Academic Program Proposals | Academic Affairs

Michigan Technological University follows process guidelines, which have been approved by the University Senate, for review and approval of new degree programs. The general Senate Proposal Approval process is governed by senate policy 104.1.1.

Academic program proposals may require several levels of internal approval, including Michigan Tech’s Deans Council, Graduate Faculty Council, University Senate, and Board of Trustees (BoT), as well as potential external approval from the Academic Affairs Officers’ Committee of the Michigan Association of State Universities (MASU/AAO) and Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Proposals typically do not proceed to the next approving body without approval of the previous body. The overall approval process depends on the proposal type, as described below.

Approvals, Processes, and Policies

Note: Pre-proposal forms should be submitted before Nov 1 for the best chance of program approval that academic year (however approval is not guaranteed). The earlier the submission the more time is available to accommodate committee-requested edits.

Undergraduate Programs

Proposal Format: 108.1.1

Governing Policies

new undergraduate degree program: 108.1.1and108.1.2
undergraduate program name changes: 108.1.1
minors: 406.1
concentration, focus areas, technical emphasis: proposal 15-11
post-baccalaureate certificates: 407.1

Graduate Programs

Proposal Format: 108.1.1

Governing Policies

new graduate degree program: 108.1.1and108.1.2
graduate program name changes: 108.1.1
accelerated master's option: 413.1
graduate certificate: 411.1

Graduate Approval Flowchart: Accelerated Master's

Text Description

for existing programs: the unit generates proposal in consultation with the Graduate School. May be implemented once approved by the Graduate School.
if the program desiring an accelerated option does not exist yet, proposal should be developed and approved as described for a new graduate program below.

Shelving and Eliminating Programs

Format and Policy: 414.1.1

Shelving / Eliminating Flowchart

Text Description

notes:
- Shelving is considered temporary and reversible. Elimination is considered permanent. Programs cannot be eliminated without having been shelved for at least 5 years first.
- only programs that were initially approved by the senate require a formal shelving / elimination proposal. Informal curricular structures like focus or technical areas, or tracks, are handled internally and announced as part of the annual curriculum update processes like other curricular changes to existing programs.
unit submits pre-proposal form for Deans Council initial review and approval.
full proposal is developed according to senate guidelines (see above for pertinent policies/procedures) and approved by the unit and college.
a proposal regarding:
- graduate programs is submitted to the Graduate School for review by staff and the Graduate Faculty Council, then forwarded by the Graduate School to Deans Council for review and approval.
- undergraduate programs is submitted to the provost's office for review and approval by Deans Council.
approved proposals are forwarded to the senate by the provost's office. See Senate Approval Process below.
final approval depends on proposal type:
- shelving: final approval typically rests with the president.
- elimination: proposals are routed to the Board of Trustees and to MASU. Eliminations may require HLC approval as an additional step.

Approval Process Overview

Approval Flowchart

Text Description

unit submits pre-proposal form for Deans Council for initial review and approval.
full proposal is developed using feedback from the preproposal review and according to senate guidelines (see above for pertinent policies/procedures) and approved by the unit and college.
a proposal regarding:
- graduate programs is submitted by the dean's office to the Graduate School for review by staff and the Graduate Faculty Council, then forwarded by the Graduate School to the provost's office for Deans Council review and approval.
- undergraduate programs is submitted to the provost's office for review and approval by Deans Council.
approved proposals are forwarded to the senate by the provost's office. See Senate Approval Process below.
final approval depends on proposal type:
- new degree programs / majors and degree name changes are routed to the Board of Trustees and to MASU.
- new degree programs / majors and certificates may require HLC approval as an additional step.
- new minors and concentrations may be implemented without additional external approval.
- shelving: final approval typically rests with the president.
- elimination: proposals are routed to the Board of Trustees and to MASU. Eliminations may require HLC approval as an additional step.
program may be advertised and implemented only after final approvals have been obtained.

Senate Approval Process

Procedure: 104.1.1

Text Description

an academic program proposal is developed as described above based on proposal type.
approved proposals are sent to the Senate Executive Committee. They review draft proposal, determine routing, assign proposal number, and refer to committee(s) as appropriate.
- for academic program proposals, this is typically the Curricular Policy Committee and Finance and Instructional Policy Committee.
committee reviews, revises, and seeks input to finalize draft to submit to senate. Proposal originators/authors work with committee to make revisions as needed.
chair of the Curricular Policy Committee introduces proposal at a full senate meeting for discussion. Voting happens at subsequent senate meeting.
approved proposals are sent by the senate to the President's Office (or to the office of their designee), to review and approve.
- proposals may be routed by the provost's office for Board of Trustees and/or external review and approval as required by proposal type.

Department Name Changes

Department name changes are not governed by senate policy. In an effort for transparency and open communication, the following process is used by the Provost's Office:

Department puts together a short description of, and rationale for, the planned name change with documentation of the department's and college's support.
Department brings proposed change to College Council for discussion and approval.
The respective college notifies the provost's office and has the proposed change added to a Deans Council agenda.
Once approved by the deans, the provost will discuss the name change with the Senate Officers and suggest they invite a departmental representative to briefly present the change at an upcoming senate meeting.
Assuming no major concerns are raised, the name change would be added to the Board's Academic Affairs Committee agenda as an informational item.

Required Approvals by Proposal Type

Proposal Type:	Senate	Provost/ President	BoT	MASU	HLC
new degree program	Y	Y	Y	Y	S
renaming programs	Y	Y	-	D	-
accelerated master's option	-	-	-	-	-
graduate certificate	Y	Y	-	-	S
certificate	Y	Y	-	-	S
minor	Y	Y	-	-	-
concentration added to degree	Y	Y	-	-	S
focus area / technical emphasis	-	Y	-	-	-
shelving programs	Y	Y	-	-	S
eliminating programs	Y	Y	D	D	S

Approval overview; see provided flowcharts for more details.
(Y = yes, approval required, D= required for degree programs, S = approval sometimes required)

Questions regarding the approvals process should be directed to the provost's office.

Note on Higher Learning Commission (HLC) Approval:

Some proposals may require HLC approval which will delay implementation. The following are known instances where additional approval may be required:

program proposals that are not closely related to existing programs at Michigan Tech,
- e.g., we do not currently offer other programs at the same degree level in the same general discipline (as defined by the first 2 digits of assigned program CIP code) or we plan to hire additional faculty with new expertise or need to acquire a new specialized accreditation.
programs involve the awarding of a new degree type (e.g. a new professional degree rather than an MS), or
more that 50% of a certificate program's courses were developed specifically for the new program and not derived from courses in existing degree programs.

Please note that it can take up to a year between initial internal proposal submission and final approval if a new program proposal requires HLC approval.

Definitions

Program Modifications

All degree program proposals (for new programs and name changes) follow the same internal processes above. However, at the state level, name changes and some new degree programs may be classified as “modifications,” a term used for proposals that are clearly related to an institution’s existing program, and therefore do not require the same level of review as new program proposals. This distinction does not ultimately affect the total time needed for approval.

Concentrations vs Focus Area/Technical Emphasis

Concentrations within an undergraduate major degree appear on the diploma. When a new concentration is added to a degree program, it must be proposed as a new program. Concentrations may later lead to entirely new degree programs; for example, the BS in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting became a BS in Accounting in 2010.

Unlike concentrations, a focus area or technical emphasis within a degree program does not appear on a diploma, and therefore is not considered a new program. However, these are still approved by the provost through the normal curriculum change process (aka the “binder process”).

Please contact Amie Ledgerwood if you have questions.