Pre-Approval for New Degree or Certificate or Major Revision to Degree or Certificate

Pre-Approval of New Degrees & Certificates 2024-2025

Applies to:

  • New credit degree or certificate
  • Revision of 30% or more (based on HECC formula) to existing credit degree or certificate
  • Other major restructuring of a degree or certificate, as determined by the Pathway Dean (for example, changing the target job/job family)

Timeline: 2 year process (see visual of decision-making workflow)

Date Step Example
October SAC Day Yr 1 SAC discusses/finalizes plan to propose  October 30, 2024
December Yr 1

Deadline to propose plan to Program Dean

Program Dean and Pathway Dean review/discuss

December 2024
January Yr 1

Pathway Dean determines one of three options:

            i. Promising concept, but further exploration/DACUM required

           ii. Concept is supported by data and has minimal/ no institutional impacts, move forward to Courseleaf

          iii. Not approved to move forward at this time

If category i or ii, AVP review/approval:

            i. Moves to ACP evaluation and prioritization once AVP approves

           ii. SAC can submit in Courseleaf once AVP approves

The Pathway Dean and AVP must approve any proposal using this form before curriculum proposals can be moved forward in Courseleaf to the Degrees and Certificate Committee

 January 2025
February Yr 1 ACP Senior Leaders’ evaluation and prioritization of all Pathway-Dean-approved category i February 2025
March Yr 1 Pathway Deans work with TLCI Project Manager to schedule a one-hour scope-setting meeting for each approved category i proposal. Meeting will include the TLCI Dean, TLCI Project Manager, and Program Dean. The purpose is to clarify any questions, the project timeline, and the faculty participants in the project team.   March 2025
April Yr 1 Pathway Deans issue charge letters for approved category i DACUM projects to SAC and Program Dean teams (cc’d to TLCI Dean and TLCI Project Manager) April 2025
May/June Yr 1 TLCI Project Manager prepares preliminary data and schedules kick-off meetings May 2025
Summer Yr 1 DACUM for all prioritized category i proposals Summer 2025
October Yr 2 Deadlines for curriculum submissions in Courseleaf for following year catalog October 2025
June Yr 2 Catalog published for following fall June 2026

Roles/Responsibilities:

Pathway Dean

In order to determine if the proposal is in category i, ii, or iii, the pathway dean is responsible for asking/answering the following questions to their satisfaction:

  • Is this truly new content, or simply repackaging existing content (for example, creating a new career pathway certificate using entirely existing courses; “swapping” existing content courses for similar content courses; etc.)? If the latter, moving directly to curriculum proposal in Courseleaf is likely appropriate; if the former, is further exploration of the content warranted?
  • Does this change/new creation require investment in resources (equipment, faculty lines, space etc.)?  If so, have you identified/confirmed that the resources will be available?
  • Is this change based on a major shift in the target occupation/job family? If so, is further exploration of the concept’s viability/availability of jobs in the new target occupation/family warranted before approving?
  • Is this interdisciplinary, and if so, does it or could it overlap with efforts in other programs and/or pathways? If so, have you discussed the concept with other impacted pathway deans and determined the best way forward?

ACP Senior Leaders

Reviews and evaluates all category i for institutional impacts (resources/investments needed, competition with existing programs, etc.); determines prioritization for moving forward with exploration based on these impacts and TLCI project manager capacity. 

AVP

Reviews/approves all Pathway Dean category i & ii.

Pre-Approval Form.