PROCEDURES FOR CHANGES IN CURRICULUM AND CATALOG COPY
Catalog Deadlines: The annual delivery date for new University Catalogs by April 1
requires a rigorous observance of deadlines for the submission of proposed changes or
additions to the catalog. In order for new course proposals and substantive changes in
academic programs to be made in the catalog, they need to have been submitted to the
Undergraduate Studies Office and or the Division of Graduate Studies by March of the
preceding year. Minor revisions must be submitted by the last week in September.
University committees consider all proposed changes. Once the university committee
recommends approval, the request is sent to the Dean, Undergraduate Studies or the
Dean, Division of Graduate Studies. With the approval of the Provost and Vice
President for Academic Affairs, the course/curriculum changes are implemented and
appear as appropriate in the University Catalog.
PROCEDURES FOR MODIFYING UNDERGRADUATE COURSES/PROGRAMS
Request for New Undergraduate Courses: Requests for new undergraduate courses
are made by filling out and submitting an Undergraduate Course Proposal form. After
the request has been approved by the department, the College/School Curriculum
Committee and the College/School Dean, it will be forwarded to the Undergraduate
Studies Office which will in turn submit it to the Undergraduate Curriculum
Subcommittee. The Subcommittee will then make its recommendation to the Dean of
Undergraduate Studies. If the Dean of Undergraduate Studies approves the new
course, it will be incorporated into the following year’s University Catalog, and it may be
scheduled for offering during the academic year covered by that Catalog.
Request for Changes in Undergraduate Courses: Departments requesting changes
in existing undergraduate courses should fill out and submit the Undergraduate Course
Change Request form, via the same approval process described above. This form
should be used for courses involving changes in unit value, lecture-laboratory format,
prerequisites, course classification, deletions and revisions in course title or description.
Depending on the nature of the proposed change, the Dean of Undergraduate Studies
may refer the request to the Undergraduate Curriculum Subcommittee for their
recommendation.
Requests that Affect Another Course or Program: Changes that carry the potential
of affecting offerings in another area must be reviewed by faculty in the affected
department. All undergraduate course change proposals and undergraduate course
proposal forms include a section for review and consultation by the department or
program that might be affected. Consultation should be invited before submitting the
form for approval. If a change affects other courses or programs within the department
making the request, the necessary adjustments should also be indicated on the form.
Information on current course interrelationships may be obtained by calling the
Undergraduate Studies Office.
Minor Changes in Undergraduate Programs: Departments requesting changes and
adjustments in majors, minors, and options need to fill out and submit an
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Undergraduate Program Change Request form. After approval at the college/school
level, requests are forwarded to the Undergraduate Studies Office which will in turn
submit them to the Undergraduate Curriculum Subcommittee.
PROCEDURES FOR MODIFYING GRADUATE COURSES/PROGRAMS
A. Graduate course and curriculum changes must be submitted to the Division of
Graduate Studies on the appropriate request forms for the following types of
changes:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Revision of existing graduate degree program requirements
New courses
Conversions (i.e., breaking out of topics courses)
Revisions (i.e., unit value, description, prerequisites)
Deletions
B. The individual department making the request is responsible for the following:
1. Adherence to graduate level course criteria published by the Chancellor's Office,
the Council of Graduate Schools, and the Division of Graduate Studies.
2. Supportive data justifying the request.
3. Clearance signatures from those departments or instructional units which would
be affected by the requested change.
4. Recommendations for approval by appropriate department and college/school
committees and/or college/school Deans as required for the department.
5. The request is to be submitted to the Division of Graduate Studies.
C. After an initial review in the Division of Graduate Studies, the request is submitted to
the Graduate Curriculum Review Subcommittee. Two separate readings are held by
the Subcommittee with an intervening period to allow appropriate campus
distribution. Normally, a representative from the department is expected to attend
the Subcommittee meetings to answer questions about the request. If the
Subcommittee and the Dean of Graduate Studies recommends approval, the
request is sent to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs for final
approval. With the approval of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs,
the course/curriculum changes are implemented and appear as appropriate in the
University Catalog.
PROCEDURES FOR IMPLEMENTING NEW PROGRAMS
Certificates, Options, Concentrations and Minors. Under Executive Order No. 602,
the authority to approve options, concentrations, and minors in some specified
academic areas has been delegated to the President of the University. In many other
areas, the approval of the Chancellor’s Office is still required. Proposals for certificates,
options, concentrations, and minors should address most of the items in the
Chancellor’s Office template (see below). Departments and colleges/schools that wish
to institute a new certificate, option, concentration or minor should discuss their
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proposal informally with the Dean, Undergraduate Studies or the Dean, Division of
Graduate Studies early in the planning stage. Advice on format and procedures should
be obtained prior to the preparation of the detailed program proposal. Program
proposals must receive a substantive review and approval at the College/School and
University levels.
New Degree Programs: New degree programs must be approved by the appropriate
University Curriculum Committee, the Academic Policy and Planning Committee or
Graduate Committee, the University Budget Committee, the Academic Senate and the
President. Programs are then forwarded to the Chancellor’s Office for final approval
before they can be offered on campus. Also, substantial changes in an existing program
may require Chancellor’s Office approval, depending upon the magnitude of the change
requested. A request for a substantial change in an existing program is treated as a new
program so far as the local consultative process is concerned. In order for a degree
program to be considered for approval at the Chancellor’s Office, it needs to be
submitted by the campus for addition to the campus Master Plan or submitted as a fasttrack or pilot program. Departments and colleges/schools that wish to institute a new
major or degree program should discuss their proposal informally with the Dean,
Undergraduate Studies or the Dean, Division of Graduate Studies early in the planning
stage. Advice on format and procedures should be obtained prior to the preparation of
the detailed program proposal. The items listed in the Chancellor’s Office template (see
below) must be addressed in the proposal.
Fast track and pilot programs do not have to be placed on the campus Master Plan as
the first step toward authorization. This shortens the process by about one year.
However, they are required to be carefully planned and are subject to the campus
review and approval process. In addition, there are specific eligibility criteria that have to
be met for both fast track and pilot programs, and each campus is limited in the number
of programs it may propose as pilot programs. If the pilot program is the process by
which you are planning to propose a new degree, please check with the Dean,
Undergraduate Studies or the Dean, Division of Graduate Studies to see if the campus
is within its annual limit and if the program is still available.
Part I. Standard Process
A. Step 1. Inclusion on Approved Master Plan
1. Departments (or colleges/schools) that desire to institute a new degree
program must first include the program on the Academic Master Plan for the
university. To accomplish this, the instructional unit should engage in informal
discussions with the Dean, Undergraduate Studies or the Dean, Division of
Graduate Studies
2. A formal request with justification to have the new program placed on the
Master Plan is prepared by the instructional unit. This request is a brief (2 - 3
page) overall description of the degree with a justification. The request is filed
with the Undergraduate Studies Office or the Division of Graduate Studies for
submission to the appropriate university committees, the President, and the
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Chancellor's Office for approval by the CSU Board of Trustees. In general,
there is one call for the submission of such requests that is made with a
deadline for receipt in October (see chart in Part II). Review by the Board of
Trustees may occur in January-February, with notice for formal approval of
the campus Master Plan being received shortly thereafter. This approval does
not authorize the new program, but provides the authority to pursue the
development of a formal proposal.
3. After the inclusion of the new program on the Master Plan, the instructional
unit then prepares the formal proposal according to the Chancellor's Office
requirements. See Guidelines for Proposals for New Degree Programs in Part
III.
B. Step 2. Program Approval and Authorization
1. The on-campus approval of the proposed new program first requires review
and approval by department and college/school committees and the
College/School Dean prior to consideration by the appropriate university
curriculum committee. Once approved at the college/school level, the
program proposal is submitted to the Undergraduate Studies Office or
Division of Graduate Studies. The approval process at the university level
consists of two readings.
2. After the first reading approval, the proposal is revised to incorporate any
recommendations made by the committee in its first reading.
3. Notices of the proposed programs are distributed to all department chairs,
with the notation that the detailed program is available through email for
Undergraduate programs/courses from the Dean of Undergraduate Studies
Office or Division of Graduate Studies for Graduate programs/courses.
Comments on the program are to be directed to the Dean, Undergraduate
Studies or the Dean, Division of Graduate Studies for distribution.
4. At its second reading, the committee will consider the proposal, along with all
relevant comments that have been received. If approved, the proposal is
forwarded to the Academic Policy and Planning Committee (undergraduate)
or the Executive Committee (graduate) for review by the Academic Senate.
5. Recommendations of the Academic Senate are forwarded to the University
President. Following final consideration and approval by the President, the
proposal is forwarded to the Chancellor’s Office by the Provost and Vice
President for Academic Affairs.
6. Final authorization for the campus to offer the new degree program is granted
by the Chancellor following staff review and review by the California
Postsecondary Education Commission. The Undergraduate Studies Office
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and the Division of Graduate Studies are responsible for monitoring progress
of the proposal through the review process.
Part II. Fast-Track and Pilot Programs
A. Fast Track Process
1. A program can be placed on the fast track only if eligible as follows:
 it can be offered at a high level of quality by the campus within the campus’s
existing resource base, or there is a demonstrated capacity to fund the
program on a self-support basis;
 it is not subject to specialized accreditation by an agency that is a member of
the Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors, or it is currently
offered as an option or concentration that is already recognized and
accredited by an appropriate specialized accrediting agency;
 it can be adequately housed without major capital outlay;
 it is consistent with all existing state and federal law and trustee policy;
 it is a bachelor’s degree program;
 the program has been subject to a thorough campus review and approval
process (proposals should follow the guidelines found in Part III).
2. Requirement for inclusion in the master plan is waived.
3. Two approval cycles per year are available. Proposals are due to the Chancellor's
Office by the end of December or early June. A program is automatically approved if
no questions are raised by a specific date.
4. The program is removed from the Academic Plan if not implemented within five
years (or date originally projected for implementation).
B. Pilot Program
1. A pilot program can be implemented without being placed on the campus Academic
Plan. This requires the acknowledgment, but not the prior approval of, the
Chancellor's Office and CPEC, and it is identified as a pilot program in the next
annual update of the campus Academic Plan.
2. A pilot program is proposed using guidelines outlined in Part III.
3. A limited number of degree programs may be established as pilot programs under
the following conditions:
a. A program can be established as a pilot program only if it meets the criteria
for fast-track programs as stated above (see Part II, B.1).
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b. A pilot program is authorized to operate only for five years. If no further
action is taken by the end of the five years, no new students can be admitted
to the program.
c. A pilot program can be converted to regular-program status and approved to
continue to operate indefinitely if the following conditions are met:
• the campus has committed the resources necessary to maintain the
program beyond five years;
• a thorough program evaluation has shown the program to be of high
quality, to be attractive to students, and to produce graduates attractive to
prospective employers and/or graduate programs, as appropriate;
• the required approval by the board and the chancellor has been obtained
after review and comment by the Chancellor's Office and CPEC.
d. The campus is obliged to notify the Chancellor's Office of the establishment of
the program and its curricular requirements prior to program implementation.
Approximate Timelines for New Proposals:
Submission, Review, Approval
Submission
Method
Standard
1. Masterplan
Request
2. Final
Proposal
Fast Track
(Two
opportunities
yearly).
Pilot
Program
Campus
Review
(Curriculum,
Senate,
Provost,
Pres.)
Chancellor’s
Office
Board of
Trustees
(BOT)
CPEC
October
January 2
March agenda
N.A.
No deadline
No deadline
N.A.
September 1
&
February 1
January 1
&
June 1
March agenda
&
Sept. agenda
Six or more
months
June*
&
January*
No Deadline
No Deadline
After Program
Review**
After Program
Review**
* Approval automatic if no questions.
**Program continuation after 5 years requires BOT/CPEC approval after Program
Review.
Please note: This process may take 1 year to complete.
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PART III. Guidelines for Proposals for New Degree Major Programs
The campus, in accordance with its approved academic master plan, submits detailed
proposals for new undergraduate degree majors and graduate degree programs to the
Dean of Academic Program Planning at the Chancellor’s Office for review and approval
in the academic year preceding projected implementation. The proposals must follow
the format specified by the Chancellor’s Office (see http://www.calstate.edu/app/).
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Table II
University Budget Committee
Budget Analysis Guidelines
It is the charge of the University Budget Committee to provide an analysis of budgetary impact
to the Academic Senate of those proposals submitted for Senate for approval. Subsequent to
implementing the present decentralized budget allocation model, the University Budget Committee now
expects the initiating department/program to provide a reasoned estimate of those changes that will
result from implementation of their proposal. The estimate is to be provided in the form of quantitative
and narrative descriptions, so as to permit University Budget Committee analysis. The University Budget
Committee also requires evidence that the proposal has received fiscal review at the College/School
level. The University Budget Committee therefore requests that departments/programs use the following
guidelines in providing the information required.
1. Projected changes in enrollment (FTES)
 What is the recent enrollment history of the program and what effect will the proposed
changes have on enrollment?
 If FTES is expected to increase, what proportion represents new FTES and what
proportion represents shifts from existing programs?
 How did you estimate your expected changes in enrollment?
2. Projected changes in existing curriculum
 Will there be changes in the cost of delivering the curriculum? What will those costs be
and what is their basis?
 For new courses, what is the estimated class size, frequency, and level/classification
(“S” or “C” classification) of course delivery? Please specify.
 For courses currently being offered, will there be changes in class size, frequency, level
or classification of course delivery? Please specify.
 Will courses be dropped from the existing curriculum? Please list specific courses.
3. Projected changes in faculty
 Will there be a shift in faculty assignments? If so, what will be the difference between
current and proposed assignments?
 Will there be shifts in faculty numbers or distribution (T/TT vs FT/PT)? If so, what will
they be?
 Will new positions be added/required and what resources will be used to acquire them?
4. Projected changes in budget
 What is your current operating budget?
 What are your current positions (T, TT, FT, PT, staff)?
 Do you anticipate outside revenue to support your program (state funds,
grants/contracts, endowments, etc.)?
 Will budget requirements change and what will those changes be (e.g. in operating
budget, facilities, equipment, technical support, staff, etc.)? Please specify.
 Will there be any increase in administrative roles/responsibilities that require buy-back or
release time?
 How will the expected changes in budget requirements be met?
 Has the budgetary impact of the proposal been reviewed by the College/School Budget
Committee and Office of the Dean?
5. Effect on Support Services and programs in other Colleges/Schools
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


Are support services (e.g. Library, AIC) required for program implementation and
function?
Are programs in other Colleges/Schools directly affected by the proposal and in what
way?
Who are the representatives in the affected service areas and/or Schools/Colleges that
have been contacted?
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