2022 2025
SFS Student Member – Foundations (in Seattle) Seattle Shelby Snyder Elected 2023 2024 2024 2025
CWF Student Member – Clinical (Completed Foundations in WWAMI Idaho Lukas Schwarz Elected 2023 2024 2024 2025
CSF Student Member – Clinical (Completed Foundations in Seattle) Seattle L’Oreal Kennedy Elected 2023 2024 2024 2025
SCW Student Member – Clinical (in WWAMI) VACANT N/A N/A N/A N/A
SCW Student Member – Clinical (In WWAMI) VACANT N/A N/A N/A N/A

 

Ex-Officio Members
 Title
Suzanne Allen Vice Dean for Academic, Rural & Regional Affairs
Leo Morales Assistant Dean, Office for Healthcare Equity
Gerald Tolbert Interim Associate Dean for Student Affairs
Sara Kim Associate Dean for Educational Quality Improvement
LeeAnna Muzquiz Associate Dean for Admissions
Darryl Potyk Associate Dean for Eastern Washington
John McCarthy Assistant Dean for Rural Programs
Geoff Jones Assistant Dean, Clinical Phase, Eastern & Central WA
Judy Swanson Assistant Dean, Clinical Phase, Spokane
Frank Batcha Assistant Dean, Clinical Phase, Idaho
Mary Barinaga Assistant Dean, Clinical Phase, Idaho
Robert Monger Assistant Dean, Clinical Phase, Wyoming
Devin Sawyer Assistant Dean, Clinical Phase, Western Washington
Barb Doty Assistant Dean, Clinical Phase, Alaska
Jeff Seegmiller Assistant Dean, Foundations Phase, Idaho
Brant Schumaker Assistant Dean, Foundations Phase, Wyoming
Bill Sayres Assistant Dean, Foundations Phase, Spokane
Martin Teintze Assistant Dean, Foundations Phase, Montana
Edwin Lindo Associate Director, Critical Thinking & Equity, CLIME
Kellie Engle Director, Curriculum

Foundations Phase Committee

The Foundations Phase Committee is delegated authority by the Curriculum Committee and the Vice Dean for Academic, Rural and Regional Affairs. The committee is accountable for assuring delivery and evaluation of the Foundations Phase curriculum that meets UWSOM learning objectives and is equivalent across all WWAMI Foundations campuses.

Committee meetings are open for any interested individual in the UWSOM community to attend as a guest. Meetings are held Mondays from 4-5:30PM PT or Tuesdays from 9-10:30AM PT via zoom. E-mail the Curriculum Office at somgov@uw.edu to be added to the e-mail list.

2023-2024 Academic Year Meeting Schedule:

  • September 26, 2023 (Tuesday)
  • October 23, 2023 (Monday)
  • November 27, 2023 (Monday)
  • December 18, 2023 (Monday)
  • January 30, 2024 (Tuesday)
  • February 26, 2024 (Monday)
  • March 25, 2024 (Monday)
  • April 22, 2024 (Monday)
  • May 20, 2024 (Monday)
  • June 24, 2024 (Monday)

Foundations Phase Committee Bylaws

Section 1: Foundations Phase Committee

Article 1: General Governance

The following Bylaws govern the organization and procedures of the Foundations Phase Committee, a subcommittee of the Curriculum Committee of the University of Washington School of Medicine (UWSOM) and are adopted in accordance with the Curriculum Governance Committee Report that was finalized in February 2014 and approved by the Medical School Executive Committee and the Dean.  The Curriculum Committee has reviewed and approved the Foundations Phase Bylaws on March 15, 2016.

Article 2: Authority and Accountability

  1. Authority: The Foundations Phase Committee is delegated authority by the Curriculum Committee and the Vice Dean for Academic, Rural and Regional Affairs and has accountability for assuring delivery and evaluation of the Foundations curriculum that meets UWSOM learning objectives and is equivalent across all WWAMI Foundations campuses.
  2. Accountability: The Foundations Phase Committee reports and provides recommendations to the Curriculum Committee. Once a year, the Foundations Phase Committee will provide a summary of the past year’s activities, issues and resolutions to the Curriculum Committee and the Vice Dean for Academic, Rural and Regional Affairs.

Article 3: Guiding Principles

  1. Governance procedures are consistent with LCME requirements.
  2. Governance procedures incorporate appropriate representation from across the WWAMI region.
  3. Curriculum management allows for an appropriate balance between central oversight and local initiative, innovation, and site optimization.
  4. The governance process encourages continuous improvement of the curriculum.
  5. All UWSOM students have equal access to an equivalent Foundations Phase curriculum designed to achieve the learning objectives of the courses and of the overall medical education program.
  6. Processes leading to decision-making are based on open discussion, transparency, shared governance, and iterative consensus development.

Article 4: Membership

  1. Expectation of members: Although members are elected to ensure broad representation of the UWSOM, members have the responsibility to function as “members of the whole,” working to optimize the curriculum, rather than represent the interests of a particular constituency.
  2. Faculty: The Foundations Phase Committee will consist of up to 15 faculty members in good standing, with half from the WWAMI region:
    • Seven members will be block representatives
    • One member will be a member of the Patient Care Phase Committee
    • One member will be a member of the Themes Committee
    • Five members will be thread or theme representatives (threads include Foundations of Clinical Medicine, pharmacology, histology, pathology and human form and function—anatomy, imaging and related topics areas. Themes include cultural components of health and medicine, systems components of health and medicine and human interactions in health and medicine)
    • One member will represent assessment; this individual may be either faculty or staff but should be a member of the Program Evaluation and Assessment Committee
  3. Students: The Foundations Phase Committee will include at least four student representatives in good standing: two students in the Foundations Phase and two students in the Clinical Phases. Half of the student members will be from the WWAMI region (if possible, one from Foundations Phase and one from Patient Care and/or Explore & Focus Phases).
  4. Terms: Faculty committee members will serve a term of three years with the option of serving one additional term. Approximately one third of the committee membership will rotate each year, with rotation to occur in autumn. No person will serve more than six consecutive years (with the exception of the Academic Co-Chair, see Article 5, b.). Student members will serve a two-year term. Graduating students are eligible even if they cannot fulfill the entire two years.
  5. Selection of faculty members: Block, thread and theme faculty representatives will self-nominate. All faculty members must be actively teaching within the curriculum, be a member of the UW Medicine faculty (or, in the case of the assessment representative, a staff member will be acceptable) and be able to attend a majority of committee meetings.For the Foundations Phase Committee, individuals can be block, thread and theme leaders, block site leaders, or block, thread, or theme team members without leadership roles.  The assessment representative will self-nominate from the Program Evaluation and Assessment Committee (PEAC).  The Patient Care Phase representative will self-nominate from the Patient Care Phase Committee.  Whenever possible, the expectation is that each vacant position will receive one nomination from a WWAMI Foundations campus and one nomination from Seattle.The office of the Associate Dean for Curriculum will be responsible for issuing requests for self-nominations to the entire cohort of people in appropriate categories at appropriate intervals and times.  Individuals self-nominating will be asked to submit a statement of interest to the Curriculum Committee with a copy to the Department Chair or Regional Dean.  A Nominating Committee (appointed by the Curriculum Committee) will prepare a roster of candidates to be reviewed and approved by a vote of the Curriculum Committee.In the event a committee member must step down prior to the completion of their term, the Co-Chairs will issue a request for self-nominations for a candidate in the appropriate category (e.g., students, block representatives, etc.).
  6. Selection of student members: Students may self-nominate. The Nominating Committee may also nominate students to serve on the committee.  The roster of candidates will be reviewed and approved by a vote of the Curriculum Committee.
  7. Faculty or student member resignation or replacement: In the event an elected faculty or student member resigns, the Academic Co-Chair and Executive Co-Chair shall appoint a member from the same category (basic scientist, clinician, WWAMI faculty, student, etc.).  An election to replace the member will take place during the following election cycle.  If the appointed member is elected, this interim period does not count toward the cumulative period of the term.
  8. Possible replacement for absenteeism: Members who miss three or more committee meetings in a six-month period can be dismissed by the Academic Co-Chair and Executive Co-Chair after discussion with the member.

Article 5: Officers

  1. Designation: The Foundations Phase Committee will be Co-Chaired by a committee member (Academic Co-Chair) and the Assistant Dean for Basic Science (Executive Co-Chair). The Academic Co-Chair will be selected from faculty members who have served at least one year by expressed interest of committee members and, in the event of multiple candidates, a vote of the Foundations Phase Committee members.
  2. Terms: Academic Co-Chairs will serve a term of two years with the option of serving one additional term. Academic Co-Chairs may finish their term as officer even if their faculty membership expires.
  3. Duties: The Executive Co-Chair and Academic Co-Chair are expected to work together to set agendas, lead meetings, ensure adequate and appropriate documentation of meetings and decisions, convene task forces and special groups as needed, report recommendations and serve as liaisons to the Curriculum Committee, and oversee the work of appointed committees and subcommittees. The office of the Executive Co-Chair will be responsible for record-keeping associated with the responsibilities of the Co-Chairs and Foundations Phase Committee.

Article 6: Procedures

  1. Meetings
    • Meetings of the Foundations Phase Committee will be called by the Co-Chairs.
    • Each committee meeting will be chaired by the Executive Co-Chair, the Academic Co-Chair, or both Co-Chairs, at the discretion of the Co-Chairs. At least one Co-Chair must be present at each meeting.
    • The Foundations Phase Committee will meet at least monthly for a minimum of nine months of the year.
    • The Co-Chairs may call special meetings for the purpose of hearing reports, discussing matters of interest, and seeking the committee’s advice.
    • Associate and assistant deans and other representatives of the dean may attend Foundations Phase Committee as ex-officio members. The Co-Chairs may also invite other members of the faculty, staff, and students to serve as ex-officio members. Ex-officio members will not vote.
    • The Academic Co-Chair will serve on the Curriculum Committee during their active service as a full voting member.
  2. Parliamentary authority: The conduct of meetings will be governed by Robert’s Rules of Order.
  3. Voting:
    • Voting members: Voting members are the faculty and student members, not including the Executive Co-Chair and ex-officio members.
    • Quorum: The quorum required for meetings will be more than 50 percent of the voting members.
    • Voting: Motions will be decided by a majority vote of the voting members present (including the Academic Co-Chair but not the Executive Co-Chair).
    • Tie votes: The vote of the Executive Co-Chair will only be cast in the event of a tie vote of the committee members, including the Academic Co-Chair.

Article 7: Communications, records and approval

  1. The Co-Chairs of the Foundations Phase Committee will be responsible for ensuring administrative staff maintain accurate records of all meetings. A full set of minutes of each meeting of the Foundations Phase Committee will be retained for at least 10 years.  Meeting minutes will be posted on the curriculum governance website within one month of being approved by the committee.
  2. All decisions and recommendations made by the Foundations Phase Committee will be made available for review by the Curriculum Committee. Once ratified, decisions and recommendations will be kept in a permanent, dated log. Non-ratified decisions and recommendations made by the Foundations Committee will also be retained; however, these will be held in a separate category.

Section 2: Standing Phase and Theme Committees and Subcommittees

Definition and Jurisdiction: This committee is responsible for oversight of content and learning objectives for the Foundations Phase, assuring assessment of student performance, and identifying opportunities for continuous curriculum improvement via evaluations of teaching effectiveness and curricular quality.  The committee will assure that the Foundations curriculum is delivered as planned and that there is equivalency of the curriculum across WWAMI Foundations Campuses, including an acceptable range of diversity in contemporary pedagogical methods and other course elements.  The Academic Co-Chair from this committee will serve on the Curriculum Committee as a full voting member.

Section 3: Management of Conflicts

When conflicts occur in the course of management or oversight of the Foundations curriculum, resolution will be attempted through iterative discussion at the committee level. If conflicts cannot be resolved in this way, further advisory input will be sought from the Curriculum Committee and, if needed, the Vice Dean for Academic, Rural and Regional Affairs.  Ultimate authority rests with the Curriculum Committee and the Vice Dean for Academic, Rural and Regional Affairs.

Section 4: Ad hoc Subcommittees

In conducting its business, the Foundations Phase Committee may appoint ad hoc subcommittees, as these may become necessary for transaction of business and supervision of the curriculum, provided the purpose of any such subcommittee does not fall within the jurisdiction of another existing committee. Ad hoc subcommittees may be composed of members of the Foundations Phase Committee or faculty, students and staff at large, or a combination thereof. No ad hoc subcommittee will be appointed for a term longer than two calendar years.

Section 5: Amendments and Other Provisions

Amendments to the Foundations Phase Committee Bylaws will be presented to the Curriculum Committee for review, discussion, and a vote.

Approval date: March 15, 2016
Revision: September 10, 2018
Revision: December 02, 2019
Revision: August 20, 2020
Revision: July 19, 2021

Foundations Phase Committee Voting Members TERM 1 TERM 2
SEAT POSITION SITE FIRST NAME LAST NAME INITIATION EXPIRY INITIATION EXPIRY
CHR Executive Co-Chair Seattle Edith Wang Appointed Term-exempt position
TCR Themes Committee Representative Seattle Amanda Kost Elected Term as dictated by Themes Committee
PEACR Program Evaluation & Assessment Committee Representative Seattle Matthew Cunningham Elected Term as dictated by PEAC
PCCR Patient Care Phase Committee Representative Vacant Elected Term as dictated by Patient Care Phase Committee
ACC Academic Co-Chair Seattle Matthew Cunningham Elected 2020 2022 2022 2024
Seat 1 Block Representative 1 FCM Seattle Rebekah Burns Elected 2019 2022 2022 2025
Seat 2 Block Representative 2 Blood Seattle Natasha Hunter Elected 2020 2023 2023 2026
Seat 3 Block Representative 3 Blood Alaska Holly Martinson Elected 2020 2023 2023 2026
Seat 4 Block Representative 4 CPR Montana Gerald Groggel Elected 2020 2023 2023 2026
Seat 5 Block Representative 5 E&H Spokane Michael Stephen Elected 2021 2024 2024 2027
Seat 6 Block Representative 6 MBB Seattle Leo Wang Elected 2020 2023 2023 2026
Seat 7 Block Representative 7 MCBD Alaska Shannon Uffenbeck Elected 2021 2024 2024 2027
Seat 8 Thread/Theme Representative 1 Path/Histo Seattle Elizabeth Parker Elected 2021 2024 2024 2027
Seat 9 Thread/Theme Representative 2 Family Medicine Alaska Sarah Murphy Appointed 2023 2024
Seat 10 Thread/Theme Representative 3 HFF Montana Cassie Cusick Elected 2020 2023 2023 2026
Seat 11 Thread/Theme Representative  4 Vacant
Seat 12 Thread/Theme Representative 5  Vacant
SFS Student Member – Foundations (In Seattle) E-22 Seattle Ryan Thomas Elected 2023 2024 2024 2025
CSF Student Member – Clinical (Completed in Foundations in Seattle) E-20 Alexis Madelyn Baranoff Elected 2023 2024 2024 2025
CWF Student Member – Clinical (Completed Foundations in WWAMI) Vacant
SFW  Student Member – Foundations (In WWAMI) Vacant

2023-2024 Academic Year Meeting Minutes:

2022-2023 Academic Year Meeting Minutes:

2021-2022 Academic Year Meeting Minutes:

Patient Care Phase Committee

The Patient Care Phase Committee is delegated authority by the Curriculum Committee and the Vice Dean for Academic, Rural and Regional Affairs. The committee is accountable for assuring delivery and evaluation of the Patient Care Phase curriculum that meets UWSOM learning objectives and is equivalent across all WWAMI sites.

Committee meetings are open for any interested individual in the UWSOM community to attend as a guest. Meetings are held Mondays from 4-5:30PM PT via zoom. E-mail the Curriculum Office at somgov@uw.edu to be added to the e-mail list.

2023-2024 Academic Year Meeting Schedule:

  • September 18, 2023
  • October 09, 2023
  • November 13, 2023
  • December 11, 2023
  • January 22, 2024
  • February 12, 2024
  • March 11, 2024
  • April 08, 2024
  • May 13, 2024
  • June 03, 2024

Patient Care Phase Committee Bylaws

Section 1: Patient Care Phase Committee

Article 1: General Governance

The following Bylaws govern the organization and procedures of the Patient Care Phase Committee, a subcommittee of the Curriculum Committee of the University of Washington School of Medicine, and are adopted in accordance with the Curriculum Governance Committee Report that was finalized in February 2014 and approved by the Medical School Executive Committee and the Dean.  The Curriculum Committee has reviewed and approved the Patient Care Phase Bylaws on 10/1/2021.

Article 2: Authority and Accountability

  1. Authority: The Patient Care Phase Committee is delegated authority by the Curriculum Committee and the Vice Dean for Academic, Rural and Regional Affairs and has accountability for assuring delivery and evaluation of the Patient Care curriculum that meets UW School of Medicine learning objectives and is equivalent across all WWAMI sites.
  2. Accountability: The Patient Care Phase Committee reports to and provides recommendations to the Curriculum Committee. Once a year, the Patient Care Phase Committee will provide a summary of the past year’s activities, issues and resolutions to the Curriculum Committee and the Vice Dean for Academic, Rural and Regional Affairs.

Article 3: Guiding Principles

  1. Governance procedures are consistent with LCME requirements.
  2. Governance procedures incorporate appropriate representation from across the WWAMI region.
  3. Curriculum management allows for an appropriate balance between central oversight and local initiative, innovation, and site optimization.
  4. The governance process encourages continuous improvement of the curriculum.
  5. All SOM students have equal access to an equivalent Patient Care Phase curriculum designed to achieve the learning objectives defined in the curriculum renewal process.
  6. Processes leading to decision-making are based on open discussion, transparency, shared governance, and iterative consensus development.

Article 4: Membership

  1. Expectation of members: Although members are elected to ensure broad representation of the SOM, members have the responsibility to function as “members of the whole,” working to optimize the curriculum, rather than to represent the interests of a particular constituency.
  2. Faculty: The Patient Care Phase Committee will consist of about 20 members in good standing, with approximately half from WWAMI training sites, as follows:
    • Five members will be individuals responsible for the required clerkships (emergency medicine, family medicine, medicine, obstetrics & gynecology, neurology, pediatrics, psychiatry, and surgery).
    • One member will be a member of the Foundations Phase Committee
    • One member of the Explore and Focus Phase Committee
    • One member will be a member of the Themes Committee
    • One member will be a member of the Program Evaluation and Assessment Committee (this individual may be a staff member)
      Five members will be faculty based at regional sites and involved in the Patient Care Phase implementation and representing the longitudinal integrated clerkships (LICs) and Tracks: western Washington, eastern Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho.
    • Two members will be general faculty
      Clerkship Directors for required clerkships not serving as voting members will become non-voting (ex-officio) members.
  3. Students: The Patient Care Phase Committee will include three student representatives who are students in good standing, have completed the Patient Care Phase, and include one student each representing traditional clerkships, Track, and LIC. These individuals may be self-nominated or selected by the Nominating Committee consisting of one Foundations Dean, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, and Medical Student Association student representative.
  4. Terms: Faculty committee members will serve three-year terms with the option of one additional term. One third of the committee membership will rotate each year, with rotation to occur at the end of the academic calendar year. No person will serve more than six consecutive yea At the conclusion of a Clerkship Director’s term, an Associate Clerkship Director or faculty representative may be appointed in place of the Clerkship Director. At the completion of two terms, clerkship directors may become ex-officio members.  At the founding of the Patient Care Phase Committee, faculty terms will be staggered in order to establish the above rotation pattern for subsequent years. Student committee members will serve one year terms (April to April).  Initial terms may be longer than one year to stagger student membership and allow junior committee members to serve with a more senior committee member.
  5. Selection of faculty members: Faculty representatives who qualify for a category may self-nominate.  Regional deans may also nominate faculty from the WWAMI region. All faculty members must be actively teaching within the curriculum, be a member of the UW Medicine faculty (or, in the case of the assessment representative, a staff member will be acceptable) and be available to attend a majority of the meetings of the committee.  The office of the Associate Dean for Curriculum will be responsible for issuing requests for self-nominations to the entire cohort of people in appropriate categories at appropriate intervals and times.  Individuals self-nominating will be asked to submit a statement of interest to the Curriculum Committee with a copy to the Department Chair or Regional Dean. The roster of candidates will be reviewed and approved by a vote of the Curriculum Committee. In the event that a committee member must step down from the Patient Care Phase Committee prior to the completion of his/her term, the co-chairs will put out a call for self-nominations for a candidate in the appropriate category (i.e., students, block representatives, etc.).
  6. Selection of students: Students may self-nominate.  The Nominating Committee may also nominate students to serve on the committee
  7. Faculty or student member resignation or replacement: In the case of resignation of an elected faculty or student member of the Committee, the Academic Co-chair and Executive Co-chair shall appoint a member from the same category (basic scientist, clinician, WWAMI faculty, student).  An election to replace the member will take place during the following election cycle.  If elected, this interim period does not count toward the cumulative period of the term.
  8. Possible replacement for absenteeism: Members who miss three or more committee meetings in a six month period can be dismissed by the Academic Co-chair and Executive Co-chair after discussion with the member.

Article 5: Officers

  1. Designation: The Patient Care Phase Committee will be co-chaired by a committee member (Academic Co-chair) and the Associate Dean for Curriculum (Executive Co-Chair). The Academic Co-Chair will be selected from faculty members who have served for at least one year by expressed interest of committee members and, in the event of multiple candidates, a vote of the Patient Care Phase Committee members. During the founding year of the committee, the Academic Co-Chair can be any faculty member).  The Academic Co-Chair may not serve as a representative of a Phase Committee while serving as Co-Chair.
  2. Terms: Academic co-chairs will serve two years with the option of one renewal. It is expected that the past chairperson will remain on the committee for at least one year to facilitate continuity of oversight.
  3. Duties: The Executive Co-Chair and Academic Co-Chair are expected to work together to set agendas, lead meetings, ensure adequate and appropriate documentation of meetings and decisions, convene task forces and special groups as needed, serve as liaison to the Curriculum Committee, oversee or delegate oversight as appropriate the work of appointed committees and subcommittees, and report recommendations from the Patient Care Phase Committee to the Curriculum Committee.  The office of the Executive Co-Chair will be responsible for record-keeping associated with the responsibilities of the co-chairs and Patient Care Phase Committee.

Article 6: Procedures

  1. Meetings
    • Meetings of the Patient Care Phase Committee will be called by the co-chairs.
    • Each committee meeting will be chaired by the Executive Co-Chair, the Academic Co-Chair, or both co-chairs, at the discretion of the co-chairs. At least one co-chair will be present at each meeting.
    • The Patient Care Phase Committee will meet at least monthly for a minimum of nine months of the year.
    • The co-chairs may call special meetings for the purpose of hearing reports, discussing matters of interest to the curriculum and seeking the committee’s advice.
    • Clerkship administrators, associate and assistant deans and other representatives of the dean may attend Patient Care Phase Committee as ex officio members. The co-chairs may also invite other members of the faculty, staff and students to serve as ex-officio members. Ex-officio members will not vote.
    • The Academic Co-Chair will serve on the Curriculum Committee during his/her active service as a full voting member.
  2. Parliamentary authority: The conduct of meetings will be governed by Robert’s Rules of Order.
  3. Voting
    • Voting members: Voting members are the faculty and student members, not including the Executive Co-Chair and ex officio members. Voting members may have multiple roles on the committee but will have a single vote.
    • Quorum: The quorum required for meetings will be more than 50 percent of the voting members. All items brought before the Patient Care Phase Committee will be decided on by majority vote of voting members present, including the Academic Co-Chair but not the Executive Co-Chair.
    • Tie votes: The vote of the Executive Co-Chair will be cast only in the event of a tie vote of the committee members, including the Academic Co-Chair.

Article 7: Communications, records and approval

  1. The co-chairs of the Patient Care Phase Committee will be responsible for ensuring that administrative staff will maintain accurate records of all meetings. A full set of minutes of each meeting of the Patient Care Phase Committee will be retained for at least 10 years. Minutes of the meetings will be posted on the curriculum governance website within one month of the meeting.
  2. All decisions and recommendations made by the Patient Care Phase Committee will be forwarded to the Curriculum Committee for review and ratification. Once ratified, decisions and recommendations will kept in a permanent, dated log and will be transmitted to the Vice Dean for Academic, Rural and Regional Affairs. Non-ratified decisions and recommendations made by the Patient Care Committee will also be retained; however, these will be held in a separate category.

Section 2: Management of Conflicts

When conflicts occur in the course of management or oversight of the Patient Care Phase curriculum, resolution will be attempted through iterative discussion at the committee level. If conflicts cannot be resolved in this way, further advisory input will be sought from the Curriculum Committee and, if needed, the Vice Dean for Academic, Rural and Regional Affairs. Ultimate authority rests with the Curriculum Committee and the Vice Dean for Academic, Rural and Regional Affairs.

Section 3: Ad hoc Subcommittees

In conducting its business, the Patient Care Phase Committee may appoint ad hoc subcommittees from time to time, as these may become necessary for transaction of business and supervision of the curriculum, provided the purpose of any such subcommittee does not fall within the jurisdiction of another existing Committee. Ad hoc subcommittees may be composed of members of the Patient Care Phase Committee or faculty and staff at large, or a combination thereof. No ad hoc subcommittee will be appointed for a term longer than two calendar years.

Section 6: Amendments and Other Provisions

Amendments to the Patient Care Phase Committee Bylaws will be presented to the Curriculum Committee for review, discussion and a vote.

Approval date: October 10, 2016
Revision: September 10, 2018
Revision: December 2, 2019
Revision: August 20, 2020

Patient Care Phase Committee Voting Members TERM 1 TERM 2
SEAT POSITION SITE FIRST NAME LAST NAME INITIATION EXPIRY INITIATION EXPIRY
CHR Executive Co-Chair Seattle Joshua Jauregui Appointed Term-exempt position
TCR Themes Committee Representative Montana Michael Spinelli Elected Term as dictated by Themes Committee
PEACR Program Evaluation & Assessment Committee Representative Seattle Matthew Cunningham Elected Term as dictated by PEAC
EFR Explore & Focus Phase Committee Representative Vacant Elected Term as dictated by Explore & Focus Phase Committee
FCR Foundations Phase Committee Representative Vacant Elected Term as dictated by Foundations Phase Committee
ACC Academic Co-Chair Seattle Kristine Calhoun Elected 2020 2022 2022 2024
ACCP Academic Co-Chair Past Seattle Misbah Keen Elected
Seat 1 Required Clerkship Representative 1 Internal Medicine Seattle Jennifer Wright Elected 2021 2024 2024 2027
Seat 2 Required Clerkship Representative 2 Family Medicine Seattle Toby Keys Elected 2020 2023 2023 2026
Seat 3 Required Clerkship Representative 3 Pediatrics Seattle Abena Knight Elected 2020 2023 2023 2026
Seat 4 Required Clerkship Representative 4 Psychiatry Seattle Paul Borghesani Elected 2019 2022 2022 2025
Seat 5 Required Clerkship Representative 5 Surgery Seattle Alica Scribner Elected 2023 2026
Seat 6 Regional Member 1 Western Washington Western WA John McCarthy Elected 2021 2024 2024 2027
Seat 7 Regional Member 2 Eastern Washington Spokane Paula Silha Elected 2021 2024 2024 2027
Seat 8 Regional Member 3 Montana Montana Leslee Kane Elected 2018 2021 2021 2024
Seat 9 Regional Member 4 Western Washington Western WA Devin Sawyer Elected 2019 2022 2022 2025
Seat 10 Regional Member 5 Montana Montana Serena Brewer Elected 2018 2021 2021 2024
Seat 11 General Faculty Otolaryngology Seattle David Horn Elected 2021 2024 2024 2027
Seat 12 General Faculty Interventional Radiology Seattle Evan Johnson Elected 2021 2024 2024 2027
SC-TRAD Student Member – (Traditional Clerkships) Seattle Johnson Haung Elected 2023 2024 2024 2025
SC-TRAD Student Member – (WWAMI Track Program) Vacant
SC-SPEC Student Member – (LIC Program) Spokane Jesse Tonkinson Elected 2023 2024 2025 2026

Explore & Focus Phase Committee

The Explore & Focus Phase Committee is delegated authority by the Curriculum Committee and the Vice Dean for Academic, Rural and Regional Affairs. The committee is accountable for assuring delivery and evaluation of the Explore & Focus Phase curriculum that meets UWSOM learning objectives and is equivalent across all WWAMI sites.

Committee meetings are open for any interested individual in the UWSOM community to attend as a guest. Meetings are held Mondays from 4-5:30PM PT via zoom. E-mail the Curriculum Office at somgov@uw.edu to be added to the e-mail list.

2023-2024 Academic Year Meeting Schedule:

  • September 18, 2023
  • October 16, 2023
  • November 20, 2023
  • December 18, 2023
  • January 29, 2024
  • February 12, 2024
  • March 18, 2024
  • April 15, 2024
  • May 15, 2024
  • June 17, 2024

Explore & Focus Phase Committee Bylaws

Section 1: Explore and Focus Phase Committee

Article 1: General Governance

The following Bylaws govern the organization and procedures of the Explore and Focus Phase Committee, a subcommittee of the Curriculum Committee of the University of Washington School of Medicine, and are adopted in accordance with the Curriculum Governance Committee Report that was finalized in February 2014 and approved by the Medical School Executive Committee and the Dean. The Curriculum Committee has reviewed and approved the Explore and Focus Phase Bylaws on November 16, 2016.

Article 2: Authority and Accountability

  1. Authority: The Explore and Focus Phase Committee is delegated authority by the Curriculum Committee and the Vice Dean for Academic, Rural and Regional Affairs and has accountability for assuring delivery and evaluation of the Explore and Focus curriculum that meets UW School of Medicine learning objectives and is equivalent across all WWAMI sites.
  2. Accountability: The Explore and Focus Phase Committee reports to and provides recommendations to the Curriculum Committee. Once a year, the Explore and Focus Phase Committee will provide a summary of the past year’s activities, issues and resolutions to the Curriculum Committee and the Vice Dean for Academic, Rural and Regional Affairs.

Article 3: Guiding Principles

  1. Governance procedures are consistent with LCME requirements.
  2. Governance procedures incorporate appropriate representation from across the WWAMI region.
  3. Curriculum management allows for an appropriate balance between central oversight and local initiative, innovation, and site optimization.
  4. The governance process encourages continuous improvement of the curriculum.
  5. All SOM students have equal access to an equivalent Explore and Focus Phase curriculum designed to achieve the learning objectives defined in the curriculum renewal process.
  6. Processes leading to decision-making are based on open discussion, transparency, shared governance, and iterative consensus development.

Article 4: Membership

  1. Expectation of members: Although members are elected to ensure broad representation of the SOM, members have the responsibility to function as “members of the whole,” working to optimize the curriculum, rather than to represent the interests of a particular constituency.
  2. Faculty: The Explore and Focus Phase Committee will consist of about 20 members in good standing, with approximately half from WWAMI training sites, as follows:
    • Ten members will be individuals responsible for the required components of the Explore and Focus Phase, inpatient and outpatient advanced clerkships (emergency medicine, family medicine, medicine, obstetrics & gynecology, neurology, pediatrics, psychiatry, and surgery), clinical electives and transition to residency.
    • One member of the Elective Clerkship Committee
    • One member of the Foundations Phase Committee
    • One member of the Patient Care Phase Committee
    • One member of the Themes Committee
    • One School of Medicine Career Advisor
    • One member will be a member of the Program Evaluation and Assessment Committee (this individual may be a staff member)
    • Two members will be faculty based at regional sites and involved in the Explore and Focus Phase implementation. At least six committee members must be from western Washington, eastern Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana or Idaho.
  3. Students: The Explore and Focus Phase Committee will include three student representatives who are students in good standing, and have completed the Foundations Phase. These individuals may be self-nominated or selected by the Nominating Committee consisting of one Foundations Dean, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, and Medical Student Association student representative.
  4. Terms: Faculty committee members will serve three-year terms with the option of one additional term. One third of the committee membership will rotate each year, with rotation to occur at the end of the academic calendar year. No person will serve more than six consecutive years. At the founding of the Explore and Focus Phase Committee, faculty terms will be staggered in order to establish the above rotation pattern for subsequent Student committee members will serve one year terms (April to April). Initial terms may start earlier and be longer than one year to stagger student membership and allow junior committee members to serve with a more senior committee member.
  5. Selection of faculty members: Faculty representatives who qualify for a category may self-nominate. Regional deans may also nominate faculty from the WWAMI All faculty members must be actively teaching within the curriculum, be a member of the UW Medicine faculty (or, in the case of the assessment representative, a staff member will be acceptable) and be available to attend a majority of the meetings of the committee. The office of the Associate Dean for Curriculum will be responsible for issuing requests for self-nominations to the entire cohort of people in appropriate categories at appropriate intervals and times. Individuals self-nominating will be asked to submit a statement of interest to the Curriculum Committee with a copy to the Department Chair or Regional Dean. The roster of candidates will be reviewed and approved by a vote of the Curriculum Committee.In the event that a committee member must step down from the Explore and Focus Phase Committee prior to the completion of his/her term, the co-chairs will put out a call for self-nominations for a candidate in the appropriate category (i.e., students, block representatives, etc.).
  6. Selection of students: Students may self-nominate. The Nominating Committee may also nominate students to serve on the committee.
  7. Faculty or student member resignation or replacement: In the case of resignation of an elected faculty or student member of the Committee, the Academic Co-chair and Executive Co-chair shall appoint a member from the same category (basic scientist, clinician, WWAMI faculty, student). An election to replace the member will take place during the following election If elected, this interim period does not count toward the cumulative period of the term.
  8. Possible replacement for absenteeism: Members who miss three or more committee meetings in a six month period can be dismissed by the Academic Co-chair and Executive Co- chair after discussion with the member.

Article 5: Officers

  1. Designation: The Explore and Focus Phase Committee will be co-chaired by a committee member (Academic Co-chair) and the Assistant Dean for Curriculum (Executive Co-Chair). The Academic Co-Chair will be selected from faculty members who have served for at least one year by expressed interest of committee members and, in the event of multiple candidates, a vote of the Explore and Focus Phase Committee During the founding year of the committee, the Academic Co-Chair can be any faculty member). In the event that the Academic Co-Chair is serving as a representative of a Phase Committee while serving as Co-Chair, the Academic Co- Chair will receive one vote.
  2. Terms: Academic co-chairs will serve two years with the option of one renewal. It is expected that the past chairperson will remain on the committee for at least one year to facilitate continuity of oversight.
  3. Duties: The Executive Co-Chair and Academic Co-Chair are expected to work together to set agendas, lead meetings, ensure adequate and appropriate documentation of meetings and decisions, convene task forces and special groups as needed, serve as liaison to the Curriculum Committee, oversee or delegate oversight as appropriate the work of appointed committees and subcommittees, and report recommendations from the Explore and Focus Phase Committee to the Curriculum The office of the Executive Co-Chair will be responsible for record- keeping associated with the responsibilities of the co-chairs and Explore and Focus Phase Committee.

Article 6: Procedures

  1. Meetings
    • Meetings of the Explore and Focus Phase Committee will be called by the co- chairs.
    • Each committee meeting will be chaired by the Executive Co-Chair, the Academic Co-Chair, or both co-chairs, at the discretion of the co-chairs. At least one co-chair will be present at each meeting.
    • The Explore and Focus Phase Committee will meet at least monthly for a minimum of nine months of the year.
    • The co-chairs may call special meetings for the purpose of hearing reports, discussing matters of interest to the curriculum and seeking the committee’s advice.
    • Clerkship administrators, associate and assistant deans and other representatives of the dean may attend Explore and Focus Phase Committee as ex-officio members. The co-chairs may also invite other members of the faculty, staff and students to serve as ex-officio members. Ex-officio members will not vote.
    • The Academic Co-Chair will serve on the Curriculum Committee during his/her active service as a full voting member.
  2. Parliamentary authority: The conduct of meetings will be governed by Robert’s Rules of Order.
  3. Voting:
    • Voting members: Voting members are the faculty and student members, not including the Executive Co-Chair and ex-officio members.
    • Quorum: The quorum required for meetings will be more than 50 percent of the voting members. All items brought before the Explore and Focus Phase Committee will be decided on by majority vote of voting members present, including the Academic Co-Chair but not the Executive Co-Chair.
    • Tie votes: The vote of the Executive Co-Chair will be cast only in the event of a tie vote of the committee members, including the Academic Co-Chair.

Article 7: Communications, records and approval

  1. The co-chairs of the Explore and Focus Phase Committee will be responsible for ensuring that administrative staff will maintain accurate records of all A full set of minutes of each meeting of the Explore and Focus Phase Committee will be retained for at least 10 years. Minutes of the meetings will be posted on the curriculum governance website within one month of the meeting.
  2. All decisions and recommendations made by the Explore and Focus Phase Committee will be forwarded to the Curriculum Committee for review and Once ratified, decisions and recommendations will kept in a permanent, dated log and will be transmitted to the Vice Dean for Academic, Rural and Regional Affairs. Non-ratified decisions and recommendations made by the Explore and Focus Phase Committee will also be retained; however, these will be held in a separate category.

Section 2: Management of Conflicts

When conflicts occur in the course of management or oversight of the Explore and Focus Phase curriculum, resolution will be attempted through iterative discussion at the committee level. If conflicts cannot be resolved in this way, further advisory input will be sought from the Curriculum Committee and, if needed, the Vice Dean for Academic, Rural and Regional Affairs.  Ultimate authority rests with the Curriculum Committee and the Vice Dean for Academic, Rural and Regional Affairs.

Section 3: Ad hoc Subcommittees

In conducting its business, the Explore and Focus Phase Committee may appoint ad hoc subcommittees from time to time, as these may become necessary for transaction of business and supervision of the curriculum, provided the purpose of any such subcommittee does not fall within the jurisdiction of another existing Committee. Ad hoc subcommittees may be composed of members of the Explore and Focus Phase Committee or faculty and staff at large, or a combination thereof. No ad hoc subcommittee will be appointed for a term longer than two calendar years.

Section 4: Amendments and Other Provisions

Amendments to the Explore and Focus Phase Committee Bylaws will be presented to the Curriculum Committee for review, discussion and a vote.

Approval date: November 16, 2016
Revision: September 10, 2018
Revision: December 2, 2019
Revision: August 20, 2020

Explore & Focus Phase Committee Voting Members TERM 1 TERM 2
SEAT POSITION SITE FIRST NAME LAST NAME INITIATION EXPIRY INITIATION EXPIRY
CHR Executive Co-Chair Seattle Joshua Jauregui Appointed Term-exempt position
TCR Themes Committee Representative Vacant Elected Term as dictated by Themes Committee
PEAC Program Evaluation & Assessment Committee Representative Seattle Matthew Cunningham Elected Term as dictated by PEAC
PCC Patient Care Phase Committee Representative Vacant Elected Term as dictated by Explore & Focus Phase Committee
FCR Foundations Phase Committee Representative Vacant Elected Term as dictated by Foundations Phase Committee
ADV Career Advisor Seattle Sarah Thomson Appointed Term-exempt position
ELCT Elective Clerkship Committee Seattle Roger Tatum Appointed Term-exempt position
ACC Academic Co-Chair Seattle Esther Chung Elected 2020 2022 2022 2024
ACCP Academic Co-Chair Past Seattle Susan Merel Elected
Seat 1 Clerkship Representative 1 OB-GYN Seattle Alson Burke Elected 2018 2021 2021 2024
Seat 2 Clerkship Representative 2 Clinical Asst Professor Montlake Mahesh Karandikar Elected 2023 2026
Seat 3 Clerkship Representative 3 Pediatrics Seattle Emily Myers Elected 2021 2024 2024 2027
Seat 4 Clerkship Representative 4 Neurology Idaho Falls Eric Garland Elected 2023 2026 2026 2029
Seat 5 Clerkship Representative 5 WRITE/Family Medicine Alaska Barb Doty Elected 2020 2023 2023 2026
Seat 6 Clerkship Representative 6 BIME Seattle Daniel Robinson Elected 2023 2026
Seat 7 Clerkship Representative 7 Vacant
Seat 8 Clerkship Representative 8 APC Seattle Esther Chung Elected 2019 2022 2022 2025
Seat 9 Clerkship Representative 9 Vascular Surgery Seattle Nam Tran Elected 2019 2022 2022 2025
Seat 10 Clerkship Representative 10 Cardiology Seattle Troy Johnston Elected 2019 2022 2022 2025
Seat 11 Clerkship Representative 11 Radiation Oncology Seattle Ralph Ermoian Elected 2021 2024 2024 2027
Seat 12 Regional Member Vacant
Seat 13 Regional Member EHM rep Montana Michael Spinelli Elected 2018 2021 2021 2024
S Student Member – Clinical Vacant
S Student Member – Clinical Vacant
S Student Member – Clinical Vacant

Program Evaluation & Assessment Committee (PEAC)

The Program Evaluation & Assessment Committee (PEAC) is delegated authority by the Curriculum Committee. In consultation with the Phase Committees, the PEAC Committee reviews annual reports on student achievement toward UWSOM program objectives and annual reports on medical student outcomes across four years of undergraduate medical education. PEAC advises on methods and options for both assessment of student learning and collection of medical student feedback and tracks and reports on equivalent assessment across all regional sites.

Program Evaluation and Assessment Committee Bylaws

Section 1: Program Evaluation and Assessment Committee (PEAC)

Article 1: General Governance

The following Bylaws governing the organization and procedures of the PEAC have been adopted in accordance with the Curriculum Governance Committee Report that was finalized in February 2014 and approved by the Medical School Executive Committee and the Dean.

Article 2: Authority and Accountability

The PEAC is delegated authority by the Curriculum Committee and is accountable for providing expertise and advice to assist UWSOM in achieving compliance with the following LCME standards:

  • Standard 8.4 Evaluation of Educational Program Outcomes: A medical school collects and uses a variety of outcome data, including national norms of accomplishment, to demonstrate the extent to which medical students are achieving medical education program objectives and to enhance the quality of the medical education program as a whole. These data are collected during program enrollment and after program completion.
  • Standard 8.5 Medical Student Feedback: In evaluating medical education program quality, a medical school has formal processes in place to collect and consider medical student evaluations of their courses, clerkships, and teachers, and other relevant information.
  • Standard 8.7 Comparability of Education/Assessment: A medical school ensures that the medical curriculum includes comparable educational experiences and equivalent methods of assessment across all locations within a given course and clerkship to ensure that all medical students achieve the same medical education program objectives.
  • Standard 9.4 Assessment System: A medical school ensures that, throughout its medical education program, there is a centralized system in place that employs a variety of measures (including direct observation) for the assessment of student achievement, including students’ acquisition of the knowledge, core clinical skills (e.g., medical history-taking, physical examination), behaviors, and attitudes specified in medical education program objectives, and that ensures that all medical students achieve the same medical education program objectives.
  • Standard 9.5 Narrative Assessment: A medical school ensures that a narrative description of a medical student’s performance, including his or her non-cognitive achievement, is included as a component of the assessment in each required course and clerkship of the medical education program whenever teacher-student interaction permits this form of assessment.
  • Standard 9.6 Setting Standards of Achievement: A medical school ensures that faculty members with appropriate knowledge and expertise set standards of achievement in each required learning experience in the medical education program.

In consultation with the Phase and Theme Committees, the PEAC will:

  • Review annual reports on student achievement toward UWSOM program objectives
  • Review annual reports on medical student outcomes
  • Advise on methods and options for both assessment of student learning and collection of medical student feedback
  • Track and report on equivalent assessment across all regional sites, including timing, content, administration, grading and interpretation

Article 3: Guiding Principles

  1. Adopt procedures consistent with LCME requirements
  2. Incorporate representation from across the WWAMI region
  3. Foster an appropriate balance between central oversight and local initiative, innovation and site optimization
  4. Encourage continuous quality improvement in the curriculum
  5. Foster in meetings, procedures, and decision-making a culture of open discussion, transparency, and iterative consensus development

Article 4: Membership

  1. Expectation of members:
    • Although members are elected to ensure broad representation of the SOM, members have the responsibility to function as “members of the whole,” working to optimize the curriculum, rather than to represent the interests of a particular constituency.
    • All committee members are expected to attend scheduled meetings and come prepared to actively engage in discussion of agenda items. Members unable to attend and participate in meetings on a frequent basis will be asked to step down.
  2. Six (6) Faculty: The Curriculum Committee will appoint to the PEAC one faculty member from each of the Phase and Theme Committees with expertise and interest in areas of accountability for the PEAC. At least one of these individuals will be from a WWAMI site or state other than Western Washington. The other two faculty will be at-large and may self-nominate; one shall be primarily associated with the Foundations phase, the other primarily associated with one of the clinical phases.
  3. Four (4) Students: Four medical student representatives who are in good standing, one from the Foundations phase, two from the clinical phases, and a fourth representing the MD-PhD students, will be appointed by the Associate Dean for Curriculum with the advice of the Associate Dean for Student Affairs, the Associate Dean for Admissions, and the Assistant Dean for the Colleges. At least two of the students will have begun medical school at a regional site.
  4. Two (2) Deans: A Foundations Dean and a Clinical Dean from outside of Seattle will be appointed by the Vice Dean for Academic, Rural, and Regional Affairs.
  5. Four (4) Professionals: By virtue of their roles in program and student evaluation in the curriculum, the following individuals will be members of the committee:
    • Associate Dean for Educational Quality Improvement
    • Assistant Dean for Basic Science
    • Director of Academic and Learning Technologies
    • Medical director of the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) Program
  6. Terms:
    • Faculty representing the Phase and Theme Committees will serves terms coinciding with their terms on those committees.
    • Student committee members will serve one-year terms.
    • Dean-level members and at-large faculty will serve three-year terms renewable for one additional consecutive term.
    • Professionals will serve terms concurrent with their tenure in the administrative position.

Article 5: Officers

  1. Designation: The PEAC will be co-chaired by a committee member and the Director of Educational Evaluation. In the event of multiple candidates, a majority vote of the PEAC will select the Faculty Co-chair.
  2. Terms: The faculty Co-chair will serve a maximum term of three years as co-chair.
  3. Duties:
    • The co-chairs are expected to work together to set agendas, lead meetings, ensure adequate and appropriate documentation of meetings and decisions, and convene task forces and special groups as needed.
    • The PEAC will actively liaise with the Phase and Theme Committees and make recommendations to the Curriculum Committee
    • The PEAC will submit at least annually, a written report on its areas of accountability, the activities undertaken, issues, resolutions, and the curriculum assessment outcomes to the Curriculum Committee, the Associate Deans for Curriculum and Student Affairs, and the Vice Dean for Academic, Rural and Regional Affairs.

Article 6: Procedures

  1. Meetings
    • Will be called by the co-chairs
    • Each committee meeting will be chaired one or both co-chairs, at the discretion of the co-chairs. At least one co-chair will be present at each meeting.
    • Will occur at least bi-monthly beginning in October
    • The co-chairs may call special meetings for the purpose of hearing reports, discussing matters of interest to the curriculum and seeking the committee’s advice.
  2. Ex-Officio Members
    • A number of individuals actively involved in conducting and directing assessment and evaluation activities in the curriculum, including faculty and professional staff members, may also be invited to participate in the committee as ex officio members.
    • These individuals might include faculty and staff members of the Division of Medical Education and Evaluation and faculty and administrative staff from all sites responsible for evaluation and assessment.
    • Although these individuals may participate in committee discussions they will not vote.
  3. Parliamentary authority: The conduct of meetings will be governed by Robert’s Rules of Order.
  4. Voting:
    • Voting members are the faculty, students, professional and dean members not including the Director of Educational Evaluation
    • Student members will not vote on student appeals of grades.
    • Quorum: The quorum required for meetings will be more than 50 percent of the voting members. All items brought before the PEAC will be decided on by majority vote of voting members present, including the Faculty Co-Chair but not the Director of Educational Evaluation
    • Tie votes: The vote of the Director of Educational Evaluation will be cast only in the event of a tie vote of the committee members, including the Faculty Co-Chair.

Article 7: Communications, records and approval

  1. The co-chairs of the PEAC will be responsible for ensuring that administrative staff keep accurate records of all meetings. A full set of minutes of each meeting of the PEAC will be retained for at least 10 years.
  2. All decisions and recommendations made by the PEAC will be kept in a permanent, dated log and will be transmitted to the Curriculum Committee.

Section 2: Management of Conflicts

When conflicts occur, resolution will be attempted through iterative discussion with the PEAC and the Phase and Theme Committees. If conflicts cannot be resolved in this way, the PEAC may seek advisory input directly from the Associate Dean for Curriculum. The Associate Dean for Curriculum may decide to place the issue on the agenda of the Curriculum Committee and/or request broader discussion and input from the regional leadership and other stakeholders as appropriate to the issue under discussion. Ultimate authority and decisions rest with the Dean of the UW School of Medicine and are delegated by the Dean to the Vice Dean for Academic, Rural and Regional Affairs as Chief Academic Officer.

Section 3: Ad Hoc Subcommittees

In conducting its business, the PEAC may appoint ad hoc subcommittees from time to time, as these may become necessary for transaction of business of the committee, provided the purpose of any such subcommittee does not fall within the jurisdiction of an existing Phase or Theme Committee.

Section 4: Amendments and Other Provisions

Amendments to the PEAC bylaws will be presented to the Curriculum Committee for review, discussion and a vote.

Approved by the Curriculum Committee on: 10/22/2019

Program Evaluation and Assessment Committee Voting Members TERM 1 TERM 2
SEAT POSITION FIRST NAME LAST NAME INITIATION EXPIRY INITIATION EXPIRY
CHR Executive Co-Chair Matt Cunningham Elected Term-exempt position
ALT Director of Academic & Learning Technologies Michael Campion Elected Term-exempt position
OSCE OSCE Medical Director Kris Calhoun Elected Term-exempt position
ADEQI Associate Dean for Educational Quality Improvement Sara Kim Elected Term-exempt position
ADBS Assistant Dean for Basic Science Edith Wang Elected Term-exempt position
FCR Foundations Phase Committee Representative Rebekah Burns Elected 2021 N/A N/A N/A
PCCR Patient Care Phase Committee Representative Toby Keys Elected 2021 N/A N/A N/A
EFCR Explore & Focus Phase Committee Representative Amanda Kost Elected 2019 N/A N/A N/A
TCR Themes Committee Representative
EFCR Explore & Focus Phase Committee Representative Amanda Kost Elected 2019 N/A N/A N/A
EFCR Explore & Focus Phase Committee Representative Amanda Kost Elected 2019 N/A N/A N/A
EFCR Explore & Focus Phase Committee Representative Amanda Kost Elected 2019 N/A N/A N/A
EFCR Explore & Focus Phase Committee Representative Amanda Kost Elected 2019 N/A N/A N/A
FCC Faculty Co-Chair Rebekah Burns Elected 2020 2023 N/A N/A
Seat 1 Foundations Dean Martin Teintze Elected 2019 2022
Seat 2 Clinical Dean Frank Batcha Elected 2019 2022 2022 2025
Seat 3 Faculty-at-large: Foundations Karen McDonough Elected 2021 2024
Seat 4 Faculty-at-large: Clinical Kathleen Kiernan Elected 2021 2024
SMF Student Member:  Foundations E22 Margaret Phillips Elected 2023 2025 N/A N/A
SMC1 Student Member: Clinical E20 Kendall Jones Elected 2023 2025 N/A N/A
SMC2 Student Member: Clinical N/A N/A
SMMSTP Student Member: MSTP E17 Zac Yaffe Elected 2022 2024 N/A N/A

 

 

2022-2023 Academic Year Meeting Minutes:

  • September 20, 2022
  • October 20, 2022 – CANCELED
  • November 17, 2022 – CANCELED
  • December 13, 2022 – CANCELED 
  • January 19, 2023
  • February 14, 2023
  • March 16, 2023
  • April 18, 2023
  • May 18, 2023
  • June 20, 2023

2021-2022 Academic Year Meeting Minutes:

Curriculum Learning Objective Oversight and Management (CLOOM) Committee

CLOOM is delegated authority by the Curriculum Committee and is accountable for providing oversight and management of medical education learning objectives for all curricular items, evaluating gaps and/or redundancies related to the learning objectives, and developing processes for changing learning objectives. In consultation with the Phase Committees, CLOOM recommends actions to the Curriculum Committee for an in depth-annual review of the program level objectives and/or make recommendations for changes in program level objectives.

Curricular Learning Objective Oversight and Management Committee Bylaws

Section 1: Curricular Learning Objective Oversight and Management (CLOOM) Committee

Article 1:  General Governance

The following Bylaws governing the organization and procedures of the Curricular Learning Objective Oversight and Management Committee has been adopted in accordance with the Curriculum Governance Committee Report that was finalized in October 2018 and approved by the Medical School Executive Committee and the Dean.

Article 2:  Authority and Accountability

The CLOOM Committee is delegated authority by the Curriculum Committee and is accountable for providing expertise and advice in the following areas:

  • Provide oversight and management of medical education learning objectives for all curricular items, including items which are located outside of a block or clerkship such as OSCEs.
  • Coordinate activities connected to learning objectives, competencies and milestones for clarity on monitoring, implementation, revision, approval and documentation.
  • Evaluate learning objectives, competencies and milestones as they relate to assessment.
  • Review and make requests for additions and changes to the learning objectives.
  • Evaluate gaps and/or redundancies related to the learning objectives, competencies and milestones and make recommendations to the Curriculum Committee and other governing bodies.

The committee will have the authority to:

  • Clarify session, block, and clerkship learning objectives and how they are used in the four-year curriculum.
  • Make recommendations on location of learning objectives, competencies and milestones in the four-year curriculum
  • Develop a process to request new or change session, block, and clerkship learning objectives.

In consultation with Phase Committees, this committee will recommend actions to the Curriculum Committee such as:

  • In depth-annual review program level objectives, competencies and/or milestones and report to Curriculum Committee
  • Identify gaps and/or redundancies in objectives and make recommendations for changes in program level objectives.
  • Develop a process to implement new activities into the curriculum such as Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) to meet program level objectives
  • Make objective, competency and milestone data available to governance committees
  • Policy proposals and changes regarding the use of session, block, clerkship, and program level objectives

Article 3:  Guiding Principles

  1. Adopt procedures consistent with LCME requirements
  2. Incorporate representation from across the WWAMI region
  3. Foster an appropriate balance between central oversight and local initiative, innovation and site optimization
  4. Encourage continuous quality improvement in the curriculum
  5. Foster in meetings, procedures and decision making a culture of open discussion, transparency, and iterative consensus development

Article 4:  Membership

  • Expectation of members:
    • Although members are elected to ensure broad representation of the SOM, members have the responsibility to function as “members of the whole,” working to optimize the curriculum, rather than to represent the interests of a particular constituency.
    • All committee members are expected to attend scheduled meetings and come prepared to actively engage in discussion of agenda items. Members unable to attend and participate in meetings on a frequent basis will be asked to step down.
  • Four (4) Faculty: The Curricular Learning Objective Oversight and Management Committee will consist of up to 4 faculty members. The Curriculum Committee will appoint to the CLOOM Committee four faculty members from the phase committees with expertise and interest in CLOOM areas of accountability and authority.  At least one of these individuals will be from a WWAMI site or state other than Western Washington.
  • Five (5) Professionals: By virtue of their roles in medical education curriculum, the following individuals will be members of the committee:
    • Associate Dean for Curriculum
    • Assistant Dean for Basic Sciences
    • Assistant Dean for Clinical Curriculum
    • Director of Educational Evaluation
    • Manager, Curriculum Management System
  • Terms:
    • Faculty will serve terms coinciding with their term on the phase committee. No person will serve more than six consecutive years.
    • Professionals will serve terms concurrent with their tenure in the administrative position.

Article 5:  Officers

  1. Designation: The CLOOM Committee will be chaired by the Assistant Dean for Basic Sciences.
  2. Duties:
    • The chair is expected to work set agendas, lead meetings, ensure adequate and appropriate documentation of meetings and decisions, and convene task forces and special groups as needed.
    • The CLOOM Committee will actively liaise with the Phase Committees and make recommendations to the Curriculum Committee
    • The CLOOM Committee will submit at least annually, a written report on its areas of accountability, the activities undertaken, issues, resolutions, and the curriculum assessment outcomes to the Curriculum Committee, the Associate Deans for Curriculum and Student Affairs, and the Vice Dean for Academic, Rural and Regional Affairs.

Article 6:  Procedures

  1. Meetings
    • Will be called by the chair
    • Will occur at least bi-monthly beginning in November 2019
    • The Chair may call special meetings for hearing reports, discussing matters of interest to the curriculum and seeking the committee’s advice.

b. Ex-Officio Members

  • Will include representative from Academic Learning and Technology, and a representative from the Education and Quality Improvement unit.
  • Individuals actively involved in the use and mapping of learning objectives in the curriculum, including faculty and professional staff members, may also be invited to participate in the committee as ex officio members.
  • These individuals might include faculty and staff members of the Curriculum team within Academic Affairs
  • Although these individuals may participate in committee discussions they will not vote.

c. Parliamentary authority: The conduct of meetings will be governed by Robert’s Rules of Order.

d. Voting:

  • Voting members are the faculty, professional and dean members.
  • Quorum: The quorum required for meetings will be more than 50 percent of the voting members. All items brought before the CLOOM Committee will be decided on by majority vote of voting members present,
  • Tie votes: The vote of the Chair will be cast only in the event of a tie vote of the committee members, including the Faculty Co-Chair.

Article 7:  Communications, records and approval

  1. The chair of the CLOOM Committee will be responsible for ensuring that administrative staff keep accurate records of all meetings. A full set of minutes of each meeting of the CLOOM Committee will be retained for at least 10 years.
  2. All decisions and recommendations made by the CLOOM Committee will be kept in a permanent, dated log and will be transmitted to the Curriculum Committee.

Section 2:  Management of Conflicts

When conflicts occur, resolution will be attempted through iterative discussion with the CLOOM Committee and the Phase Committees. If conflicts cannot be resolved in this way, CLOOM Committee may seek advisory input directly from the Associate Dean for Curriculum. The Associate Dean for Curriculum may decide to place the issue on the agenda of the Curriculum Committee and/or request broader discussion and input from the regional leadership and other stakeholders as appropriate to the issue under discussion. Ultimate authority and decisions rest with the Dean of the UW School of Medicine and are delegated by the Dean to the Vice Dean for Academic, Rural and Regional Affairs as Chief Academic Officer.

Section 3:  Ad Hoc Subcommittees

In conducting its business, the CLOOM Committee may appoint ad hoc subcommittees from time to time, as these may become necessary for transaction of business of the committee, provided the purpose of any such subcommittee does not fall within the jurisdiction of an existing Phase or Theme Committee.

Section 4:  Amendments and Other Provisions

Amendments to the CLOOM Committee bylaws will be presented to the Curriculum Committee for review, discussion and a vote.

Approved by the Curriculum Committee on: 10/22/2019
Revision: 10/14/2022

Coming soon!

2021-2022 Academic Year Meeting Minutes:

  • June 21, 2021
  • July 8, 2021
  • August 23, 2021
  • September 13, 2021

Scholarship Subcommittee

The Scholarship Subcommittee has authority and accountability for oversight of the scholarship requirement, including assessment of the current overall approach and consideration of alternate approaches; development and implementation of learning objectives; curriculum implementation and evaluation; and opportunities for public dissemination of scholarly work.

2022-2023 Academic Year Meeting Minutes:

2021-2022 Academic Year Meeting Minutes: