Curriculum and Program Approval Process

Office of the Provost

and Vice President for Academic Affairs

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Degree Programs Under Consideration

Overview

A number of curricular changes can be approved internally by the Faculty Senate. Others require external approval from the Board of Regents (BOR). There are different procedures and forms for submitting proposals, depending on where final approval will be made. The information needed for submitting proposals of various types is outlined below including lists of the materials required for each type of proposal, formatting information, and links to forms, as well as to the Faculty Senate and to the Board of Regents websites.

Proposals to be submitted to the Faculty Senate for approval must be sent to the Provost's Office for initial approval by the applicable fall deadline. The Senate committees do not review curriculum in the spring, unless there is strong justification why the proposal could not make the fall deadline. Level I and Level II proposals approved by the Senate are prepared by the Provost's Office, so that they may go forward to the Board of Regents.

The Board of Regents has set a schedule for accepting Level I and Level II proposals.

Level II proposals can be submitted only for BOR meetings in January, March, July or September. They are submitted as information items; they do not come to the BOR for a vote until a subsequent meeting.
Level I proposals may be submitted only for BOR meetings in March, May, September or November.

For example: A Level II proposal submitted in September to the Faculty Senate is likely to be approved at the November meeting. The approved proposal must be revised and formatted in the Provost's Office, sent to the President's Office in mid-December, and then submitted to the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education (OCHE) approximately four weeks before the next BOR meeting (end of December). A Level II proposal typically takes seven months from submission to the Faculty Senate to approval by the Board of Regents. If the proposal is approved at the December meeting of the Faculty Senate, the timeline shifts such that it will probably be submitted to the Board of Regents in March for approval in May.

Please review the Montana Board of Regents Proposal Approval Process flowchart.

Just as when you submit a grant proposal to a federal or private agency, there are forms and deadlines, and adhering to them will make the process run more smoothly. Please contact Associate Provost Arlene Walker-Andrews if you have questions about the Faculty Senate or Board of Regents requirements. Also see the Montana Board of Regents Procedures and Guidelines for Agenda Items.

Internal Approval Required: Course Changes and (small) Program Modifications

Catalog changes, such as adding or deleting a course, changing a course title or description, or changing pre- and co-requisites can be done internally. In addition, small modifications to a program (such as adding a writing course required of all majors) need only internal approval. Requests for curricular changes of this type require submission of an internal Course Form; or for program modifications, a Program Modification Form.

Submit the form directly to the Faculty Senate Office for dissemination to either ASCRC (Academic Standards and Curricular Review Committee) or the Graduate Council. Before submission, obtain all of the required signatures on the form (including Program Chair/Director, program chairs/directors from other affected programs, and the appropriate Dean's signature).

External Approval Required: Level I Proposals

There are two types of proposals that require external approval: Level I and Level II.

Level I proposals include campus initiatives characterized by:

Minimal costs;
Clear adherence to approved campus mission; and
The absence of significant programmatic impact on other institutions within the Montana University System.

Level I proposals address changes such as:

Re-titling or eliminating existing majors, minors, and options;
Adding new minors where there is a major;
Departmental mergers and name changes;
Program revisions; and
Distance delivery of previously authorized degree programs.

You may learn more about the types of proposals by reading the BOR Guidlines for Level I and Level II Proposals (pdf). See also BOR Policy 303.1.

When a Level I proposal requires the addition of new courses, you should include a Course Form, along with the appropriate syllabi, so that the program can move forward as soon as it is approved.

Procedures for Submitting Level I Proposals

Step 1: Submission to the Provost's Office

To submit a Level I proposal, additional procedures are required because forms and copies of the proposal are submitted to bodies outside of The University of Montana. Completion of the required forms before submission of the proposal to the Provost's Office will facilitate the process. Instructions are given below for completing the various forms and for formatting the proposal itself. (The BOR has also created a website that provides this information.)

We ask that you submit the proposal as a single Word document, including all forms, the proposal itself and any appendices.

A Level I Program Change Form must accompany an electronic version (CD or disk) of the proposal that is submitted to the Provost's Office for review. The Program Change Form requires the signature of the program chair/director, signatures from chairs/directors of other affected programs, and the appropriate dean's signature before the initial review in the Provost's Office. Click here to download the Level I Program Form (ASCRC-Senate approval; initial review by Provost).

When a Level I proposal requires the addition of new courses, you should include a Course Form, along with the appropriate syllabi, so that the program can move forward as soon as it is approved.

In addition, a system-level form is required: the BOR Level I Request Form. Notice that the item number and date of the BOR meeting should be left blank. This information will be added in the Provost's Office before final submission. If a program is being terminated, a Program Termination Checklist must also be submitted.

After review by the Provost or his/her designee the proposal will be returned to the appropriate Dean. The system-level form will be retained in the Provost's Office to be attached to the proposal should it be submitted to the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education/Board of Regents.

Step 2: Submission to the Faculty Senate

After the review in the Provost's Office, the proposal will be submitted to the Faculty Senate Office. Once the proposal is received in the Senate Office, it will be logged in, reviewed by the ASCRC or the Graduate Council, and then placed on the Senate agenda for action.

Step 3: Submission to the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education (OCHE)

Following Senate approval, the proposal will be prepared by the Provost's Office for submission to OCHE. The electronic copy of the proposal will be revised as necessary to conform to OCHE requirements. The system-level forms will be completed and submitted with the proposal.

Summary of Requirements for Level I Proposals

For initial screening in the Provost's Office: (The items indicated in green are those prepared by the unit proposing the change; they are revised and submitted to the Senate and to the OCHE/BOR.)

Level I Program Change Form (an internal form), which includes:
Chair's/director's signature
Signature from chairs/directors of other affected programs
Dean's signature
Montana Board of Regents Level I Program Change Request Form, no item number or date will be assigned until later (a BOR form that will be retained by the Provost's Office until final submission of the proposal) Program Termination Checklist (if applicable)
Electronic copy (CD or disk) of the proposal which includes the Level I Program Change Form from the Senate-ASCRC and Montana Board of Regents Level I Program Change Request combined with the text of the proposal as a single document.

For approval by the Faculty Senate:

Level I Program Change Form with signature of Provost or Provost's designee (from above)
Copies of the proposal (1 electronic; 2 paper)

For external approval (OCHE, BOR):

Montana Board of Regents Level I Program Change Request (from above; date and assigned item number will be added in the Provost's Office)
Copies of the proposal as needed

External Approval Required: Level II Proposals

Level II proposals also involve both internal and external approval. Examples of Level II proposals include:

changing the name of a degree (e.g., from B.A. to B.F.A.);
implementing a new minor where there is no major;
establishing a new degree;
adding a new major;
expanding an approved mission;
or making organizational changes (e.g., formation, elimination or consolidation of a college, division, school, department, institute, bureau, center, station, or laboratory).

Level II proposals are initially approved internally and receive preliminary screening. A Level II proposal provides a detailed explanation of the proposed new program, justification for the new program, description of fit within UM-M's mission, budgetary implications, etc. When a Level II proposal requires the addition of new courses, you should include a Course Form, along with the appropriate syllabi, so that the program can move forward as soon as it is approved.

A number of different forms must accompany the proposal when it is submitted internally, although several will be used only during the external approval process. Submitting the documents and forms early in the process will help save time at the final submission. We ask that you submit the proposal as a single Word document, including all forms, the proposal itself, and any appendices.

The narrative for a Level II proposal should adhere to the following outline:

Overview

Provide a one paragraph description of the proposed program. Be specific about what degree, major, minor or option is sought.

Need

To what specific need is the institution responding in developing the proposed program?
How will students and any other affected constituencies be served by the proposed program?
What is the anticipated demand for the program? How was this determined?

Institutional and System Fit

What is the connection between the proposed program and existing programs at the institution?
Will approval of the proposed program require changes to any existing programs at the institution? If so, please describe.
Describe what differentiates this program from other, closely related programs at the institution (if appropriate).
How does the proposed program serve to advance the strategic goals of the institution?
Describe the relationship between the proposed program and any similar programs within the Montana University System. In cases of substantial duplication, explain the need for the proposed program at an additional institution. Describe any efforts that were made to collaborate with these similar programs; and if no efforts were made, explain why. If articulation or transfer agreements have been developed for the substantially duplicated programs, please include the agreement(s) as part of the documentation.

Program Details

Provide a detailed description of the proposed curriculum. Where possible, present the information in the form intended to appear in the catalog or other publications. NOTE: In the case of two-year degree programs and certificates of applied science, the curriculum should include enough detail to determine if the characteristics set out in Regents' Policy 301.12 have been met.
Describe the planned implementation of the proposed program, including estimates of numbers of students at each stage.

Resources

Will additional faculty resources be required to implement this program? If yes, please describe the need and indicate the plan for meeting this need.
Are other, additional resources required to ensure the success of the proposed program? If yes, please describe the need and indicate the plan for meeting this need.

Assessment

Describe how the success of the program will be measured?

Process Leading to Submission

Describe the process of developing and approving the proposed program. Indicate, where appropriate, involvement by faculty, students, community members, potential employers, accrediting agencies, etc.

The following link also provides a description of Level II proposals, as well as a detailed outline for the Format of Level II Proposals set forth by the Board of Regents. At the end of the proposal under "Process Leading to Submission of Proposal", please include a paragraph that verifies the review of the proposal by affected departments and other units, such as:

(You do not need signatures; just names of departments and date of approval for this template below.)

This proposal was reviewed and approved by the affected departments as follows:

Department Name: _____________________________ Date: ____________________

In addition the deans of the following Schools/Colleges reviewed and approved the proposal:

Dean of: ___________________________________ Date: ______________________

Dean of: ____________________________________ Date: ______________________

The proposal was reviewed and approved by the Faculty Senate at the University of Montana Date: ______________________________________

[No outside consultants were employed for the development of this proposal.]

Proposals for new Centers require additional steps for approval [see Regents' Policy Manual: policy 218, and University's Center Policy: center approval (pdf)]. The proposal is submitted first to the Provost who will send copies to the President and relevant administrators and the Faculty Senate. The Provost and the Faculty Senate shall provide a written rationale for a recommendation of approval or disapproval to the President. The President shall consider all recommendations and provide a written explanation of the decision to each reviewer and the University community. If the President approves, the proposal will go to the Board of Regents for final authorization.

A link to a sample Center proposal is available at the end of this page.

Following internal approval, the proposal is submitted for approval to the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education and the Board of Regents. To have a Level II proposal considered, the Office of the Provost must receive by the applicable deadline. The Provost's Office will disseminate the proposal for discussion at the May, September, and January Board of Regents' meetings, respectively.

Procedures for Submitting Level II Proposals

Step 1: Submission to the Provost's Office

To submit a Level II proposal, additional procedures are required because forms and copies of the proposal are submitted to bodies outside of The University of Montana.

A Level II Regential Form must accompany an electronic version (CD or disk) of the written proposal that is submitted to the Provost's Office for review. The Regential Form requires the signature of the Program Chair/Director, signatures from chairs/directors of other affected programs, and the appropriate Dean's signature before the initial review in the Provost's Office. Level II Regential Form (ASCRC-Senate approval; preliminary screening by Provost).

When a Level II proposal requires the addition of new courses, you should include a Course Form, along with the appropriate syllabi, so that the program can move forward as soon as it is approved.

In addition, system-level forms are required: Montana Board of Regents Level II Program Change Request Form; and an Item Template cover page. Notice that two pieces of information (item number and date of BOR meeting) cannot be filled in until later. They will be entered at the Provost's Office before submission to the Board of Regents.

Finally, a Signature Page must be submitted with the proposal, with the signatures of the department chair/division head and the dean of the appropriate college or school included on the page. (Note: Duplicate signatures are necessary in many cases. For example, the department chair signs both the Level II Regential Form that is submitted to the provost and Senate only, as well as the cover page that will accompany the proposal in subsequent steps.) Please obtain all required signatures before submitting the proposal to the Provost's office to avoid delays.

After review by the Provost, the proposal will be returned to the appropriate Dean. The two system-level forms and the cover page will be retained in the Provost's Office for additional signatures and for attachment to the proposal should it be submitted to the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education/Board of Regents.

Step 2: Submission to the Faculty Senate

After the review in the Provost's Office, the proposal will be submitted to the Faculty Senate office. Once the proposal is received in the Senate office, it will be logged in, reviewed by the ASCRC or the Graduate Council, and then placed on the Senate agenda for action.

Step 3: Submission to the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education (OCHE)

Following Senate approval, the proposal will be modified as needed by the Provost's Office for submission to OCHE and the Board of Regents. The electronic copy of the proposal will be revised as necessary to conform to OCHE requirements. The system-level forms and the completed cover page will be submitted with the proposal.

Summary of Requirements for Level II Proposals

For initial screening in the Provost's Office: The items indicated in green are those prepared by the unit proposing the change; they are revised and submitted to the Senate and to the OCHE/BOR.)

Signature page (to be retained by the Provost's Office)
Level II Regential Form, which includes:
- Chair's/Director's signature
- Signature from chairs/directors of other affected programs
- Dean's signature
Montana Board of Regents Level II Program Change Request, item number or date will be assigned later (to be retained by the Provost's Office)
An Item Template for Board of Regents, item number or date will be assigned later
The Proposal, narrative
An electronic copy (CD or disk) that includes the Montana Board of Regents Level II Program Change Request form, the Item Template, and the proposal as a single document

For approval by the Faculty Senate:

Level II Regential Form with signature of Provost or Provost's designee
Copies of the proposal (1 electronic; 2 paper)

For external approval (OCHE, BOR):

Montana Board of Regents Level II Program Change Request (from above; date and assigned item number will be added in the Provost's Office)
Montana University System New Academic Program Proposal Summary (from above)
Copies of the proposal as needed
Fiscal Impact and Budget Information (from above, included as a section of the proposal proper)