A-001.1 Process for Curriculum Approval Proposals of Major Significance

Code: A-001.1
Date: January 31, 1980
Approved: Jon Wefald
Revised: October 11, 2001
Approved: David C. Danahar
Revised: May 6, 2009
Approved: David C. Danahar
Revised: April 28, 2014
Approved: Connie J. Gores
Date Effective: August 1, 2014

Southwest Minnesota State University

Procedure

Process for Curriculum Approval
Proposals of Major Significance

Classification and initiation of proposals of major significance.
1. Proposals classified as being of major significance shall include:
  1. Changes affecting graduation requirements.
    1. Revision of Liberal Education Program / Minnesota Transfer Curriculum.
    2. Revision of Associated Graduation Curriculum Requirements.
    3. Revision of maximum credits required for a major or minor plus ancillary courses.
    4. Revision of major or minor requirements.
    5. Revision of total credits required for graduation.
  2. Proposed addition or elimination of majors and minors.
  3. Proposed addition or elimination of pre-professional and certificate programs.
  4. Adoption of course substitutions or options for Liberal Education Program / Minnesota Transfer Curriculum.
  5. Proposed addition or elimination of degrees offered by the institution.
  6. Special entrance requirements established by departments and/or programs for students entering a field(s) of study.
2. Initiation of proposals of major significance may originate with individual faculty, programs, departments, Faculty Association, students, administrators, or other academic units.
3. Proposals normally must be approved by an academic department before coming to the Curriculum Committee. However, exceptional cases may be brought to the Committee by the SmSUFA President. These include but are not limited to:
  1. Proposals concerning courses designated as IDST (Interdisciplinary Studies) or LEP (Liberal Education Program).
  2. Proposals concerning a new program that will not be housed in an existing department.
    
    All communication shall be through the proposal sponsors or through the chairperson(s) of the sponsoring department(s).
4. All proposals of major significance shall be submitted by the sponsor(s) simultaneously to the Faculty Association Curriculum Committee and the Office of Academic Affairs by the chairperson(s) of the sponsoring department(s) or academic unit(s).
5. Proposals of major significance that also involve changes of less than major significance must be processed through both procedures for their appropriate parts prior to implementation.
Actions on curricular proposals of major significance.
1. Actions to be taken by the proposal sponsor(s).
  1. The sponsor(s) will develop the proposal using the appropriate forms available from the Curriculum Committee. It is suggested that the sponsor(s) seek input from the chair or other members of the Curriculum Committee as to the proper forms for their proposal.
  2. The sponsor(s) shall consult with all programs affected by the proposal prior to submitting the proposal.
  3. The sponsor(s) will secure all signatures necessary for the proposal.
  4. The sponsor(s) will complete the resource utilization worksheet.
  5. The sponsor(s) will determine, from the published meeting dates, the deadlines for proposal submission. Proposals should be submitted at least two weeks prior to the meeting at which they are to be considered.
  6. Before the submission deadline, sponsor(s) will submit one hard copy of the proposal, including all necessary forms and signatures, and one PDF file containing the full proposal to the chair of the Curriculum Committee. Simultaneously, the sponsor(s) will submit one hard copy to the Office of Academic Affairs and if the proposal involves the Liberal Education Program, one hard copy to the chair of the Liberal Education Committee.
  7. If the Curriculum Committee forwards the proposal to the Faculty Assembly, the Curriculum Committee chair will notify the faculty association president to put the proposal on the agenda for the Faculty Assembly and will post the proposals for public viewing. The sponsor(s) will confirm the Faculty Assembly agenda with the faculty association president. Public notice must be given at least 48 hours prior to the vote.
  8. If the proposal is approved by the Faculty Assembly and the Administration, it is the responsibility of the sponsoring department(s) to develop and provide catalog copy, advisement, and communication with professional schools in their respective pre-professional area.
2. Actions to be taken by the Faculty Association.
  1. In general.
    1. Within 14 days of its formation in the fall semester, the Curriculum Committee will meet and set a schedule of meeting times and submission deadlines for the semester. The committee shall do the same within 14 days of the beginning of the spring semester. These schedules will be publicized to the university community. The committee will schedule at least three meetings each semester.
  2. In regard to a specific proposal.
    1. The Curriculum Committee will consider the proposal at its next scheduled meeting time, provided the deadline for submission of proposals for that meeting has not passed. If the Curriculum Committee fails to act on proposals that have been properly submitted within the deadlines, the Office of Academic Affairs may declare the proposal accepted.
    2. Prior to the meeting in which the proposal is to be considered, the Curriculum Committee chair shall review the proposal to ascertain whether all affected entities have been contacted by the sponsor(s) and that the appropriate signatures have been secured. The Office of Academic Affairs shall check the proposal for consistent and logical course numbering and check for any duplication of numbers or names in the master course file.
    3. After considering the proposal, the Curriculum Committee shall either return the proposal to the sponsor(s) with the suggested revisions or shall forward the proposal to the Faculty Assembly. The Curriculum Committee may forward the proposal with a positive recommendation, with no recommendation, or with reservations.
    4. The Curriculum Committee shall communicate its action to the proposal sponsor(s).
    5. If the proposal is passed by the Faculty Assembly, the Curriculum Committee chair secures the signature of the Faculty Association president and forwards the proposal to the Office of Academic Affairs.
    6. If the Curriculum Committee chair has not received notification of acceptance or non-acceptance of the proposal from the Office of Academic Affairs within 14 days of the date forwarded, the Curriculum Committee chair shall inquire about the delay.
    7. If the Curriculum Committee chair has not received adequate response within 14 days of a delay inquiry, the proposal will be considered accepted.
3. Actions to be taken by the administration.
  1. Upon the receipt of a proposal from its sponsor(s), the Office of Academic Affairs shall review the proposal and communicate any concerns to the proposal sponsor(s) and the chair of the Curriculum Committee.
  2. Upon receipt of a proposal that has been approved by the Faculty Assembly, the Office of Academic Affairs shall review the proposal within 14 days (If a proposal is for a graduate/undergraduate dual listed course or program, the timeline begins after both proposals are received.) and notify the proposal sponsor(s) and the chair of the Curriculum Committee that it has accepted or rejected the proposal. Rejected proposals may be brought to a Meet & Confer for discussion. Acceptance does not denote final approval since proposals may need to be finally approved by an external agency. If a proposal is rejected, the Office of Academic Affairs shall supply a detailed explanation of the reasons for the rejection.
  3. Upon receipt of a delay notification (II.B.2.f.) from the Curriculum Committee, the Office of Academic Affairs shall notify the proposal sponsor(s) and the chair of the Curriculum Committee within 14 days as to the reasons for the delay. Failure to respond within that time shall constitute acceptance of the proposal.
  4. Upon acceptance of a proposal, the Office of Academic Affairs shall, if necessary, direct the Office of Registration to make the appropriate changes in the master course file and forward the proposal to any external agencies whose approval is required.
Implementation
1. Proposals requiring MnSCU action shall be submitted to the MnSCU Board through appropriate channels by the Provost.
2. The Office of Academic Affairs shall inform all appropriate officers, sponsors, and associations when the required action by external groups has been completed.
3. All approved proposals shall be entered into the appropriate institutional records of curricular programs and information.
4. Proposals for adding an MTC designation to a course would normally go into effect the semester following the date of final approval.