New Program Procedure
The success of the college depends on its ability to provide excellent academic programs that serve the needs of its students and its community. Typically, ideas for new program can come from many sources, but the expert involvement of faculty is needed during program development if we are to maintain highest pedagogical standards and practice.
- A new academic program may be proposed by either faculty or staff. To facilitate this process, the college will use a simple form that will be submitted to Division Head and copied to the Chair of the Curricular Affairs Committee for information. The proposer should address the following areas:
- Briefly describe the nature of the program.
- Briefly describe the rationale and need justifying the desire to offer the program.
- Describe briefly the College's currently available resources: what resources, including faculty, student demand, facilities, and budget justify offering the program?
- What is the likely university-wide impact on other academic units?
- The Division Head will discuss the proposal with the Division Council. He/she will comment on the proposal and forward it to the Associate Dean.
- The Associate Dean and the Chancellor will investigate the feasibility of the proposal either directly or through designation to the appropriate Division Head and faculty.
- If the Chancellor and the Associate Dean decide that the proposal is viable and wish to pursue the matter further, the Division Head forms a Divisional Program Development Committee for further review and possible revision of the proposal. At this point, as the Chancellor/Associate Dean deem appropriate, the faculty may initiate informal conversation with University Park.
- The Divisional Program Development Committee and Division Head will develop a full curricular proposal that follows the guidelines established by the University Faculty Senate's Curricular Affairs Committee and send the finalized proposal to the Chancellor and Associate Dean. They will also prepare a Curricular Prospectus (pre-proposal) using a standard form.
- The Associate Dean will take the prospectus to ACUE for discussion, input and consultation.
- The Associate Dean will initiate ACUE Consultation via the ACUE Listserve.
- The proposal will be forwarded to the Abington Faculty Senate/Curricular Affairs Committee for input, consultation and approval.
- The Chancellor/Associate Dean will consult and submit the full proposal with evidence of consultation to the appropriate office at the University.
