During the Spring Semester (around Spring Break) Jodi Lieske contacts Department Heads and program coordinators on the Associate Dean's behalf about catalog and program changes. To reduce problems that can (and have) occurred with contradictory catalog revision requests the College approves only one catalog or program change request per program per effective calendar year. Jodi will provide directions in her email. In brief, changes in program requirements or catalog language should be submitted in electronic format by email from the Department Head to the Associate Dean with Jodi Lieske and - in the case of teacher licensure programs- the ALFE Licensure Officer copied. The method required by UMD Academic Affairs is to copy current program text from the online catalog, paste the copy to a Word document, and use Track Changes to make proposed revisions. This shows deletions and additions in a clear, easy to track manner. UMD Academic Affairs reserves the right to modify language for catalog consistency. The ALFE Licensure Officer will also confirm that all current required PELSB language is included for teacher licensure programs.
Department Heads should consult with the Dean about any program changes before submitting requests to the Associate Dean. Highlighted below and on the “When to submit by?” page are some changes it is critical to consult the Dean regarding, but any planned curriculum change that is more than purely cosmetic should be discussed with her.
Please note that if a program change includes adding new or changed courses, those courses or course changes must be approved through the course proposal process by November 1.
We will have three tiered College deadlines based on how long it takes to fully process the volume of requests we get and allow more opportunity to catch and correct issues that arise with changes of greater complexity or with greater potential for unintended adverse consequences. The Program Change Form also details the levels of complexity. An electronic version of this form must accompany the catalog copy. On it there are two explicit and one implicit category of program changes:
- Changes that require Board of Regents (BOR) & Provost approval.
- These include any changes in:
- Program Name
- Delivery Method
- Delivery Location
- Addition or inactivation of a sub plan
- Any program changes including altering these aspects of the course are due to the Associate Dean by September 15. Department Heads must discuss changes that would require BOR approval with the Dean and get her endorsement of the general idea before making the changes to the catalog language and submitting it to the Associate Dean.
- These include any changes in:
- Changes that require Provost but not BOR approval.
- These include any changes in:
- Accreditation agency
- Admission requirements above a 2.0 GPA
- Increase or decrease in the length of credit for the program
- For undergraduate programs, overall credit requirements above 120 credits
- We will need any program change proposals in this category to the Associate Dean by October 1. Department Heads must discuss changes in this category with the Dean and get her endorsement before making the changes to the catalog language and submitting it to the Associate Dean.
- These include any changes in:
- Changes that due not require system-level approval.
- This includes all other catalog changes.
- Minor changes to catalog language, adding alternative courses that could meet a requirement, minor tweaks to honors or admissions requirements, etc. will be due to the Associate Dean by November 1.
- Changes that lead to a major restructuring of a program that do not require Provost or BOR approval require Department Head consultation with the Dean prior to submission.
- This includes all other catalog changes.
- Teacher Education Programs must consult the ALFE Licensure Officer with any program changes to ensure alignment to PELSB requirements by April 1st of the spring semester prior to submitting curricular changes. This will help to ensure the process is completed well in advance of the curricular deadlines established by the Associate Dean every fall semester.
Once a program change has been approved and sent on to EVCAA -with the exception of late breaking changes to PELSB requirements for teacher licensure programs - there can be no other change requests for that catalog year.
Requests for program changes that impact another department must include documentation of consultation with the relevant Department Head. So, if a course from another department is added or dropped from your program provide an email response from that Department Head regarding their support for the change (in the case of added courses) or acknowledgement of the change (in the case of dropping courses). 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.
A revised sample plan must accompany the requested catalog change if there is a program change. To make sure that the final requested catalog copy and sample plan will meet Office of the Registrar (OTR) standards, PELSB requirements (if relevant), and is internally consistent (e.g., all numbers add up correctly), I will need to get requests following Jodi’s directions no later than the appropriate deadline listed above to guarantee that Jodi, the ALFE Licensure Officer, and the Associate Dean have time to do due diligence in reviewing the request before the EVCAA deadline.
What to submit?
| Submission Type | No impact on other departments | Other departments impacted |
|---|---|---|
| Word .DOC file of current catalog language with edits in Track Changes (No other document format –such as Google Doc or PDF –allowed, MUST use Track Changes function). | Yes | Yes |
| Updated sample plan (Word .DOC only) | Yes | Yes |
| Program Change Form Electronic signatures only (send as Word .DOC) | Yes | Yes |
| Email from impacted Department’s Department Head supporting or acknowledging change | No | Yes |
Who to submit changes to?
Be sure that the Dean has been consulted about any program changes prior to submitting them.
| Submission Contact | Non-Teacher licensure Program | Teacher Licensure Program |
|---|---|---|
| Scott Carlson ([email protected]) | Yes | Yes |
| Jodi Lieske ([email protected]) | Yes | Yes |
| The ALFE Licensure Officer ([email protected]) | No | Yes |
When to submit changes?
(For changes to go into effect the Fall Semester after the deadline provided). To figure out your program change deadline start at the top of this table and work your way down.
Be sure that the Dean has been consulted about any program changes prior to submitting them.
Does your request include a change in:
- Program Name?
- Delivery Method?
- Delivery Location?
- Addition or inactivation of a sub plan?
If any of the above are answered “Yes”, then the deadline is September 15. Stop here.
Does your request include a change in:
- Accreditation agency
- Admission requirements above a 2.0 GPA
- Increase or decrease in the length of credit for the program
- For undergraduate programs, overall credit requirements above 120 credits
If YES, deadline to Associate Dean is October 1.
If none of the above are answered “Yes”, then the deadline is November 1.