Proposal Process for New Programs

  1. Faculty sponsors identify potential need or opportunity.
  2. Faculty sponsors have a conceptual meeting with the Dean to determine if CEHSP administration would potentially support the development of the new program and what things must be considered in the proposal.
  3. In parallel
    1. If not sponsors themselves, faculty sponsors meet with their Department Head and, if applicable DGS, to discuss the idea for the proposal.
    2. For undergraduate programs, faculty sponsors consult with CEHSP Advising and Academic Services to discuss the demand for the program. This may also be a good step for graduate programs interested in recruiting students from institutions like ours.
    3. The Dean, Associate Dean, and Administrative Manager meet to discuss practical issues requiring consideration regarding the proposed program.
  4. Faculty sponsor(s), Department Head, Dean, Associate Dean, and Administrative Manager meet to discuss practical implications to be considered in the proposal. If a graduate program is being developed the Director of Graduate Studies will also be present at this meeting.  If the program will involve teacher licensure faculty sponsors should consult with the CEHSP Licensure Officer.  See list of common questions to be discussed in proposal development at the end of this document.
  5. Faculty sponsor(s) draft a proposal. Review and consider the parts of a UMD degree as depicted in Figure 1. Be clear on what is considered as falling with a major, what aspects are outside a major, and how they fit together. Be sure to use the current version of the undergraduate or graduate proposal form at the EVCAA website.
    Diagram outlining the components of a degree at the University of Minnesota Duluth
    Figure 1. The parts of a UMD degree. A degree at UMD is at least 120 credits distributed across 3 broad sections: Liberal Education (30-39 Credits), Major Program (about 40-60 credits, ideally), and the remaining credits necessary to reach 120 (could include minor, other major or degree, or pure electives). The major can include some Liberal Education courses but should not attempt to account for the entire 120 credits. A major includes everything that counts toward the number of credits listed in the catalog as being within the major, whether or not the courses are offered by the home department. These can be thought of as including the freshman seminar, Advanced Writing, the major content courses offered by the program, required courses offered by other programs and prerequisites for all other required courses.

  6. If other programs will be impacted by the proposed new program the faculty sponsor(s) must consult with the relevant Department Heads and get their approval. This includes any department with a course that is proposed to be a part of the program as either a required course or elective, or that has a course which is a prerequisite for a required course. It also includes any programs that are thematically similar. Although consultation with specific faculty who commonly teach a course, or in some cases discussions with program coordinators or DGSs, may be recommended these must be in addition to, not instead of, consultation with relevant Department Heads.

  7. Faculty Sponsors finalize proposal
    1. Proposals are drafted for any new courses that must be created
    2. Faculty Sponsors meet with Administrative Manager to complete costs and resources section of proposal form.
    3. Program proposal goes through their department’s normal curriculum process.
    4. Once curriculum is determined for an undergraduate program, consult with CESHP Academic Advising to discuss (they can confirm numbers match up, identify possible bottlenecks for students, identify issues that could discourage students from entering program, etc.)
    5. If the program will result in teacher licensure consult again with the Licensure Officer so they can confirm alignment with PELSB requirements. The Licensure Officer can describe steps involved in submission of program to PELSB for approval.
  8. If new courses need to be created for the program, course proposals should go through the relevant departmental process and be sent to the AAC/GPC by the Department Head. Please allow enough time for departmental and college requests for revision to be addressed so as to meet the target UMD Academic Affairs deadlines. New courses must be approved before EVCAA can approve a new program that contains them.
  9. Once approved through the Departmental process, the Department Head submits the program proposal to the Academic Affairs Council (AAC) or Graduate Program Council (GPC).
    • Note: AAC and GPC usually have revisions required prior to approval.
    • AAC/GPC approval can take most of a semester so it is important to plan accordingly.
    • Proposal must be submitted at least one week before a scheduled AAC/GPC meeting. EVCAA deadlines are listed on AAC and GPC websites.
  10. At least by the time the proposal has been submitted to AAC/GPC, the Associate Dean will inform the rest of the Council of Associate Deans about the proposed program. Any concerns will be communicated back to the Faculty Sponsor(s) and Department Head.
  11. If the new program will replace an existing program consult with the Associate Dean about steps to deactivate any obsolete programs and to inactivate any courses that may no longer be needed.

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Common questions discussed in undergraduate proposal development and change

  1. What is the evidence for program demand?
  2. What other programs or departments will be affected?
  3. For the foreseeable future the Dean will not support development of new majors with more than 50 credits in the major except under exceptional circumstances:
    • Are there licensure or accreditation requirements that require more credits? 
    • Are there national standards that necessitate coverage of topics that cannot be adequately accommodated within 50 credits? 
  4. Is the scope of the program broader than it needs to be? 
  5. Is the curriculum contemporary? 
    • Are learning outcomes aligned with contemporary career paths? 
    • Is course content out-of-date? 
  6. Are there unneeded restrictions on course sequencing? 
  7. How many new courses will need to be developed? (Note: at the present time, no new courses should be proposed exclusively for minors).
  8. Will elective options get offered strategically? 
  9. Are there courses within the major in each year of the program? 
  10. What role does the summer session have in supporting the program?
    • Because of complications with financial aid and the need for separate faculty contracts, programs should not require courses that are only to be offered in the summer.
    • Will there be options to take high-demand core courses over the summer? 
  11. Are there Liberal Education Program (LEP) courses embedded in major?
    • No LEP courses may reduce opportunities for double dipping. 
    • Excessive required LEP courses may discourage transfer students and major changers. 
  12. Are there credits required outside the major such as an embedded second area of study? If so, are they too restrictive? 
  13. Are there things to consider that would make the programs more appealing to transfer students from common “feeder” institutions?
    • Is it possible to create a transfer guide or plan for common “feeder” schools? 
    • Are there courses required for the program that make sense to change to a level that matches equivalent courses at common 2-year feeder institutions? 
  14. Is time or space built into the program to accommodate “High Impact Practices”(HIPs)? 
    • First-year seminars and experiences
    • Common intellectual experiences
    • Learning communities
    • Writing-intensive courses
    • Collaborative assignments and projects
    • Diversity and global learning (including time for Study Abroad opportunities).
    • ePortfolios
    • Service learning, community-based learning (including CEL courses)
    • Internships
    • Capstone courses and projects