Curricular Proposal Review Process:
Drafting and Submitting a Proposal
Proposals are drafted and submitted in the online curriculum management system (OCMS).
School/College Review
The first level of review happens within the school or college. Schools and colleges may set their own internal deadlines for this review. Each school and college has determined its own workflow within the system, but generally proposals route to the unit curriculum committee, department chair or program coordinator, school or college curriculum committee, and ultimately to a dean or their designee (commonly an associate dean).
Office of Academic Affairs
Once a proposal has been fully approved by the school or college it routes to the Office of Academic Affairs (OAA) curriculum coordinator who reviews it for completeness. The curriculum coordinator may email the proposer with questions or return the proposal for additional edits. Some proposals must be reviewed as a package (e.g., dual-level courses) and the curriculum coordinator will hold proposals at this stage until all associated proposals are ready to move forward for review by the committees of the Faculty Senate.
Additionally, proposals route back to the OAA curriculum coordinator once they are approved by the respective committee or council. These proposals are forwarded to the Faculty Senate Steering Committee. Proposals that must be reviewed as a package will again be held at this stage until all associated proposals are able to move forward together.
Faculty Senate Committees
The following committees review curricular proposals:
- Undergraduate Curriculum Committee
- Reviews all undergraduate-level proposals
- University Studies Council
- Reviews course proposals involving a cluster designation
- Graduate Council
- Reviews all graduate-level proposals
- Budget Committee
- Reviews all program proposals
Members of these committees and councils may email the proposer with questions or return proposals for additional edits.
Faculty Senate Steering Committee
The Faculty Senate Steering Committee meets with the committee or council chairs monthly to discuss the proposals forwarded for the upcoming Senate meeting.
Faculty Senate
New degrees, new certificates, and new minors are presented to the Faculty Senate for individual consideration. It is requested that a representative from the proposing unit be available during the meeting to answer questions about the new program.
All other curricular proposals are included on a consent agenda, though Senator can request to pull an item from the consent agenda for a full discussion.
New degree proposals: PSU Board of Trustees
Once approved by the Faculty Senate new degree proposals are presented to the Academic and Student Affairs Committee (ASAC) of the PSU Board of Trustees. It is requested that a representative from the proposing unit give a short presentation to the ASAC and be available to answer questions.
New degree proposals: Statewide Provosts Council (SPC)
At the same time as the proposals are submitted to the committees of the Faculty Senate, OAA will submit a summary of a new degree proposal to the SPC as part of the SPC's early notification process. At this time other universities within Oregon may reach out with questions about the proposed program.
Additionally, once the ASAC approves a new degree the proposal is submitted to the SPC for a full review. No presentation is required during this process.
New degree proposals: Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC)
The new degree proposal will be forwarded to the HECC after the SPC approves the degree. No presentation is required during this process.
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
PSU is required to notify the NWCCU of a:
- New degree
- New certificate
- New minor
- Change to a program name
- Change to the minimum credits required to complete a program
OAA will submit the notification to the NWCCU after the proposals are fully approved; the average response time from the NWCCU is 6 weeks, and the NWCCU does not complete reviews in October or April. These items may not be advertised until the NWCCU acknowledgement is received.
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