CEHSP Program and Catalog Change Process

At the beginning of the fall semester, the senior advisor who works with system coordination contacts Department Heads and program coordinators on the Associate Dean's behalf about catalog and program changes. To reduce problems that can occur with contradictory catalog revision requests, the College approves only one catalog or program change request per program per effective calendar year. Directions will be provided by email and are summarized below.

Process

UMD Academic Affairs requires using 1) a “track changes” Google Document and 2) the Google Sheets sample plan links provided by their office. Proposed revisions will be made directly on these documents using the “suggesting” setting for Google Docs. This allows deletions and additions to be viewed in a clear and easy-to-track manner.  

The process to submit changes to the Associate Dean is as follows:

  1. The Department Head receives the Track Changes Google Document from programs and reviews it.
  2. If approved, the Department Head completes the approval box at the top of the document and downloads it into a Word (.doc) file. (Graduate programs must also have DGS approval.)
  3. Catalog change requests are submitted to the CEHSP Associate Dean for review through the CEHSP Program and Catalog Change Google Form.
  4. Sample Plan Google Sheets do not need to be uploaded to the form. Form submission will provide notification that they have been reviewed and are approved.
  5. Submissions are due to the Associate Dean on October 1st.


Submissions will be reviewed by the Associate Dean in consultation with Brianne Vigen and - in the case of teacher licensure programs- the ALFE Licensure Officer, Meg Watkins. 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.

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.

Deadlines

CEHSP has three major deadlines based on how long it takes to fully process the volume of requests received and to allow more opportunity to catch and correct issues that arise with changes of greater complexity:

  1. September 15: Changes that require Board of Regents (BOR) & Provost approval.
    • Program Name
    • Program Delivery Method
    • Program Delivery Location
    • Addition or inactivation of a sub plan

      Department Heads must discuss changes that would require BOR approval with the Dean and get the Dean's endorsement of the general idea before making the changes to the catalog language and submitting it to the Associate Dean.
  2. October 1: Changes that require Provost but not BOR approval.
    • 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

      Department Heads must discuss changes in this category with the Dean to be endorsed before making the changes to the catalog language and submitting it to the Associate Dean.
  3. October 1: Changes that do not require system-level approval.
    • Minor changes to catalog language, adding alternative courses that could meet a requirement, minor tweaks to honors or admissions requirements.
    • 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.
  4. 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.

Important Notes

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 a 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 be received and approved by the Department Head if there is a program change.