New Course Approval Process

In 2014, the Faculty Senate adopted a slightly modified procedure for new course approval and incorporated it into the Course and Curriculum Management System:

Approval Process For New Courses

Seminars (X91, X92, X93, X95) Approved by:

• Department Chair/Head
• Department Schedule Officer

Experimental Courses (can be taught three times only) Approved by:

• Department Chair/Head/Department
• Curriculum Committee
• Dean of School or College
• Dean of Graduate School (500 and above)
• Faculty Senate Secretary
• Provost (or designee)

Regular Courses Approved by:

• Department Curriculum Committee
• Department Chair/Head
• Dean of School or College
• School or College Curriculum Committee
• Academic Matters Council (up to 599)
• General Education Council (Gen Ed designations)
• Graduate Council (500 and above)
• Faculty Senate Secretary
• Provost (or designee)

Policy Regarding Approvals for Special Topics Courses

2. Unusual circumstances that may warrant the creation of new, temporary Special Topics Courses include the following:
   1. The process of hiring of a new faculty member is finished too close to the start of a particular semester to allow the formal approval process to be completed in time to add their new course(s) by the start of term; or
   2. A visiting instructor will be offering a specialized seminar on a topic that the department does not cover in its current regular course offerings and does not anticipate adding to those offerings in the foreseeable future; or
   3. A regular faculty member is asked to teach a course that addresses a timely issue or topic that the department does not cover in its current regular course offerings  and does not anticipate adding to those offerings in the foreseeable future or the request to teach the course is too close to the start of a particular semester to allow the formal approval process for an experimental course to be completed in time to add the course by the start of term.

In the above cases, faculty and departments will submit the new Special Topics Course as an Experimental Course (x90) to allow for an abbreviated approval process. This expedited course approval process requires submission of a course syllabus and related information, is submitted in the CCMS portal and allows for a course to be run exactly once with approval of the Secretary of the Faculty Senate and a Senior Vice Provost or equivalent representative of the Provost’s office. This expedited approval process is to be available for only a limited time period (roughly two to three weeks) prior to the start of each fall and spring semester.

The first offering of the course under this expedited approval process counts toward the three-offering limit on all Experimental Courses. Second and third offerings of the course as an Experimental Course require approval through the regular (non-expedited) process applied to all Experimental Courses. Subsequent offerings as a permanent course require approval through the regular conversion process.

Sources:  Sen. Doc. No. 15-009 and Sen. Doc. No. 22-079