.01
Approval of New Degrees, Majors, and Minors (within established
teaching units)
A.
Note that the term “teaching unit” (TU) will refer to departments, schools,
or centers within a college. “Major teaching unit” (MTU) will refer
to colleges or schools not within a college. The procedure for the establishment
of new degrees, majors, and minors is as follows:
1.
Proposals for new degrees, majors, or minors or for substantial revision
of an existing program or for termination of a program will be initially
submitted to the Educational Policies Committee of the teaching unit
(TU EPC). Such proposals must be presented according to the format of
70.00.04 Required Outline for New Program Proposals and/or Substantial
Revisions of Existing Programs or 70.00.05 Required Outline for Proposal
of Program Termination, as appropriate.
Senate action and Provost approval,
March 1989.
2.
A proposal will be evaluated by the TU EPC in terms of its consistency
with the goals of the TU and the availability of the resources it will
require.
3.
If the proposal is approved by the TU EPC, it will then be submitted
to the TU council or faculty body for its consideration.
4.
The TU council or faculty will send the proposal to the TU head with
its comments on the viability of the proposal. If the TU head determines
that the proposal should be given serious consideration, he or she will
forward the proposal to the MTU EPC. Upon approval by the MTU EPC, the
proposal will be forwarded to the dean of the MTU.
5.
If the dean decides to recommend the proposal for implementation, he
or she will circulate the proposal formally to each MTU dean, the University
Librarian, the Director of e-academics, and the chief academic officer
for an opinion as to its feasibility and fitness in terms of university
resources and plans for development. Notice of the proposal will also
be announced in a university‑wide publication. Any responses on
the proposal should be submitted to the proposing dean in writing within
30 days of the receipt of the proposal. Copies of such responses must
be submitted to the Provost and the University Senate.
Senate action and Provost approval,
October 1982. Effective October 1982.
6. After 30 days of circulation, the dean may
submit the proposal to the Chair of the University Senate and, through
him or her, along with any comments received, to the appropriate Senate
committees for consideration.
7.
If Senate approval is obtained, the proposal will then be submitted
to the Provost for final action.
8. If the Provost approves of a proposal regarding
initiation of a major or minor within an existing teaching unit, the
major or minor will be regarded as being officially instituted. If the
Provost approves of a proposal regarding initiation of a new degree,
the proposal will then be submitted to the University President and,
through him or her, to the Board of Trustees for consideration and approval
prior to and requisite for official implementation.
9.
If a proposal is generated which relates to a MTU which has no smaller
units, the proposal will initially be submitted to the MTU EPC and all
subsequent stages to the process outlined in steps 70.00.01.A.5 to 8
will be followed.
10.
Proposals may be referred back to the initiating teaching unit by the
college dean, the University Senate, the Provost, or, if the proposal
is for a new degree, the President, or the Board of Trustees if the
proposal is deemed inconsistent with TU, college, or university resources
or objectives. In any case of rejection, reasons should be given. A
proposal could then be re‑evaluated and reinitiated by the TU.
B. Changes in Degree, Major, or Minor Requirements
Changes
in any requirements for existing degrees, majors, or minors must follow
steps 1 through 4 of Section 70.00.01.A, Approval of New Degrees, Majors,
and Minors. Substantial changes in degree, major, or minor requirements
must be processed in the same manner as used for new degrees, majors,
and minors. For small changes in degree, major, or minor requirements,
the dean of the MTU may forward the proposed changes directly to the
Provost for consideration. The Provost must then either approve the
proposed changes, send the proposal back to the MTU with a statement
as to why he or she has not approved the proposed changes, or instruct
the dean of the MTU to process the proposed changes as required for
substantial changes in degrees, majors, or minors before he or she takes
action on the proposal. In all cases, a Master Program Proposal form
must accompany the proposed changes. The Registrar shall report small
changes in degree, major, or minor requirements to the appropriate Senate
Committees (Undergraduate Studies Committee for undergraduate programs,
Graduate Studies Committee for graduate programs).
Senate action and Provost approval,
February 1982. Effective February 1982.
C.
Terminations of Degrees, Majors, and Minors
1.
Degrees, majors, or minors may be terminated with the initiation of
the proposal for termination starting at the appropriate TU level and
proceeding through steps 1 through 10 of 70.00.01.A, as appropriate.
2.
Degrees and majors will also be terminated under the following procedures:
a.
Majors: If, in a period of four consecutive academic years, five or
fewer undergraduate students or three or fewer graduate students receive
degrees with a particular declared major, that major shall be referred
to the appropriate college or school EPC for review. If, upon review,
the EPC declares the major to be responding to a university need and
remains consistent with the goals of the TU, it shall be retained as
a major. The retention of a major shall not exempt it from yearly review
regarding student demand. If the appropriate EPC does not reaffirm the
need for the major, the Provost shall be informed and the major shall
be relieved of official recognition effective in the fall of the next
academic year. Students having officially declared the major prior to
the termination date shall be eligible to receive degrees in which the
major is recognized. For additional students to declare that major,
the major must be re‑established according to 70.00.01.A.
b.
Degrees: If, in a period of two consecutive academic years, five or
fewer undergraduates or three or fewer graduate students receive a particular
degree, a review of that degree offering shall automatically be sought
of the University Senate. The Senate shall consult with the appropriate
EPC. If, upon review, the Senate declares the degree to be responding
to a university need, it shall be retained as a degree. The retention
of a degree shall not exempt it from yearly review regarding student
demand. If the Senate does not reaffirm the need for the degree, the
Board of Trustees shall be informed of this by the President with a
recommendation that the degree be terminated. Students having officially
enrolled for a degree prior to its termination by action of the Board
of Trustees shall be eligible to receive the degree. For additional
students to enroll in that degree program the degree must be re‑established
according to 70.00.01.A.
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.02
Approval of New Courses
A.
Note that the term “teaching unit” (TU) will refer to departments within
a college. “Major teaching unit” (MTU) will refer to colleges or schools
not within a college. The procedure for the establishment of a new course
is as follows:
1.
The proposer(s) will complete a New Course
Proposal Form or a New General Education Course Proposal Form, a New
Course Syllabus Form, and the first section (A) of the Master Course
Form.
Senate
action and Provost approval, October 1987.
2.
The New Course or New General Education Course Proposal Form will be
submitted to the TU head via the Educational Policies Committee (EPC)
of the TU.
Senate
action and Provost approval, October 1987.
3.
After consideration of the proposal, the TU EPC will forward the proposal
to the head of the TU with its recommendations. (If the proposal is
within a MTU without subdivisions, the proposal will be directed to
the equivalent EPC and head of the MTU.)
4.
If approved by the TU head, the proposal will be forwarded to the MTU
EPC for its recommendations. The MTU EPC will then forward these recommendations
to the dean of the MTU.
5.
If a new course is approved by the MTU dean, the new course proposal
will be forwarded to the Provost. For a new General Education course
approved by the MTU dean, the new General Education course proposal
will be forwarded to the Committee on General Education for its recommendations.
If approved by the Committee on General Education, the new General Education
course proposal will be forwarded to the Provost. Notice of the proposal
will be announced in a university‑wide publication.
Senate
action and Provost approval, October 1987.
6.
If the new course is approved by the Provost, the Registrar will be
notified by the Provost and the course will become an official part
of the university curriculum.
7.
If the TU head, the MTU dean, the Committee on General Education, or
the Provost do not approve of a proposal, it will be returned to the
proposer for possible reformulation and resubmission.
Senate
action and Provost approval, October 1987.
B.
Changes in Courses
Changes
in course descriptions, numbers, prerequisites, etc. will be processed
as in 70.00.02 Approval of New Courses with appropriate forms accompanying
the proposal. However, only substantial changes in a course need be
announced in a university‑wide publication.
C.
Establishing Advanced Graduate‑Level Courses that Meet Jointly
with Undergraduate‑Level Courses
Teaching
units with graduate programs may establish courses in which advanced
graduate students meet concurrently with undergraduate students only
if there is demonstrated academic rationale for such courses and if
the dean of the major teaching unit concurs. All such courses must provide
separate requirements for graduate versus undergraduate students. These
must be clearly stated in the course syllabi.
Senate
action, May 1987. Effective fall 1987.
D.
Termination of Courses
1.
Courses may be terminated with initiation of the proposal for termination
starting at the TU level and proceeding through steps 1 through 7 of
70.00.02.
2.
Courses may also be terminated in the following manner: In order to
maintain official university recognition of a course, the course must
be offered for either a regular or summer session at least once every
four years. The Registrar will conduct a survey of offerings each year
in the period between the summer and fall sessions. If a course was
not offered in the past three academic years, the academic unit listing
the course will be notified by the Provost of potential course termination.
If the course is not offered in the following year (the fourth year),
it will automatically be removed from the Registrar's listing of courses.
Termination would be effective with the fall semester following the
fourth year without an offering. Should a teaching unit wish to again
offer the course following termination, the course must be treated as
a new course and be reestablished according to 70.00.02 Approval of
New Courses.
University
Senate, March 1978.
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.03
Establishment and Operation of Centers
When
a center is proposed within a teaching unit, it will be written up in
detail, including full justification, anticipated use of resources,
and the projected contribution of the center to the academic program
of the teaching unit and the university. This detailed explanation and
statement of justification for the center will be circulated to all
deans, University Planning and Research, the University Librarian, the
Dean of Academic Affairs, the Vice President of Enrollment Services,
the University Registrar, and the Provost. If the originating office
receives no objection to the establishment of this center within a period
of one month from the date on which the original memorandum was submitted,
the teaching unit can assume that the center has been approved. At that
point, an indication of the precise time of establishment of the center,
and any other pertinent operating details, should be sent to the Provost
for the official record of the university. Also, a copy of such a letter
should be sent to the University Registrar for catalog planning.
Manual
of Information, Regulations and Procedures, Section III, Academic Regulations,
third edition; pp. 11b‑11c; Vice President for Academic Affairs,
June 1976.
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.04
Required Outline for New Program Proposals and Substantial Revisions
of Existing Programs
A.
Rationale
1.
What is the role of the proposed program or program revision in relation
to the goals and long‑range plans of your teaching unit?
2.
What are the reasonable expectations for employment and/or further study
for students who complete this program?
3.
How will completion of this program contribute to the intellectual development
(as opposed to training) of a graduate?
B.
Relationship to Existing Programs
1.
Will this program replace or complement any other programs now offered
by your teaching unit? Explain.
2.
What other teaching units have been consulted in the development of
this program?
a.
Attach a statement from the heads of these teaching units giving their
evaluation of the quality of and need for this program in relationship
to existing programs in their units (or to the future plans of their
units).
b.
If courses in other teaching units are needed in support of the proposed
program, attach statements from the heads of those units indicating
the availability of these courses for the students in the proposed program.
3.
Does the program duplicate or compete with any other programs now offered
through the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan
Area? If so, explain the need for this program.
4.
How do the requirements of the proposed program compare to the requirements
of similar programs at other institutions nationally?
C.
Student Interest
1.
What are the potential sources of students for this program?
2.
What evidence exists of student interest in this program?
D.
Resources Now Available to Support This Program
1.
Which current faculty members (specify whether full‑time, temporary,
or part‑time) will be available to support this program? Provide
a brief statement of the contributions expected from each faculty member
and his or her qualifications for providing this contribution.
2.
What other staff (e.g., secretaries, graduate assistants) currently
available to the teaching unit will be used to support this program?
3.
What special facilities and/or equipment currently available to the
teaching unit will be used to support this program?
4.
Are current university library and computer service facilities sufficient
to support this program? Explain.
5.
Will students in this program make use of currently existing opportunities
for internships and/or cooperative education placements? Explain.
6.
What currently available space will be used for this program?
E.
Additional Resources Required for Implementation
For
each of the six categories of resources listed under D above, indicate
what new resources in addition to those currently available will be
required during each year of the implementation period (see item F below).
F.
Implementation Plans
1.
In which year will implementation of this program begin? In which year
will implementation be completed and a formal evaluation presented?
(see item H below)
2.
Enrollment Projections
a.
Estimate the number of students to be admitted to this program each
year during the implementation period. Provide separate estimates for
full‑time and part‑time students.
b.
Estimate the period of study (in semesters) required to complete the
program for both full‑time and part‑time students.
c.
On the basis of the estimates given in a and b above, estimate the total
number of students to be enrolled in the program during each year of
the implementation period.
d.
Outline your tentative course scheduling plans for all required courses
during each year of the implementation period.
e.
In the case of a revision of an existing program, how will current students
be accommodated? What are the curricular and staffing consequences of
phasing out the old program while implementing the revised program?
G.
Financial Considerations
1.
Implementation Phase
a.
On the basis of the information provided above, itemize the cost of
implementing this program.
b.
How do you plan to obtain the funds required to support the implementation
of this program?
c.
What income (tuition and other) will this program generate during its
implementation period?
d.
What other financial considerations should be taken into account in
deciding whether to implement this program?
2.
What are the long‑range financial considerations associated with
this program?
H.
Evaluation Plan
1.
At the end of the implementation period, the major teaching unit shall
present a formal evaluation of this program to the Undergraduate or
Graduate Studies Committee of the University Senate.
a. What qualitative criteria and evidence should
be used to evaluate this program?
b. What quantitative criteria and evidence should
be used to evaluate this program?
2.
In the case of doctoral programs, the University Senate Graduate Studies
Committee requires a formal review and written evaluation of the doctoral
program proposal by a team of qualified outside evaluators at the time
the proposal is submitted to the committee. Please consult with the
chair of that committee to make the necessary arrangements.
I.
Catalog Copy
Please
attach a description of the program proposal as it is to appear in the
university catalog. The catalog copy description should follow the format
of the current catalog.
J.
Master Program Form
Please
attach a completed Master Program Form (forms are available from the
Office of the University Registrar).
Senate
action, April 1981 and Provost approval, June 1981. Effective June 1981.
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.05
Required Outline for Proposal of Program Termination
A.
Rationale
1.
Why is the termination of the program necessary or desirable?
2.
What is the relationship between the goals and long range plans of your
teaching unit and the termination of the program?
3.
Are there any other current or planned programs in your teaching unit
that will replace this program?
B.
Students
1.
How many students have been admitted to this program each semester for
the last two years?
2.
How many students are currently enrolled in this program?
3.
How many students have graduated from this program in the last five
years?
4.
If your request to terminate this program is approved, no new students
will be admitted to the program. How will you provide currently enrolled
students with the opportunity to complete the program? Please indicate
in as much detail as possible your plans for doing so. For graduate
programs, these plans must provide for necessary comprehensive examinations
and thesis and dissertation supervision in addition to required course
work.
C.
Financial Considerations
1.
What are the total income (tuition and other) and expenses that have
been associated with this program for each of the last two years? (Itemize.)
2.
How will the resources (faculty, staff, graduate assistantships, space,
special facilities and equipment) associated with this program be reallocated
when the program is terminated?
3.
Which courses, if any, will be dropped from the university curriculum
as a result of this program termination? For each course listed, please
specify the last semester it will be offered. In order to meet the needs
of any students currently enrolled in the program please specify the
alternative requirements which will allow completion of the program.
D.
Other teaching units may be affected by your decision to recommend termination
of this program, especially those units whose students may be served
by this program and those that have provided service to the students
in this program. Attach a statement from the heads of these teaching
units on their assessment of how termination of this program will affect
their teaching units.
Senate
action and Provost approval, March 1989.
