Curriculum Approval Process

Curriculum Approval Process

This process applies to proposed Class III changes (addition or deletion of a major, graduate program, minor, or certificate) and any major re-structuring of programs and majors. The Provost and Deans, in consultation with the Curriculum Committee, will determine whether changes in existing programs are significant enough to undergo this process. In general, if a program change requires New York State Education Department approval, then it should go through this process.

Under this procedure, evaluation of new programs by faculty begins with step III (below) and continues until a vote is held. This process occurs over approximately 13 - 15 weeks and allows faculty to comment on and discuss proposals both in an online discussion format and in Faculty Senate. This process shortens the length of time required to approve new programs. It eliminates the one month lag time between presentation and vote in Faculty Senate, but extends the length of time that Faculty may consider programs by bringing them into the process earlier.

Phase I - Concept Paper

I.In the form of a one-page concept paper, a proposal may come from varied sources: faculty, community, market analysis. The Academic Cabinet and the Leadership Team willreviewtheconceptpaperconcurrently.TheLeadershipteamcurrentlyconsistsofthe President, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Senior Vice President and Chief Advancement Officer, Vice President for Legal Affairs and General Counsel, Vice President for Financial Affairs and Treasurer, Chief Information Officer, Vice President for Strategic Initiatives, Senior Executive Assistant to the President, Special Assistant to thePresident,AssistantVicePresidentforMarketing,andotherseniorstaffasneeded.

II.Review by Academic Cabinet and Leadership Team is completed within one week of receivingtheproposal.Theproposalmaybeapproved,sentbackforclarification,ormay be stopped at thispoint.

III.If approved, the concept paper goes online, and is accessible by the campus community for discussion. Comments can be read and addressed by the appropriate person. As is currentlythepractice,accessislimitedtothecollegecommunity.Atthispoint,theChair of the Curriculum Committee will put the proposal on the regular agenda for all subsequent reports to the Senate for discussion. Throughout the entire process, issues regarding proposals may be raised during discussion of regular Curriculum Committee reports to theSenate.

Phase II - Feasibility Report

IV.GenerationoftheFeasibilityReportbytheFeasibilityTeamistobecompletedwithin two weeks of approval of the concept paper. This Team will include specialists in financial analysis and internal resources. A competitive market analysis will also be conducted.

V.Once the feasibility study has been concluded, the Leadership Team will decide within oneweekwhetherornottomoveforward.Shouldthedecisionbepositive,theproposal will move to the curriculum development phase and an Executive Summary of the feasibility study will be posted online for faculty review and comment.

Revised 03/2014

Phase III - Curriculum Development

VI.ThecurriculumisdevelopedinapproximatelysixweeksbytheSubjectMatterExpert assisted by the Curriculum Team. For either on-ground or online programs the Curriculum Team will consistof:

Subject Matter Expert – a member of the faculty who is responsible for development of the curriculum of a new program. In cases where a program is being developed for which there are no faculty with expertise in the area, the Dean of the School in which the program will be housed will solicit information from the School faculty and external sources, where appropriate, to identify an expert in the relevant curricular issues being considered.

Instructional Designer - assists the Subject Matter Expert, in designing courses to achieve maximum effectiveness.

Director of Academic Assessment – Assist in establishing consistent assessment mechanisms and processes

Project Manager – Staff member to oversee progress and completion of forms and processes. Works with external partners where necessary

As neededforconsultation:AcademicDean(s)

Academic or other administrators

Department Chair, Faculty Sponsor(s) (if different from Subject Matter Expert)

Phase IV - Approval

VII.The curriculum package will be posted online for faculty review and for discussion. The information will be password protected and will be for reading only with the ability to comment in a dedicated comment space beneath the proposal. Materials cannot be duplicated, printed, or forwarded. For proposals originating in an “on-ground” school, the appropriate school or division will have one week to approve the package either electronically or in a school/divisionmeeting.From the time the curriculum package is posted online, the Curriculum Committee will include the proposal on all subsequent regular agendas to Faculty Senate until a final vote by Senate occurs.

VIII.The Curriculum Committee (and Graduate Committee concurrently, if necessary) will reviewthematerialsinatimelymanner,normallywithin3weeks,following notification that the proposal has been approved by appropriate parties e.g., school/division. Clarification and changes will be posted online as the Curriculum Committee deliberates. Such postings will be announced to the faculty body via email and in Curriculum Committee reports to senate. Faculty can track the entire process and can post questions and concerns throughout, and raise issues during the regular Curriculum Committee reports to the Senate at any stage in the process. A formal discussion in Faculty Senate of all Class III proposals will occur while the Curriculum Committee is in the final stages of considering the proposal. Faculty will be kept informed of a general timeline for voting on proposals being considered by the Committee.

IX.Once the proposal and all clarifications/changes are approved by the Curriculum Committee, faculty will be notified that a vote is pending on the proposal. The vote itself will begin one week following this notification and remain open for one week. Faculty will receive an email notice on a Wednesday that electronic voting has begun and will end the following Wednesday. Any amendments/motions must be sent to the Curriculum Committee for posting on the ballot by noon on the Monday before the vote is begun. There will be no voting on curriculum during June and July.Online voting procedures will follow the process currently in place for Faculty Senate votes for committee membership, etc. through Survey Monkey or other appropriate voting programs in the future. Existing Faculty Senate Bylaw rules will determine a quorum. Approval of the proposal will require a majority of those voting.

X.Decision by theProvost.

XI.Decision by thePresident.

XII.Decision by Board ofTrustees

Approximate Schedule

Phase I

Submission

Review by Academic Cabinet andLeadershipTeam1week

Phase II

Creation ofFeasibilityReport2weeks

Leadership Team determines whethertoproceed1week

Phase III

CurriculumTeam6weeks

Final Package posted; School vote for “onground”proposals1week

Phase IV

Review byCurriculumCommittee1 - 3weeks

FacultySenate1week

Decision by ProvostandPresident1week

TOTAL:14 -16weeks

Revised 03/2014