New Programs and Changes | Office of Institutional Effectiveness

Process for Program Approval/Change | Course Inventory Mgmt. System (CIM)

Forms | Post Implementation and Program Viability

Process for Program Approval/Change
Course Inventory Mgmt. System (CIM)
Inactivation of Program
Post Implementation and Program Viability

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Process for academic degree program approvals and changes

The process of introducing a new academic degree program or modifying an existing one is often extensive, spanning a period of one to two years. Proposed changes must start with department and college support, demonstrated through faculty vote and a letter of support from the dean of the college. If applicable, the proposed change must also have the support of the internal college-level curriculum committee. As colleges and departments are planning curriculum changes, these changes should be added annually to the three-year academic plan submitted to the UA Board of Trustees. UA’s three-year academic plan is updated in late spring and submitted to the UA System Office in July.

After receiving the necessary department and college-level support, the proposed program or change will continue the internal review process with the appropriate Undergraduate or Graduate Curriculum Committee approval. This process can involve several revisions. The proposed program or change will then be recommended to the Undergraduate or Graduate Council.

Following this stage, depending on the nature of the proposed changes, further endorsement may be necessary from entities such as the UA Board of Trustees, the Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE), and/or SACSCOC. These governing bodies convene only periodically throughout the year and have predetermined deadlines for the submission of agenda items well in advance of their meetings. Once final approval is granted, information regarding the new/changed program must be submitted for admissions and catalog materials ahead of established UA deadlines.

Deadlines for submission of proposals to institutional contacts have been established to assist departments in completing the appropriate forms in a timely manner. Please scroll down to find upcoming deadlines, links to forms and instructions, and other process details.

Please contact Carmen Coleman (crjones18@ua.edu or 205-348-3439) prior to making any academic program changes or beginning the process of proposing a new degree program or if you have any questions.

Steps for the approval process of new undergraduate programs and graduate programs

Approval Process: Undergraduate Programs and Graduate Programs

Steps for the approval process of new undergraduate programs and graduate programs

The proposing department initiates the process through discussions within the department, including a faculty vote, and discussions with the dean of the college. If the dean of the college is in favor of developing the new program, the dean discusses it with the Provost and, if it is a graduate degree proposal, the Dean of the Graduate School. Depending on the college, the proposal is approved by the college-level curriculum committee.
After approval by the department and college, the proposal is submitted in CIM (Course Inventory Management) for programs. Along with the proposal, additional documents including the Notice of Pending Proposal (NPP) must be attached. Prior to and after submission into CIM, the proposal is reviewed by Academic Affairs and, if applicable, Graduate School.
When the proposal and the NPP are ready, the documents are sent to the Undergraduate or Graduate Curriculum Committee for review.
The curriculum committee will review and approve the NPP. At this time, with approval of the Provost, the NPP is submitted to the UA System Office. The NPP is sent to UAB and UAH for feedback by the System Office. The proposal could be revised based on the feedback.
The curriculum committee will review the proposal and possibly request revisions. If it is a graduate-level proposal, the committee approves the proposal and recommends it to the Graduate Council. The Graduate Council is responsible for ensuring that all graduate programs meet acceptable academic standards for quality graduate education; that the content, structure, and evaluation of student performance in graduate courses are significantly different from those of undergraduate courses; that all graduate courses are taught by members of the graduate faculty; and that appropriate program reviews will take place. If the Graduate Council votes to approve the new program proposal, the Graduate Dean forwards it as a recommendation to the Provost.
If it is an undergraduate program proposal, the proposal will go to the Curriculum Committee of the Undergraduate Council. The committee will review the proposal and possibly request revisions. When the committee approves the proposal, it is recommended to the Undergraduate Council. The Undergraduate Council is responsible for ensuring that all undergraduate programs meet acceptable academic standards for quality undergraduate education; that all courses are taught by qualified faculty; and that appropriate program reviews will take place. If the Undergraduate Council votes to approve the new program proposal, it is recommended to the Provost.
The proposal will be submitted to the UA System Office by the UA President. The UA System Office sends the proposal to UAH and UAB for feedback. The proposal is reviewed and voted on by the Academic Affairs and Student Affairs Committee and recommended to the UA Board of Trustees for initial approval. If approved, the proposal is submitted to ACHE for approval. The proposal is then sent back to the Board of Trustees for final approval.

Types of academic program changes to submit for approval

Establish: a new academic degree program, college, school, or department
Establish: a new extension (concentration, track, specialization, emphasis, option, focus, etc.), certificate, teacher certification program, or minor
Establish: a new off-campus site
Delivery Method: add a delivery method to an existing program or to an approved off-campus site
Merge or Split: an academic program or academic unit.
Reorganize: move responsibility for an academic program from one unit to another.
Suspend or Reactivate: an academic program, unit, or location.
Terminate: an academic program, academic unit, location, or delivery method.
Change: a degree name, nomenclature (i.e., Ph.D., M.A., B.S.), or CIP Code
Change: the name of an academic department or research center/institute.
Change: modifying more than 25% of the curriculum of a program or a certificate
Initiate: a new dual degree program or contractual arrangement for programs or courses.

Log into CIM for Programs

Getting started with CIM (create a link or a document)

Step One: Beginning the Process

Sign in using your myBama credentials. If you don’t have a CIM account yet, reach out to the registrar’s office to obtain access.
Fill out all the required fields on the CIM form.

Step Two: Required CIM Attachments

At the end of the CIM form is a place to upload required attachments.

Please attach:

Appropriate ACHE form (new degree program, certificate, or concentration)
Notice of Pending Proposal (new degree program proposals)
a resolution,
a letter of support from the Dean of the college,
evidence of faculty support (faculty vote, memo, etc.),
faculty roster form (required for all types of proposals),
assessment plan (required for new degree programs and certificates),
curriculum semester plan (required for new degree programs, significant curriculum changes, and certificates)
the UA Program Proposal Supplement form for a proposal, (Program Proposal Summary/Budget Excel spreadsheet (required for new degree programs)

Step Three: Completing the CIM Form

Once the form is completed, click “Save and Start Workflow.”

The proposed academic program change will go through various steps in an internal workflow before it is sent to the Board of Trustees and ACHE. Through these various stages, the proposed change can be rolled back to a previous stage in the workflow for changes or additional information. In addition, several notifications will be sent once you click “Save and Start Workflow.” This is to alert relevant departments about the proposed academic change. Once the proposed change has successfully navigated the workflow, the form and attachments will be sent to the Provost’s Office and President for approval. A packet with all forms and attachments will be to be sent to the UA System Office to be submitted to the Board of Trustees. Once approved by the Board of Trustees, the packet will be submitted to ACHE. UA’s liaison to the Board and ACHE will update CIM when external approvals are made.

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Forms

The appropriate forms are required to be completed and attached in CIM for programs for the proposed change:

Forms

Notice of Pending Proposal (NPP) – Used only for new degree programs (majors)
New program (major) proposal – undergraduate or graduate program
New program proposal supplement (executive summary) – required for new degree programs (majors)
Budget/Program Proposal Summary – Excel spreadsheet required for new degree programs (majors)
Faculty roster form – required for new programs (within the proposal form), certificates and concentrations (must attach in CIM)
Undergraduate Certificate form
Graduate Certificate form
Concentration
Deletion/Termination of a program, certificate, concentration, or minor
Change in delivery method
The form for a new minor is completed in CIM for programs

Additional documents also must be attached in CIM (see below for examples):

Resolution (required for new degree programs, certificates, and concentrations)
Assessment plan (required for new degree programs and certificates)
Curriculum plan/Semester plan (required for new degree programs and certificates)
Dean’s letter of support
Evidence of faculty vote and college committee vote (if applicable)
Optional: letters of support (recommended for new degree programs)

Additional forms for academic changes to be submitted as Word documents

Mergers or consolidations of existing academic programs
- This form is to submit a request for mergers or consolidations of existing academic programs.
Form D Change in degree nomenclature at the doctoral level (examples EdD to PhD) of an existing program
- This form is to submit a request for a change in the degree nomenclature at the doctoral level.
FORM A Alteration of CIP Code, Program Title, Degree Nomenclature
- This form is to submit the change in name of an instructional program, the degree nomenclature (except for the doctoral level), or the CIP code by which it is listed in the Commission’s Academic Program Inventory, if the objectives and content of the program remain the same.
New centers, institutes, etc., which do not offer courses for academic credit
- This form is to submit a request to create a new center, institute, etc. which will not offer courses for academic credit.
Form C Academic Program Inventory Inactive Status
- This form is to submit a request to place a program on inactive status.
Guidelines, regulations and proposal for a new off-campus site
- Three links for guidelines, regulations, and the proposal form for new off-campus sites
Form for creating a new academic department
- This form is to submit a request to create a new academic department.
Form B: Description of Curriculum Changes – attachment
- This form is required for departments making significant (greater than 25%) changes to the curriculum requirements for a degree program or certificate.

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Inactivation (Termination) of a Program, Minor, Concentration, or Certificate

IMPORTANT – Change in Delivery Methods

To offer an approved program through distance learning (50% or more of the content is offered online) or if you plan to no longer offer an approved program through main campus or distance learning, please contact Carmen Coleman or the SACSCOC Liaison regarding the approval process and appropriate form.

Examples of submitted proposals, NPPs, resolutions, and documents

Current Examples

Examples of submitted proposals, certificates, concentrations, and other related documents

Example of a Completed Graduate Program Proposal – Criminology and Criminal Justice PhD
Example of a Completed Undergraduate Program Proposal – Informatics BS
Example of a Notification of Pending Proposal (Coming Soon)
Example of a Program Proposal Supplement
Example of a Graduate Certificate
Example of an Undergraduate Certificate (Coming Soon)
Examples of Resolutions
Example of a Concentration
Example of a Minor
Example of a Curriculum/Semester Plan
Example of an Assessment Plan

Additional Resources

Substantive Change

Substantive Change Checklist

The substantive change checklist helps the Office of Institutional Effectiveness identify if the proposed change(s) needs to be reported to regulatory agencies. To be sure you receive the proper guidance for routing your proposed change through the approval process to the appropriate agency with the correct form, please complete the information below and someone from the Office of Institutional Effectiveness will contact you soon.

Substantive Change Checklist

Policies & Procedures

UA Substantive Change Policy and Procedure

Calendar

Board of Trustee meeting dates
- September 13, 2024
- November 8, 2024
- September 6, 2024
- November 8, 2024
- February 7, 2025
- April 4, 2025
- June 6, 2025
ACHE meeting dates
- June 14, 2024
- September 13, 2024
- December 13, 2024
UA Graduate Council meeting dates
- September 4, 2024
- November 6, 2024
- February 5, 2025
- April 2, 2025
UA Undergraduate Council meeting dates
- September 11, 2024
- November 13, 2024
- February 12, 2025
- April 9, 2025
- May 14, 2025 (if needed)

Recent approvals by the Board of Trustees

Recent approvals by ACHE

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Post Implementation and Program Viability

New programs approved by ACHE and the UA Board of Trustees (approved after May 2018) will have to complete a Post Implementation report 7 years after implementation (programs approved before May 2018 will have to complete a Post Implementation report 5 years after implementation). Programs have to report on four conditions: enrollments, program graduates, employment information, and assessment of student learning outcomes. New programs must take an average of the years that they have had graduates of the program, and these numbers must meet the program viability numbers set by the state. The program viability numbers are listed below. Here is a link for the ACHE Post Implementation Report Guidelines.

ACHE Post Implementation Reporting Guidance

Program Viability Numbers

Degree level	Number of graduates per year	Number of new students per year
Baccalaureate degree	7.5	9.4
Master’s degree	3.75	4.7
Education Specialist	3.0	3.75
Doctorate degree	2.25	2.8

Additional Conditions: As appropriate to the specific program of study, the Commission may require additional post-implementation conditions, such as the following:

Programs with discipline-specific accreditation may be required to show progress toward specialized accreditation as a post-implementation condition of approval.
Programs leading to professional licensure will be required to report steps to be taken to optimize exam pass rates and the licensure pass rate as a post-implementation condition of approval.
In the case that the proposed program of study is likely to reduce new enrollments or graduates from an existing program of study, such as when an option within an existing program becomes a standalone program, the Commission may require that the existing program continue to maintain viability in terms of the average annual number of graduates.