Academic Program Approval Procedures

An academic program is a program leading to an Associate's, a Bachelor's, a Master's, or a Doctor's degree in a particular subject area, or to an undergraduate or graduate certificate, including a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study, as defined in The Procedures for University Approval of New Academic Degree Programs, Program Changes, and Program Termination. (Trustees Doc. T92-012 as amended on 8/6/97). 

A degree program is a program of study culminating upon successful completion in the award of an Associate's, Bachelor's, Master's, or Doctor's degree.

A major is that portion of a Bachelor's degree program consisting of courses in a particular substantive area. A Bachelor's degree is earned by completing General Education requirements, major requirements, and sufficient elective courses to meet the 120 credit total required for award of a Bachelor's degree. For purposes of program approval, revision, or termination, each major is considered to be a distinct Bachelor's degree.

A concentration (sometimes called a track or an option) is a set of courses and associated requirements within a graduate degree program or an undergraduate major or minor providing an alternate way of fulfilling the requirements of that academic program that focuses on a distinct area of knowledge within the realm covered by the overall program. Concentrations within a program may be entirely separate from one another, or may contain a common set of courses. Concentrations can be delineated in a proposal for a graduate degree or a new undergraduate major or minor, or may be added to an existing degree, major or minor. Proposals to create new concentrations within an existing degree program, major, or minor are considered under the procedure for revising an academic program (see Section 11.C)

A Minor consists of at least 15 credits in a coherent set of courses in a particular discipline, department or program. A Minor in a department, discipline, or program which also offers a Major will normally be constituted by a set of courses selected from among those required for the Major. Minors may be structured to require common courses and while accommodating some degree of choice among elective courses. Creation of a new minor is considered under the procedure for revising an academic program. 

Restriction: Students may not receive a Minor in the same discipline or program which is also their Major.

A certificate is a coherent set of courses representing a defined body of knowledge and skills. Certificates may represent a subset of the requirements for existing degree programs; may reflect a multidisciplinary perspective drawing coursework from more than one existing program; or may constitute a relatively free-standing area of focus with little formal connection to existing academic programs. A Certificate requires at least 15 credits in a coherent set of courses. A certificate program of more than 30 credits is considered an "academic program," and approval or revision will be considered according to the policies pertaining to academic programs. Creation of a certificate program requiring fewer than 30 credits is considered under the procedures for revising an academic program.

• An Undergraduate Certificate consists of at least 15 credits of coursework. Internships, service learning courses, and independent study courses may not count towards the 15 credit minimum. Unless otherwise specified, these certificates are open to all students, undergraduate and graduate, matriculating or non-matriculating, subject to availability of courses.
• A Graduate Certificate consists of at least 9 credits of graduate level coursework taught by members of the graduate faculty that offers a clear educational objective. If a graduate certificate requires fewer than 15 credits, then at least 9 of the required credits must be earned in courses numbered 600 or higher. Unless otherwise specified, these certificates are open to all graduate students, matriculating or non-matriculating, subject to the availability of courses. 

A Letter of Specialization recognizes study in a specialized field related to or part of a student's major.

March 15 to be effective in the following fall semester (assuming BHE approval).

May 15 to be effective as of the following fall semester unless the proposers or the Faculty Senate specifies a later effective date. These changes include:

• Changes to an existing degree 
• New Concentrations 
• Changes to existing concentrations 
• New certificates 
• Changes to existing certificates 
• Changes to General Education, School/College, or University requirements

Proposals for program changes should be submitted for department and college level approval early enough that they are likely to reach the Faculty Senate Office by April of the academic year before the proposers desire them to go into effect. 

1. Proposals for new academic degrees are governed by the processes established by the Massachusetts State Board of Higher Education and the UMass Board of Trustees. The Trustees amended their policy in 1997 to be consistent with the new State Board requirements. See Procedures for University Approval of New Academic Degree Programs, Program Changes, and Program Termination (Trustees Doc. T92-012 as amended on 8/6/97). Both set out a three-element process: 
   Submission of a Letter of Intent (LOI) also called a "pre-proposal" or "preliminary proposal") for approval by the UMass system office and the Board of Higher Education. This stage requires approval by the Department, Dean, and Provost, after which it is submitted by the chancellor to the UMass President's Office, which submits it to the System's Academic Advisory Committee and to the Chancellor of the State Board of Higher Education for comment. 
   UMass President's permission to submit a final proposal starts the process of developing a full proposal which is submitted to full campus governance review - approval by the Department and College levels, the Faculty Senate, and the Provost. 
   Campus approval of a final proposal is followed by submission of that proposal, together with an external review, to the UMass Board of Trustees and, on Trustee approval, to the Board of Higher Education. 
2. New program proposals usually originate in an academic department, although there may be circumstances under which a proposal originates in a Dean's office or the Provost's office. 
3. Faculty or administrators interested in proposing a new undergraduate or graduate academic degree program should contact Michelle Budig, Senior Vice Provost for Academic Affairs (@email) for preliminary information before submitting any materials to the online system. The Provost's Office will assist departments with preparation of their preliminary proposals. 
4. The Preliminary Application should provide a succinct description of, and rationale for, the proposed Academic Degree Program and should be no more than five (5) single-spaced pages in length. This stage of the process allows the proposers to "make the case" to campus and UMass system administrators for their new program in a general way and without significant expenditure of time and resources. The Preliminary Proposal is designed to provide relevant campus and system administrators with sufficient descriptive and contextual information about the program for making an informed judgement about whether the proposal has sufficient merit to warrant the preparation of a Final Application. Specifically, the Preliminary Application should address the extent to which there is a need for the degree program (including why existing programs at the same campus, on other University campuses, or at other public or private institutions with the campus' service area² cannot meet this need). It should also explain how the proposed program is consistent with and would advance the stated mission and goals of the campus and the University. 
5. When approved by the Chancellor, the Preliminary Application is forwarded to the UMass System President, who circulates it to the members of the Academic Advisory Council for their review and comment. The Chancellor of the Board of Higher Education is also invited to comment. Upon review, the President will advise the campus Chancellor as to whether to proceed with a Final Application and discuss any issues that merit particular consideration in that process. Note that a letter authorizing the proposers to proceed with a Final Application does not constitute assurance that the proposed program will receive final approval. 
6. The Final Application should provide a comprehensive description of the proposed Academic Degree Program and should include an expanded analysis of the issues discussed in the Preliminary Application (e.g. purpose, need and relationship to mission) as well as a careful and thorough discussion of the more practical and technical issues raised by the proposal (e.g. resources, curriculum, admissions and faculty). Faculty, staff and administrators preparing the Final Application should be mindful that the cogency and realism of the proposal, and the succinctness and clarity of its presentation, will be considered good indicators of a campus' ability to mount a program of high quality. The Final Application should contain all of the information necessary to allow campus, University and other reviewers to meaningfully evaluate the program and should provide all of the information requested under the nine (9) general subject headings set forth in the Board of Higher Education form which is incorporated into the CCMS. 
7. The Final Application must also include a "Program Abstract" which should not exceed four pages in length. The program abstract should be a fair and concise summary of the proposal and the nine (9) items noted on the Degree Program Proposal Form. In the event the proposal is approved by the University's Board of Trustees and forwarded to the Board of Higher Education, the Program Abstract will be circulated by the Board of Higher Education to other public institutions for comment.
8. When they receive authorization to proceed with a Final Application, the program's proposers will submit their proposal through the CCMS. The proposal must be approved by the Department Curriculum Committee and then the Department Head/Chair. The proposal is then automatically referred to the College Curriculum Committee for its consideration and, after it has approved, to College Dean. If the Dean approves, the CCMS automatically routes the proposal to the Faculty Senate Office. 
9. The Secretary of the Faculty Senate, in consultation with the Rules Committee, assigns the proposal to relevant Faculty Senate Councils and Committees for their consideration. The Councils and Committees can approve the proposal, reject it, or seek revisions. Should a Council or Committee request revisions, the revisions should be discussed with that Council or Committee and shared with the other Councils and Committees also considering the proposal. When the Councils and the proposers have agreed on all the revisions, the proposal will be returned to the proposer via the CCMS by the Faculty Senate Office so that the revised versions of the forms can be provided to the Faculty Senate for its consideration. 
10. When all the Councils and Committees to which the program proposal has been referred have recommend it in either its original version or in a revised version, the Secretary of the Faculty Senate adds the program proposal to the agenda of the next Faculty Senate meeting. If the Senate recommends approval, the proposal goes to the Provost for review and transmittal to the Chancellor. Upon approval by the Chancellor, the proposal will be transmitted to the President of the UMass system. 
11. The President then solicits comments on the proposal from the Academic Advisory Council. If, after a careful and thorough review by staff, the President decides to recommend approval of the program, the President forwards a written recommendation to the University Board of Trustees. 
12. The President may require that the proposal be reviewed by a team of external evaluators qualified to comment on issues of faculty, quality, curricular coherence, and adequacy of resources. External evaluations will normally be required when graduate programs are being proposed and may entail a visit to the campus by the evaluators. All expenses for external evaluators are borne by the proposing campus. 
13. If the Final Application is approved by the Board of Trustees, it will be forwarded to the Board of Higher Education, which has the final approval authority. 

² Traditionally the "service area" concept was more relevant to the Community Colleges and State Colleges/Universities, but could be a source of leverage vis-a-vis the University of Massachusetts campuses. In recent years the Board of Higher Education has sought to gain more direct influence over their offerings despite the separation between the UMass system on one side and the State Colleges/Universities and Community Colleges on the other established in the General Laws of the Commonwealth. 

TBD

1. A joint academic degree program is a program to be offered between two or more campuses of the University of Massachusetts in a field where at least one of the participating campuses already holds specific degree-granting authority. This approval process is not required for programs in which an authorized degree is conferred by one campus on students enrolled through another campus by special agreement. 
2. Proposals for collaborative degree programs in fields in which no participating campus has degree-granting authority, and proposals to develop joint degree programs involving colleges or universities outside the University of Massachusetts, must be developed in accordance with the requirements of the section of this policy document applicable to new Academic Degree Programs. 
3. Proposals for joint degree programs are also reviewed in two phases. A Preliminary Application (meeting the requirements set forth below) should be submitted by the Provosts of the participating campuses to the Vice President for Academic Affairs, who circulates it to the Academic Advisory Council. Once the Preliminary Application has been vetted by the Academic Advisory Council, the campuses can proceed to prepare a Final Application. All proposals for joint degree programs must go through normal campus approval processes before being submitted to the President in the form of a Final Application. The Final Application is submitted jointly by the Chancellors of the participating campuses and reviewed by the Vice President for Academic Affairs. If approved by the President, the proposal will be forwarded to the Board of Trustees. If the Board of Trustees approves it, it will then be forwarded to the Board of Higher Education for final action. 
4. The Preliminary Application for a joint degree program should be succinct (not to exceed 5 pages) and should include: (I) a discussion of the reasons for the proposed collaboration, including an explanation of how the proposed joint program should complement, replace, or enhance any current stand-alone programs, and how it would contribute to the missions of participating campuses and the University as a whole; (2) a brief description of current degree program(s) on each participating campus that would contribute to the joint program (including program emphasis, size of faculty and students, etc.); and (3) a discussion of the need and demand for the joint program, including evidence of student demand and career opportunities. 
5. The Final Application should incorporate the proponents' discussion of the questions covered in the Preliminary Application and should, in addition, include these elements: 
   1. A "Program Abstract" consisting of a "fair and concise summary" of the proposed joint degree program, i.e. a condensed version of the Final application (Note: the Board of Higher Education circulates the Program Abstract to outside reviewers). 
   2. A projection of the expected size of the program, including full-time and part-time students enrolled, projected degree completion rates and the expected time from admission to graduation. 
   3. A detailed description of proposed curriculum and program emphasis (including changes to existing curricula where applicable). Include (in an Appendix) a semester by semester sequence of courses including course numbers, credits, and titles, clearly indicating which campus will offer the course as well as which of the courses are new. 
   4. A description of how curriculum will be delivered: who will teach courses, where and how (e.g., distance learning, travel between campuses), research and thesis supervision for graduate programs; in other words, the nature of the collaboration. 
   5. A description of the structure for program oversight, including admissions, curriculum development, graduation requirement, faculty hiring and assignment, quality control and program evaluation. 
   6. A description of mechanisms for distributing student credit hours and faculty effort among campuses for budgetary purposes. 
   7. A description of procedures for student registration, advising, and other administrative matters. 
   8. A discussion of the budgetary implications for each campus, including sources for required support and anticipated costs or savings. Please display by institution the amount and kinds of additional faculty/staff, facilities, equipment, and library resources needed for the first year and the first full year of implementation, indicating funding sources. 
   9. A discussion of the implications for programmatic accreditation and certification or licensure, if applicable. 
6. Approval of a joint degree under these procedures requires that every diploma and transcript issued to students in the program indicate that the program is a collaborative offering of the campuses involved. Approval of a joint degree under these procedures does not constitute authorization for a campus to offer a stand- alone degree in that field. Should the joint degree program be discontinued at any time, campuses without independent authorization to offer the degree may not continue to offer such degrees without the approval of the Board of Trustees and the Board of Higher Education. 

1. Existing degree programs can be combined by decisions of the campus governance bodies; they do not need to be referred to the Board of Trustees or the Board of Higher Education for preliminary approval or final approval. However, the Board of Trustees and the Board of Higher Education must be notified of the establishment of any combined degree program. 
2. Accelerated Master's Degree 
   1. An Accelerated Master's Degree Option is an explicit arrangement of graduate courses and other requirements enabling a student to complete the requirements for a baccalaureate degree and a specified Master's degree in less calendar time than would be required through normal sequential enrollment. Though variously called "five-year" programs, "4+1 programs," or "combined bachelor's/Master's programs," an Accelerated Master's Degree Option is not a distinct or different kind of degree program because the requirements for the bachelor's and Master's degrees remain unchanged; what changes is how they are organized. 
   2. The Bachelor's degree and Master's degree may be in the same field or a related field; departments having concentrations within their major or Master's program may also specify that only certain concentrations will be included within an Accelerated Master's Degree option. 
   3. Calendar time can be reduced in a number of ways. Some involve allowing students to complete certain graduate requirements prior to formal enrollment in a graduate program; others involve scheduling techniques, including use of summer and winter sessions. [See examples in a table included in Sen. Doc. No. 10-043.] 
   4. The Graduate School will accept for transfer nine credits into any approved accelerated Master's degree option, and proposals for twelve credits will be considered for accelerated options involving Master's degrees of more than 36 credits. The courses eligible for transfer must be described in the proposal. Graduate courses may satisfy requirements for the baccalaureate degree if: 1) they fulfill content requirements as appropriate (i.e., they are at least equivalent to required undergraduate courses); and 2) they are specifically identified in the proposal and in the student's conditional acceptance to the Master's program (see below). Required graduate internships must be completed while enrolled as a graduate student. 
   5. At all times it must be clear to the student whether and how a course will apply to a graduate degree. Programs should be sure to emphasize that only the courses specified in an approved accelerated option will be automatically applied to the Master's degree, and only when taken after conditional acceptance to the Master's program. The Graduate School will consider any other requests for transfer of credit under normal procedures. 
   6. There is neither application to nor enrollment in a "combined" bachelor's-master's program. Unless otherwise specified, an undergraduate wishing to participate in an accelerated Master's option applies to the Graduate School by November 30 in the junior year. Applicants must satisfy normal admissions requirements for the Graduate School unless specific exceptions are included in the proposal (e.g., waiver of GRE requirement). The baccalaureate degree must be completed prior to enrollment in the graduate program. The Graduate School will make a decision on conditional acceptance to the program, effective immediately following expected completion of the baccalaureate degree. The acceptance will specify the conditions to be satisfied. 
   7. Approval process.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Any department with an existing Master's degree can propose an accelerated option consistent with these guidelines using the "Proposal for Accelerated Master's Option" template. If a department wishes to propose changes to an existing Master's degree in conjunction with approval of an accelerated option, then a separate program revision proposal must be submitted. 

Departments lacking an existing Master's degree must first create one through the normal program approval process. 

An accelerated option may apply to a Master's program in its entirety, or to certain concentrations within it (for example, a non-thesis option only, or a concentration requiring a particular course sequence). If use of one or more concentrations in this way is desired, then the necessary concentration must either already exist or be proposed separately as a program revision. 

Proposals for accelerated Master's options will be considered using the procedures for program revision. Such proposals originate in the department offering the Master's degree. After being approved by the curriculum committees of the department offering the Master's degree and, if not the same, the Department offering the Bachelor's degree, the proposals go to the head/chair of the department(s) involved. They are referred to the College Curriculum committee. The College Curriculum Committee may reject the proposal, return it to the department for revision, or approve it. When the College Curriculum Committee approves an initial or revised version of the proposal, it is advanced through the CCMS to the Dean. When Dean approves, the proposal is advanced by the CCMS to the Faculty Senate Secretary. Because they involve combining undergraduate level and graduate level work, the Secretary refers them to the Academic Matters and Graduate Councils. Upon approval of the initial or a revised version of the proposal by both Councils, the Secretary adds the proposal to the agenda of the next Faculty Senate meeting. 

If the Faculty Senate recommends approval, the proposal goes to the Provost for review and transmittal to the Chancellor. Upon approval by the Chancellor, the proposal will be transmitted to the President of the UMass system. 

[The policy on Accelerated Master's Degrees is defined in Sen. Doc. No. 10-043.] 

3. Dual Master's Degree Program 
   1. A Dual Master's Degree Program combines two existing Master's degrees in related fields through a program design using overlapping options to reduce the total number of credits required to earn the combined degree as compared to earning each Master's degree separately. Dual Master's Degree Options are intended to encourage students to pursue interdisciplinary studies in two clearly related programs. By undertaking this simultaneous pursuit, the student earns a master's degree in each of the two programs, while completing somewhat fewer credits than would be required to complete the two programs separately. 
   2. All degree requirements of each of the two degrees must be completed. All core course requirements in both programs must be completed; however courses in one program may be used to satisfy elective requirements in the cooperating program, and vice-versa. The total number of degree credits will be at least equal to 60 credits of which no fewer than 30 credits must come from each of the two programs. 
   3. A thesis will be required if either of the cooperating degree programs requires one. The thesis should address a topic which is derived from the rationale for the dual degree. 
   4. Students seeking to pursue a Dual Master's Degree option must meet the entrance requirements of each individual program and be admitted by both programs. 
   5. Both degrees must be awarded concurrently. Neither of the two degrees awarded under the dual degree option shall be awarded retroactively. A student who does not complete both courses of study for the Dual Master's Degree may be awarded one Master's degree upon completion of the program requirements for one of the two programs. 
   6. The Statute of Limitations for completion of a dual degree option shall be five (5) years. 
   7. Approval Process 

Proposals to create a Dual Master's Degree Option should be submitted through the CCMS by one of the departments involved after the graduate curriculum committee and the head/chair of both have approved it. The proposal must explain the need for and inherent value of the option and Dual Degree Option (1) explicitly list the core courses and the number of additional elective courses (or credits) required for each of the separate master's degrees, (2) specify a plan for completion of these requirements under the dual master's degree option, and (3) explicitly address the topic of any required thesis. Each participating department must supply a letter of support indicating how it will assure provision of the instructional and other resources needed for the Dual Master's Degree program. 

The Graduate School will check that these criteria are satisfied by the proposal and verify that the credit savings resulting from the proposal are reasonable (no more than approximately 20%). If satisfied that the proposal meets these requirements, the Graduate School refers the proposal to the Faculty Senate Secretary, who will provide for review by the Graduate Council and any other Councils to which the Rules Committee refers it. 

[The Policy on Dual Master's Degrees is defined in Sen. Doc. No. 05-009] 

1. The process for approving revisions of requirements in an academic degree program or a certificate consisting of more than 30 hours of course work depends on the nature of the revision. Trustee Document T92-012 (1992, amended August 1997) specifies that "Once approved, an Academic Degree Program may not be materially and substantially changed unless and until it has been reviewed and approved under a process deemed appropriate by the [UMass system] Vice President for Academic Affairs." 
2. The process of approving degree program revision starts with submitting a brief written description to the Vice President for Academic Affairs through the Office of the Provost. The Vice President will determine whether the proposed change should be reviewed under the procedure for reviewing new program proposals or under some less comprehensive procedure, and inform the Provost's Office of its determination. The Provost will in turn inform the Secretary of the Faculty Senate and the department or program of the process that will be followed. 
3. Proposals to offer new concentrations, tracks, options, certificate programs or the like within existing degree programs are not considered to be "material or substantial changes." Further information about such proposals appears in Sections 11.C, 11.D and 11.E. 
4. All changes to existing degree programs are reviewed using the same program revision form on the CCMS but handled as the Vice President for Academic Affairs directs. 
5. Changes must be wholly approved by May 15^th of the academic year preceding the academic year in which the department wishes to implement the changes. 
6. All proposals to change a degree program must be approved by the Department or Program Curriculum Committee, the Department Head/Chair or Program Director, the College Curriculum Committee, and the Dean of the College before being evaluated by the Faculty Senate. Upon approval by the Dean, the proposal is relayed to the Secretary of the Faculty Senate through the CCMS, who in conjunction with the Rules Committee assigns the proposals to relevant Councils or Committees. 
7. Any proposal to revise the curriculum of a degree program that involves changing courses as to content, number, name, General Education, Junior Year Writing, or IE designations must be accompanied by the needed course change proposals 
8. Proposals for changes which are identified at the College or Faculty Senate level as effectively creating new concentrations, minors, or certificates of fewer than 30 credits are reviewed under the procedures applicable to creating concentrations, minors, or certificates. 
9. Changes to the name of a program require full campus governance review and must be approved by the President and the Vice Chancellor of the Board of Higher Education. The request for approval should include an explanation of the reasons for the name change. 

When submitting a proposal to include additional courses for ARR (Academic Requirements Report) you will use the following steps:

1. Navigate and login into the Course & Curriculum Management System 
   https://cps.provost.umass.edu/umacps/
    
2. Click on the title "Create New Proposal"
    
3. Scroll to the bottom and find the section  titled "Revise Existing Credential"
    
4. Under this section you will find a form titled "Add Courses to ARR"
    
5. Follow the steps in the system to properly submit your proposal/revision.

1. UMass System rules 
   1. Campuses must notify the President prior to, and the Board of Higher Education following, the suspension or termination of an existing Academic Degree Program. 
   2. A campus may reactivate a suspended or discontinued program, with the approval of the President and the Board of Higher Education. The President may require that the reactivation proposal be reviewed under a process similar to the procedure for considering proposals to a new program, or some other appropriate process. 
   3. If the President determines that discontinuance, termination, or reactivation of programs would have a significant impact upon other campuses, such action will only occur after the President has obtained the advice of the Academic Advisory Council and subsequently the approval of the Board of Trustees. 
2. Amherst Campus procedures 
   1. The Provost or a Dean may request a review of an academic program by developing a brief setting forth the reasons why a review appears necessary. The brief shall address each of the criteria listed in the policy on Termination of Academic Programs, especially those pertaining to centrality and scholarly and/or creative activities. 
   2. The program proposed for review shall have an opportunity to provide an initial written response. This initial response must also address each of the criteria listed in the Termination document and may suggest any additional special criteria that should be considered in any subsequent review. 
   3. The Provost's or dean's brief and the program's response shall be made promptly and readily available to all [MBU] faculty members. The Dean shall then call an [MBU] faculty meeting to consider a motion to recommend a full review of the program. The brief and the response will be discussed and the opinions of the faculty regarding the future of the program ascertained before any procedural or substantive vote on the motion is taken. A summary of the meeting's proceedings and the result of any and all votes shall be forwarded to the Provost, regardless of the outcomes of votes. 
   4. The Provost then reviews the brief, the response, and the summary of the faculty meeting proceedings and determines whether a full review should be initiated. If the Provost determines that a full review is not desirable, the Provost will inform the Faculty Senate Secretary and the Dean and no further action to terminate the program will be taken. If the Provost determines that a full review is desirable, a request for a full review by the faculty senate will be addressed to the Faculty Senate Secretary, accompanied by the brief and the program's initial response. 
   5. Upon receipt of a request to review a program for termination, the Faculty Senate Secretary shall forthwith inform the Rules Committee and relay the brief and the program's initial response to the Academic Matters Council. 
   6. The Academic Matters Council shall conduct a full review including, but not limited to, assessment on the basis of all the criteria in the Termination policy as well as any of the special criteria identified by the program in its initial response. The program shall submit a comprehensive written response to the Council for consideration during its deliberations. The Dean and representatives of the program shall be given an opportunity to meet with the Council and to submit afterward a response to the Council's special report to the Faculty Senate. 
   7. The Academic Matters Council shall prepare a special report, including an appropriate motion and a synopsis of the dean's and the program's responses if they have been submitted. The Council's report shall contain explicit statements of the criteria used for evaluation, the way the criteria were used in evaluation, and the relative importance {e.g., very important, important, not important) attached to each criterion. The motion shall be in the form of a recommendation to the campus administration. The Council's special report and motion shall be submitted to the Rules Committee with a request that it be placed on the agenda of the next Faculty Senate meeting. 
   8. The Faculty Senate shall consider the Academic Matters Council's report and vote on the motion it recommends. The Faculty Senate Secretary shall transmit a report of the Faculty Senate's action to the Provost. Should the Provost decide to recommend termination of the program to the Board of Trustees, the report of the Faculty Senate shall accompany the Provost's recommendation. 

[These section is based mainly on the Procedures for University Approval of New Academic Degree Programs, Program Changes, and Program Termination (Board of Trustees Document T92-012 as amended on 8/6/97) and the general provisions in Sen. Docs. Nos. 89-054A, 90-064, and 91-014B.] 

1. Departments and Programs may establish exceptions to the normal university policy allowing departments or programs to require that students earn a grade of C or better in an earlier course to enroll in a more advanced course in the major. These exceptions will be specified in a Continuation Policy. Continuation policies are intended to foster timely progress towards completion of the major, not as a way to limit enrollment in the major. 
2. The primary basis for consideration of a continuation requirement is clear evidence that a substantial proportion of majors are not making timely progress in meeting degree requirements because of a failure to meet necessary standards in prerequisite or foundational coursework, and that this creates an undue burden for the program and for other students. 
3. Establishing a grade cutoff higher than C requires the program to demonstrate 1) that course grades or other standards are directly tied to successful completion of upper-division requirements; 2) that significant numbers of students are reaching the upper division unprepared to complete degree requirements in a timely manner; and 3) that this situation imposes an unreasonable resource burden on the program. 
4. Establishment of continuation requirements is a response to a particular set of circumstances. They may be approved for up to three years, and automatically expire at the end of their approved term. Departments may petition to extend or modify continuation requirements through the same process used for initial approval.
5. Departments and Programs shall ensure that students in danger of failing to meet continuation requirements are warned about that situation, and counseled about how they can meet the continuation requirements or assisted in changing to a different major. 
6. Continuation policies are proposed by departments or programs. Proposed continuation requirements must be endorsed by the Dean and then the Provost. If the Provost supports the proposal, it is sent to the Faculty Senate for approval or disapproval. The Registrar maintains the official compilation of approved continuation requirements. 

[Continuation policies are defined in Sen. Doc. 12-041] 

1. Concentrations (Tracks, Options) within a graduate degree program or an undergraduate major or minor can be proposed at the same time as the degree program is proposed or at a later time. 
2. If proposed at the same time as initial proposal of the graduate degree or undergraduate major, they are approved as part of the degree program approval process described in Section 11.B 
3. If proposed later, they are approved through the procedures for revising concentrations described in Section II. The process begins in the department or program desiring to add a new concentration, which develops a proposal for submission through the CCMS. Upon approval by the department or program curriculum committee and the department head/chair or program director, the proposal is forwarded through the CCMS to the college curriculum committee and dean. If they approve, the proposal comes to the Faculty Senate. The Secretary of the Senate in consultation with the Rules Committee then assigns the proposal to Councils for review. Typically such proposals are assigned to either the Academic Matters or the Graduate Council, but may also be assigned to the Program and Budget Council if they appear to have significant budgetary implications.
4. The Council or Councils to which the proposal is referred can approve it as it stands or request revision. Once the Council(s) approve the proposal, the Secretary of the Faculty Senate adds it to the agenda of the next Faculty Senate meeting. If approved by the Faculty Senate, the Secretary notifies the Chancellor, the Provost, and the proposers. 
5. The Chancellor and Provost then provide a written description of the concentration to the President and the Board of Higher Education prior to announcing availability of the new concentration. 

1. Proposed changes to concentrations are also reviewed and approved through the campus governance procedures described in Section 11.B.5, paragraphs c, e, and f. 
2. Approved changes to concentrations, tracks, options, certificates, or the like must be described in a written notice to the President and the Board of Higher Education 60 days prior to announcing the changes.

1. Unlike creation of a major, creation of a minor does not require preliminary authorization from the Board of Higher Education; the entire approval process occurs on campus.
2. The process for creating a minor begins in the department seeking to establish it. The proposal is then evaluated at the College and Faculty Senate levels in the same way as a proposal to create a new major, as summarized in Section 11.B.1.

1. Proposed changes of minors are reviewed and approved through the same campus governance procedures as used for approval of revisions to majors, as summarized in Section 11.B.4.
2. Approved changes to minors must be described in a written notice to the President and the Board of Higher Education 60 days prior to announcing the changes.

1. Policies relating to creation of new certificates distinguish between certificates consisting of more than 30 credits of coursework, and certificates consisting of less than 30 credits of coursework. They also distinguish between Undergraduate Certificates, which must include at least 15 credits of coursework, and Graduate Certificates, which must include at least 9 credits of coursework.
2. Proposals to create new certificates should be submitted through the CCMS following the Faculty Senate Certificate approval guidelines. Proposers should explain the educational goals of the certificate, lay out the courses to be included, and provide a rationale for offering the certificate. Proposers of Graduate Certificates must pay attention to the additional criteria established in the Supplemental Guidelines for Graduate Certificate Proposals (Sen. Doc. No. 09-023). 
3. If successful offering of a certificate is dependent on resources over which the campus does not have control (e.g., continued teaching of certain courses at one of the other Five Colleges), proposers must provide documentation that the resource will be available indefinitely and/or a backup plan in case the resource becomes unavailable (e.g., the other Five College partner stops teaching the courses involved). 
4. A certificate may be designated as "transitional," indicating that upon completion the coursework may be applied toward the requirements of an academic degree program. 
   1. The certificate proposal must clearly identify what courses may be applied to what set(s) of program requirements;
   2. This information must be prominently displayed in all descriptions of the certificate program;
   3. Completion of a transitional certificate does not imply admission to the University or a specific academic program. Non-matriculating students who wish to apply transitional certificate coursework to a degree program must satisfy all relevant University admissions requirements and the admission requirements for the specific program to which they seek to apply the coursework. 
5. If a non-matriculating student completes the requirements for a transitional certificate, and is subsequently accepted for admission to the appropriate degree program, then the coursework specified as applicable to the program will be transferred notwithstanding general policies governing transfer of credit. 

[These paragraphs are based on Sen. Docs. Nos. 09-001, 09-018A, 09-023, 09-059, 15-024, 15-035A, and 15-049] 

1. Proposed changes to certificates are reviewed and approved through campus governance procedures provided in Section 11.B.4, with the precise process depending on whether the Certificate is one of 30 credits or more. 
2. Approved changes to certificates must be described in a written notice to the President and the Board of Higher Education 60 days prior to announcing the changes. 

The certificate approval processes are diagrammed here: Review-Process-for-Certificates.pdf

1. Certificates will remain in force for five years following their approval. In the fourth year, the sponsoring department or program of each certificate shall file a renewal request with the Faculty Senate Office, describing the status of and activity within the certificate program according to guidelines established by the Academic Matters Council and the Graduate Council. Continuation of the certificate program for each additional five-year term will require the approval of the Faculty Senate upon the recommendation of the appropriate council. 
   In the case of certificates involving agreements among the Five Colleges, the review process in the agreement will govern. 
2. If renewal is not approved, or a request for renewal is not submitted, the certificate program will be phased out. Students may complete the requirements of a certificate within two years of expiration of the certificate program, subject to the availability of courses. 
3. In general, certificates are evaluated according to the following measures: - Statistics on completion of the certificate program (i.e., number of students, matriculated and non-matriculated, time it took to complete the certificate). 
   - Information relating to availability of courses, student enrollment per course, faculty teaching the courses, and student evaluations. 
4. Undergraduate Certificates are reviewed by the Academic Programs and Budget Council, and will make a recommendation that the certificate be either renewed for five years or discontinued. Reasons for recommending that a certificate be discontinued include:
   1. Failure to respond to the request for a renewal application;
   2. Request by the sponsor to phase out the certificate;
   3. Too few students pursuing or completing the certificate (indicating lack of student demand and/or unrealistic requirements);
   4. Problems with certificate courses (insufficient availability, too many experimental courses, too many exceptions/substitutions). 
5. Graduate Certificates are reviewed by the Graduate Council, which can recommend renewal for a full five years, renewed on probationary status for one or two years while addressing shortcomings identified by the Graduate Council, or discontinued.
   Reasons for recommending that a certificate be placed on probationary status include 
   1. too few students pursuing or completing the certificate (indicating lack of student demand and/or unrealistic requirements), or 
   2. problems with certificate courses (insufficient availability, too many experimental courses, too many exceptions/substitutions). Reasons for recommending that a certificate be discontinued include 
      1. continuing problems after a probationary period,
      2. failure to submit this renewal application when requested, and
      3. iii. request by the sponsor to phase out the certificate.